Am I ready for this?

[brit]

We've been talking on and off about getting a dog for about a year. We have two kids (3 and 5) and a 9 year old Silkie who just wants to be left alone to bask in the sunlight lol. As soon as we moved into a new house with a big yard last year, my husband started talking dog. He grew up with labs and pointers (for hunting) and is aching to get a dog who will play fetch, swim and be his buddy. My biggest concern is not getting in over our heads. We adopted Chloe at two years ago, so I've never been through the "puppy" stage. After exhaustive research, I think we've decided on an Irish Terrier. There is a breeder who has a little girl available next month, but we need to decided asap and put a deposit down. I just don't know if I'm ready for this lol. I keep hearing these horror stories about puppies!

[niemand88f]

Please don't get it from a breeder, millions of dogs are euthanized every year (not exaggerating at all)

Plus I think a young adult dog would be a better fit for your family - puppies are a lot of work and will probably be irritating to an older dog. Look for local rescues on petfinder.com You can meet the dog and have it meet your current dog to make sure it's a good fit before deciding. You never know what you're getting with a puppy, but if you find a dog who has been living in a foster home you can get a good idea what kind of personality and energy it has

Good luck!

[dearprudence]

I second the idea of going with a rescue young dog as opposed to a puppy. Puppies are adorable, but they are also incredibly difficult. And I only have one child, but dealing with 2 kids and a puppy is quite a bit of work.

I don't know much about the Irish Terrier Rescue Network, but they do have a variety of dogs available - from many ages (including a 10 month old - which is about the age of our dog when we rescued him and he was past the crazy puppy chewing stage AND took only a couple days to potty train)

[purrbox]

I agree with the others. I suggest checking out your local animal control. Send your husband over there and see if he takes an interest to any of the dogs. It's waaaaay cheaper than buying from a breeder, and you can get to know your dog's personality before adopting. My DH and I recently adopted a dog from animal control. She's about a year old, and we absolutely love her!

Also, as others have mentioned, keep in mind that puppies do take more time, energy, and patience, and your older doggie probably won't be too amused with a pup around. But if you're willing to deal with all of the puppy madness, then go for it. Otherwise, I'd stick to searching for older "pups".

[redheadbaker]

I think your 9 year old Silkie will be much happier with a young adult dog sibling rather than a puppy.

I'm mobile and miss my physical keyboard! Sorry for any typos!