Is being CKC registered important?

[shakalaka]

Hello, my wife and I have finally decided that we would like to get a small puppy as a pet for our home. We have both to have one for the longest time but the timing never felt right, but now that we are out of the condo and in a house with plenty of space and backyard, we think it's about time. We are also planning to start a family, so we think having a puppy a year or so before a baby will also be helpful (as long as the puppy can amalgamate with a baby and stuff without safety concern). Based on our lifestyle and preferences, we have narrowed down that Havanese would the puppy we would like to have. I have contacted numerous breeders throughout AB and BC and it doesn't appear that there are any that have puppies available. I have also been scouring Kijiji and came across one breeder that has a puppy available that we seem to like. The issue is, they are not CKC registered. They have a website and look pretty legit in every way and say they have been breeding for 20 years but are not CKC registered.

I am not quite sure what being CKC registered means and what does it mean to be not be registered/be registered. Should I care about this or not let it bother me from going ahead with the purchase of one of their puppies?

Thanks everyone for your input.

[Buster]

Do breeders accept trade ins?

[killramos]

The only people who will know are you, and the people you tell. If that’s important to you then get CKC registered.

Don’t pretend it’s a warrant of the dogs “quality”, temperament, or health in any way though.

Personally I have a problem with the concept of puppy mills, so I would do a lot of due diligence to ensure that the animal isn’t coming from such a situation. CKC registration could be an indicator of such diligence.

Personally, don’t get hung up about it. I’ve had CKC dogs and non CKC dogs and it becomes something you forget about a few days after you bring them home.

Seriously consider a rescue pet, there are animals in shelters every day that need good homes. Not a judgment either way, just something to consider that has potential to make a real difference in the life of an animal.

[shakalaka]

Absolutely, we have thought about adoption/rescue dogs and it was the first thought that crossed our minds. However, after talking to some dog people, we have been advised to not do that for our first pet without having any prior experience with dogs before as their temperaments may be unpredictable and require significant additional work. Everyone has suggested against it as first time dog owners.

In regards to CKC, so from what I am understanding is, that it doesn't really matter? The website for these breeders and detailed and they state they have been breeding for 20 years, so otherwise all other indicators are fine. What questions should we ask them about their operation and animals? What to expect in the process?

[Tik-Tok]

It only matters if you plan on breeding it.

[ExtraSlow]

Gross, isn't that illegal?

[killramos]

Can you find some references of people who have gotten animals from them online? Preferably people not connected to said breeder, basically a review on their website is worth less than nothing to me.

The world of dog breeding is full of weirdos, it’s just the nature of it. You are trying to find the least worst weirdo.

Wrt “ temperaments may be unpredictable and require significant additional work “, nothing is stopping your $$$ designer pure bred papered 8 week old puppy from developing any number of temperament issues or problems. No matter what a breeder tells you. Just something to be eyes wide open about.

CKC membership only really becomes relevant if you want to show, compete, or breed your dog in sanctioned events in North America. It is completely irrelevant for a family pet. On the breeding thing, almost any dog you are looking at will likely have you signing away breeding rights to the dog ( ie you won’t be allowed to ) even if papered. The breeders don’t want just any smuck messing up lines and churning out puppies.

[Buster]

Either way, you still have to abrogate your place at the apex of evolution to bend over and fondle its warm shits in your hands. #degrading

[ExtraSlow]

Puppy mills hate competition.

[Buster]

how do you enforce breeding rights?

"Hey you, stop that dog from fucking!"

[ExtraSlow]

Unenforceable contracts.

[killramos]

how do you enforce breeding rights?

"Hey you, stop that dog from fucking!"

The consequence of not having papers… is not being able to have more papers

[msommers]

Something to consider from a CKC breeder are references, show records, community participation and health guarantees. We know someone whose puppy, unfortunately, had to be put down due to serious health complications. The breeder was willing to provide a new puppy at no cost using two different parents ($3,000 value). Additionally, when we started looking for Westies, we ended up finding out that a lot of people we met at dog parks or friends of friends all referenced back to specific breeders -- they were popular breeders who provided healthy, long-living dogs. There may be backyard breeders who do it routinely but CKC breeders are certainly much easier to inquire about.

That said, we went with a backyard breeder who ended up being wonderful. It felt like a huge gamble to me at the beginning, but in the end we didn't have a choice when it came to using a breeder. My frustration with every single breeder in western Canada was due to ambiguous waitlist positioning (are we 3rd or 30th? No one would say) and frankly 80% of them didn't return emails or voicemails. I'm not sure what it is about dog breeder websites but they all look like they were made using GeoCities from 1994!

To your specific breed, I inquired with someone on the pathway about their Havanese and I'm pretty certain they mentioned a great breeder in Camrose. Google returns this one but I don't know if it would truly be the same one: https://www.pawpawrazzipups.com/

Best of luck!

[dirtsniffer]

Personally, skip the dog if you're planning on starting a family. The amount of attention our dog gets went from a ton, to none after the baby.

[shakalaka]

Something to consider from a CKC breeder are references, show records, community participation and health guarantees. We know someone whose puppy, unfortunately, had to be put down due to serious health complications. The breeder was willing to provide a new puppy at no cost using two different parents ($3,000 value). Additionally, when we started looking for Westies, we ended up finding out that a lot of people we met at dog parks or friends of friends all referenced back to specific breeders -- they were popular breeders who provided healthy, long-living dogs. There may be backyard breeders who do it routinely but CKC breeders are certainly much easier to inquire about.

That said, we went with a backyard breeder who ended up being wonderful. It felt like a huge gamble to me at the beginning, but in the end we didn't have a choice when it came to using a breeder. My frustration with every single breeder in western Canada was due to ambiguous waitlist positioning (are we 3rd or 30th? No one would say) and frankly 80% of them didn't return emails or voicemails. I'm not sure what it is about dog breeder websites but they all look like they were made using GeoCities from 1994!

To your specific breed, I inquired with someone on the pathway about their Havanese and I'm pretty certain they mentioned a great breeder in Camrose. Google returns this one but I don't know if it would truly be the same one: https://www.pawpawrazzipups.com/

Best of luck!

That link is the exact breeder I am talking about actually.

[ThePenIsMightier]

My very limited experience with this is that AMERICAN Kennel Club papers are significantly more valuable. We had a dog that we had to jump through some hoops to get him AKC Registered and that was theoretically beneficial. Dumb fuck still couldn't figure out how to screw a bitch and there was a hilarious incident where he jizzed on another owner's face while attempting to breed, but c'est la vie! At least she had naughty librarian glasses on.
LoL!
I haven't bothered to read the other posts, but I seized the opportunity to tell my gross story.

[pheoxs]

Not much to add besides a whois lookup says that domain was registered in 2007 so would backup that they've been around a long while and not just a pop up puppy mill.

[firebane]

Absolutely, we have thought about adoption/rescue dogs and it was the first thought that crossed our minds. However, after talking to some dog people, we have been advised to not do that for our first pet without having any prior experience with dogs before as their temperaments may be unpredictable and require significant additional work. Everyone has suggested against it as first time dog owners.

In regards to CKC, so from what I am understanding is, that it doesn't really matter? The website for these breeders and detailed and they state they have been breeding for 20 years, so otherwise all other indicators are fine. What questions should we ask them about their operation and animals? What to expect in the process?

Dogs are like humans.. They all have their own personality.

People saying go to a breeder or CKC this or that are strictly no interested in a dogs well being and don't care about those in shelters.

Some of the best dogs you can EVER get are those from shelters but yes they usually do take a bit of work because you know they have been tossed around and not cared about.

Our 7 year old dog was an adoption/shelter dog and she's been fantastic in every way possible.

As a first time dog/pet owner.. shelters such as those like Aarcs are awesome because they understand risks and want to ensure dogs are a good fit unlike a "mill" ..

Also .. if there is a baby in the mix do the whole family a service and don't get a dog.

[D'z Nutz]

However, after talking to some dog people, we have been advised to not do that for our first pet without having any prior experience with dogs before as their temperaments may be unpredictable and require significant additional work. Everyone has suggested against it as first time dog owners.

Sounds like the "dog people" you've talked to are people who forked out big bucks at breeders and are trying to justify the money they spent.

I'm probably biased here, but I volunteer at a shelter and I'm constantly coming across some really amazing animals of all species and I often wonder why they were even surrendered. When I look up their files, it's more often that it's the previous owners who have given up on caring for the animals than the animals displaying behavioural issues. After animals are brought in, they're evaluated to see if they are adoption ready and if they aren't they're given to foster parents who spend time with the animals to work out any issues they may have, whether it's training or just giving them the attention they need. A good shelter isn't going to hand off some random animal to an owner who has not had any prior experience; they're trying to find the right fit for both the animal and family.

I don't know anything about breeders, but I can't imagine them spending the same amount of time and resources on each dog cause it'd probably cut into them churning out puppies for profit.

[spikerS]

I am gonna come at this from a different angle here.

I wouldn't focus so much on the "breed". I say this because a breed can only provide so much in terms of what a potential dog's temperament COULD be like. Did you know that the standard poodle was historically a water dog, much like the golden retriever, and was bred for duck and other water foul hunting? However, this doesn't hold true really in today's world, and most of the ones I have encountered avoid water.

What I am getting at is, don't do a tightrope walk and focus on a specific breed. Instead, make a list of traits you want in the dog. do you want high energy? athletics? couch potato? etc... You get no guarantees with a puppy. With the amount of inbreeding out there, there are very few "true blue blood" dogs out there, and the ones that are usually suffering from inbreeding to the point that their health is so poor, you are going to go bankrupt at the vet trying to keep them alive. Now, that isn't always the case, but it is a lot of the time. Even CKC and AKG certification is worth less than the air it takes to say the letters. I guess I should answer your question directly here, no, don't worry about CKC registration. It is worthless to you. No one is going to come asking if your little rufus is CKC registered. no one cares. With the exception of dog shows and other breeders, so unless you are going to be hob-nobbing with them, it's a worthless premium you are going to pay for. I lump these groups into the same category as the BBB. They pay for it so they can sell puppies, and usually at a premium.

In short, for you and the scenario you described, I would forget the 8 or 10-week old puppy. Take your list of wants from a dog, and go shop the rescues and city animal shelters. The rescues will 9/10 times be WAY more reputable than most "breeders" out there, and they have a genuine interest in finding you the perfect K9 for you and your family. Be as specific as you want. Any dog that a rescue would feel comfortable sending home with you is going to be less work than trying to raise a puppy, and as a bonus, you are going in knowing what the dog's temperament is. And don't just go by their website descriptions. Call them. Have a conversation and lay out your concerns, and they will see if they have a dog(s) that fit what you want. Many of these dogs are in foster homes and they know exactly what they have there in a particular dog. Good with kids, house trained, kennel trained, basic and or advanced commands, etc... And many of them even set you up for success with dog training classes too, which not only help you train your dog but also train you on how to live WITH your dog.

Full disclosure, I don't have a horse in the race here. I am speaking from my experience and from what I have seen others' experience. I have done the breeder route and the rescue route many times for both cats and dogs. My most recent dog came from a farm east of Calgary, but, I also checked every rescue I could find first looking for that right fit. If I found it, I wouldn't have my current dog, but instead a rescue. My advice for you as a first-time owner, exhaust the rescues first. It is the most responsible thing you can do in your situation. Unless of course, you want the bragging rights of having a pure bred CKC registered dog, well, sometimes that is more important to some people. If that's you Shak, I am not throwing shade at all. We all know how you are so frou-frou with your cars :rofl:

Like I said before, if you are worried about putting in the work with a dog that a reputable rescue thinks would be a good match based on your lifestyle, you are going to be in for a much bigger world of hurt with a puppy.

[JRSC00LUDE]

People think WAY too hard over something that you just follow around and pick shit up from.

[firebane]

People think WAY too hard over something that you just follow around and pick shit up from.

People like to talk shit about something they don't own or understand :D

[Tik-Tok]

Personally, skip the dog if you're planning on starting a family. The amount of attention our dog gets went from a ton, to none after the baby.

Under looked comment of the thread. If you wanted to start a family in 4 years, for sure get a pup now, but getting one a year before you pop out a crotchfruit? Terrible idea. Especially knowing the hours lawyers work, his poor wife will have to deal with both for most hours of the day, and the dogs going to get the shit end of the stick.

If you insist on getting one Shak, make sure it's a VERY low energy breed.

[ExtraSlow]

Some people see dog ownership as a "trial run" for raising kids. I know a few people who did this.

I can't provide any firsthand knowledge of the benefits or drawbacks of this.

[Tik-Tok]

Some people see dog ownership as a "trial run" for raising kids. I know a few people who did this.

I can't provide any firsthand knowledge of the benefits or drawbacks of this.

I've always heard that, but I've been a dog owner almost my entire life, and the only logic I can figure out in that thought is maybe one partner want to find out if the other is capable of murdering a smaller lifeform when they're pissed off.

Other than that, it's two very different experiences.

[arcticcat522]

Under looked comment of the thread. If you wanted to start a family in 4 years, for sure get a pup now, but getting one a year before you pop out a crotchfruit? Terrible idea. Especially knowing the hours lawyers work, his poor wife will have to deal with both for most hours of the day, and the dogs going to get the shit end of the stick.

If you insist on getting one Shak, make sure it's a VERY low energy breed.

We have a rescue Alaskan Husky. When we first got her, she was a wild animal (afraid of people, couldn't walk up or down stairs very well, wanted to be outside all the time) now she is the best dog ever. Having a well behaved dog around with young kids is a life saver. So much less to clean up off the floor. Definately don't have a puppy with young kids. Way too much effort

[firebane]

Some people see dog ownership as a "trial run" for raising kids. I know a few people who did this.

I can't provide any firsthand knowledge of the benefits or drawbacks of this.

Only because a dog can be similar in ways to a kid. They also make you realize that a lot of your time gets dedicated to them so doing some activities doesn't happen.

[killramos]

Also, from personal experience. Plan on never driving your GT-S ever again. Really, you should just sell it now if you are getting a dog.

If a baby is on the horizon within 24 months, I get that this is also an unpopular opinion but skip the dog. You will have enough on your plate.

[ExtraSlow]

Or skip the kids. Drive your dogs around in a Trackhawk. That's winning.

[shakalaka]

So this is another topic, I would like to broach. Is getting a dog when we are trying to start a family really a bad idea? This is something my wife and I have discussed several times. Of course I will help and do as much as I can, but is it a 'bad idea' just from the context of the amount of work involved or there any other considerations at play here? Example, compatibility of the dog with the baby and vice versa? If it is just about the extra work involved, then I am not fully dissuaded by it, but I am certainly concerned about what other factors that might be at play here.

I don't personally care if it is CKC registered or not, I just did not understand the difference and wanted to make sure it's not something that's important for one reason or another. I will do some research on the rescue side of things as well, because if we can bring one home and give it a new family, then by all means I would like to do that. We are pretty decided on Havanese though, having researched about them a lot, we feel it would be the ideal breed for our lifestyle due to the mannerisms and traits described.

I have messaged over 8 CKC registered breeders who deal with Havanese, but they are all 'out' and have a waiting list for 2+ years. Their prices are around $2500-$3000 range and the one I liked at the website posted above is around $3300 even though it's not CKC registered. Thanks for all the valuable input guys, ultimately this is going to determine if we feel it is the right time for us to add a dog to our family or not.

[killramos]

You are getting a toy dog?

Well at least that cuts down on the number of walls required.

[firebane]

So this is another topic, I would like to broach. Is getting a dog when we are trying to start a family really a bad idea? This is something my wife and I have discussed several times. Of course I will help and do as much as I can, but is it a 'bad idea' just from the context of the amount of work involved or there any other considerations at play here? Example, compatibility of the dog with the baby and vice versa? If it is just about the extra work involved, then I am not fully dissuaded by it, but I am certainly concerned about what other factors that might be at play here.

I don't personally care if it is CKC registered or not, I just did not understand the difference and wanted to make sure it's not something that's important for one reason or another. I will do some research on the rescue side of things as well, because if we can bring one home and give it a new family, then by all means I would like to do that. We are pretty decided on Havanese though, having researched about them a lot, we feel it would be the ideal breed for our lifestyle due to the mannerisms and traits described.

I have messaged over 8 CKC registered breeders who deal with Havanese, but they are all 'out' and have a waiting list for 2+ years. Their prices are around $2500-$3000 range and the one I liked at the website posted above is around $3300 even though it's not CKC registered. Thanks for all the valuable input guys, ultimately this is going to determine if we feel it is the right time for us to add a dog to our family or not.

You have two situations..

One you get the dog before the kid and then the dog gets neglected and starts misbehaving and becomes a problem

Two you get the dog just after having the kid and the dog gets neglected and starts misbehaving and becomes a problem

See what I am getting at? Dogs can feel left out and neglected and is a main reason why a lot of people give back dogs when having kids.

Have the kid and focus on the kid and after a year re-think your strategy and see if your schedule and time allows for a dog.

[Buster]

The question is:

Do you get a rescue dog and a registered kid?

OR

Do you get a rescue kid and a registered dog?

[Tik-Tok]

Have the kid now, and get the dog when the kid is around 4 or 5. Especially if you only want one kid.

[pheoxs]

I think getting a dog before kids is a great opportunity to test your discipline skills as a relationship. Having consistency between parents is really important whether it's a dog or kid.

However having a young dog while having kids would be a pain. Do you have someone that would baby sit the dog at short notice? If you guys run to the hospital asap for the kid you gotta be mindful of the dog. And when the kids are born are you going to be burnt out that first 6 months when the kids won't sleep much but you still have keep taking the dog out?

Once the dog is a couple years old it's pretty minimal effort to take care of but that first year or two takes more time and effort so depends on your timeline I guess.

Getting a dog once the kids are a few years old might be better because you can also teach the kid responsibilities.

[shakalaka]

We are expecting a kid in January, granted everything goes well, I thought a puppy born now will be close to year old by then and used to the surroundings etc. I don't think I would ignore it because there's a baby, but I can see how it can be a lot of work. So this definitely has me double minded again. The wife and I had this conversation and she is also concerned about it, but I assured her I would do all the taking care part with the doggo. If we do go this route, my wife wants a small lap dog that can be in the house at all times. Research suggested that Havanese are a type that are very low energy and just love chilling which I think would not involve THAT much work....

I've wanted to have one for the longest time but when we were in the condo the timing didn't seem right and now other things are causing potential obstructions to the plan...so perhaps it's still not the right time. I definitely do not want to be in a situation where we have to give away the dog or it feels neglected/lonely, or otherwise unsafe towards a child etc.

[killramos]

She’s pregnant?

DO NOT GET THE DOG

Aside from that, congrats. Also you should sell the GTS lmao

[dirtsniffer]

DO NOT GET THE DOG


seriously. Your life is about to fundamentally change. 9 months with a puppy is not a test and is not going to prepare you for a baby. After the baby, the dog is an annoyance at best.

Also congrats.

[Buster]

How old are you Shak?

[shakalaka]

35 in a couple of months.

[bjstare]

She’s pregnant?

DO NOT GET THE DOG

Aside from that, congrats. Also you should sell the GTS lmao

+1

Dogs + kids is good. We have two of each, and I wouldn't change that decision. That being said, if wife is already pregnant, just wait until the kid comes. You are too far down the road and having a puppy + human baby at the same time will be pretty demanding....even more-so if its your first child. Just focus on your spawn, you don't want anything that will compromise the level of attention and effort that you can direct towards your wife/infant.

[Buster]

People think WAY too hard over something that you just follow around and pick shit up from.

"you are not allowed to give JRSCOOLUDE one hundred reps"

[pheoxs]

Yeah if wife is pregnant don't get a puppy. You could rescue and adult dog and it'd settle in fine in 9 months but a pup will still be growing and needs a fair bit of training by January

[sabad66]

Congrats on the baby!

would also recommend avoiding a new puppy if you have a kid on the way due in January. Yes they will be mostly trained by then, but they still need attention at that age and you just won’t have the time and you will end up feeling bad.

That said, I know how it is once you get an idea in your head (I’m guilty of ignoring the “right” advice too). If you do go ahead with it, I think havanese is a fine choice for a family dog. They can’t do any severe damage even if you end up with a bad tempered/poorly trained one. 95% chance it will turn out fine but just be prepared to work extra hard when baby arrives. In the end you’ll make it work.

[Buster]

Ignore all of these imposters. I say get the dog and the kid.

[AndyL]

Depends if your wife is the IG generation or not.

No seriously dogs and baby shots are the bomb :)

[ExtraSlow]

Congrats on the kid. Best wishes in that regard, it's a real roller-coaster for pregnancy, infancy, and frankly, the whole ride.

[killramos]

Depends if your wife is the IG generation or not.

No seriously dogs and baby shots are the bomb :)

Even better. Convince her friend to get a dog.

Probably also worth noting and a subject that no one wants to talk about. But not surprisingly the age group with the largest number of fatalities from dog attacks is babies under 1 year old. And many studies corroborate that family pets or dogs known to the family represent 85% plus of dog bites to children. No, not the pit bull down the street. Peoples own pets.

People massively personify their dogs and all pets, and like to refuse to accept that this outcome is possible ( go for a walk in a dog park to see how “in control” most peoples dogs are). But it definitely is more than possible and a good friend of my wifes who spend some time as an ICU paediatrician and it was one of her number one cautions. Keep the baby away from dogs, the outcomes while unlikely are tragic.

Dogs do unpredictable things, baby’s do unpredictable things to trigger dogs, and these things happen fast. Raising an infant is hard enough without having the added challenge of keeping your dog(s) away from them at all times.

[Buster]

Even better. Convince her friend to get a dog.

Probably also worth noting and a subject that no one wants to talk about. But not surprisingly the age group with the largest number of fatalities from dog attacks is babies under 1 year old. And many studies corroborate that family pets or dogs known to the family represent 85% plus of dog bites to children. No, not the pit bull down the street. Peoples own pets.

People massively personify their dogs and all pets, and like to refuse to accept that this outcome is possible ( go for a walk in a dog park to see how “in control” most peoples dogs are). But it definitely is more than possible and a good friend of my wifes who spend some time as an ICU paediatrician and it was one of her number one cautions. Keep the baby away from dogs.

Dogs do unpredictable things, and these things happen fast. Raising an infant is hard enough without having the added challenge of keeping your dog(s) away from them at all times.

putting a furry ritard with sharp teeth in the same room as a baby is a bad idea? No way!

[JRSC00LUDE]

Even better. Convince her friend to get a dog.

Probably also worth noting and a subject that no one wants to talk about. But not surprisingly the age group with the largest number of fatalities from dog attacks is babies under 1 year old. And many studies corroborate that family pets or dogs known to the family represent 85% plus of dog bites to children. No, not the pit bull down the street. Peoples own pets.

People massively personify their dogs and all pets, and like to refuse to accept that this outcome is possible ( go for a walk in a dog park to see how “in control” most peoples dogs are). But it definitely is more than possible and a good friend of my wifes who spend some time as an ICU paediatrician and it was one of her number one cautions. Keep the baby away from dogs, the outcomes while unlikely are tragic.

Dogs do unpredictable things, baby’s do unpredictable things to trigger dogs, and these things happen fast. Raising an infant is hard enough without having the added challenge of keeping your dog(s) away from them at all times.

There is no such thing as an unprovoked dog attack and no such thing as a bad dog, just bad people.

- signed, idiots throughout North America

If it's a toy dog though, does it really even matter? They're just purse accessories for uptown women. Disposable, interchangeable.

[shakalaka]

Well my wife is already in doubt about whether this is the right move or not considering we do want to have a kid, and it seems like the overwhelming consensus is that it won't be a good idea to get one at this time. I am no Mar, in that that I wouldn't ignore all the suggestions coming from people with experience so it seems like we are most likely going to have to put this endeavour on hold once again. Thank you for all the congrats - we are taking it day by day as we did go through a miscarriage already and are super anxious about the whole thing. Hopefully all goes well this time.

[ExtraSlow]

Shak, Also watch your wife for signs of Post Partum Depression. Super common in "mild" form, but it can be more severe as well, and can have a massive impact on your family. There's a lot of resources to assist with this, and if you suspect anything, reach out to them. I'm one of them, we went through a bad case and it nearly broke us.

Not really what this thread was about, but I'll post that anywhere I can.

[Tik-Tok]

Any bets for how long before Shak trades the baby in for a dog?

[shakalaka]

Any bets for how long before Shak trades the baby in for a dog?

You know what, I will start a new thread where you vultures can have your fun about this shit, instead of ruining a good, resourceful thread on serious issues.

[Buster]

Any bets for how long before Shak trades the baby in for a dog?

Can you get a black havanese?

[Brent.ff]

its a toy dog, be like the rest of the bozos that own them and just dont worry about training or aggression 'they're harmless'.. No training required just pick them up when they're being an asshole

Just get a cat..

[Tik-Tok]

Can you get a black havanese?

Yes, but putting red feet on them can get expensive.

[Buster]

I know you can get black babies, but that takes a bit more planning, and maybe some awkward conversations with the wife.

[Tik-Tok]

I know you can get black babies, but that takes a bit more planning, and maybe some awkward conversations with the wife.

She may have planned for that already to surprise him!

[bjstare]

You guys are hilarious.
shakalaka I was already on edge through my wife's first pregnancy, I can only imagine what it'd be like after a miscarriage. Hope it all works out this time.

[mrsingh]

Good luck with everything shakalaka, all car jokes aside, your life changes dramatically with a child especially the first. Focus on that for now, there is a lot of time for a pet down the road.

[shakalaka]

Thanks guys for the wishes. Yes, we are definitely on edge, particularly my wife. It was particularly hard for her last time, so I am hoping that we don't have to go through it again. But yea, it appears that I am going to have to put the dream of a dog on the back burner for now.

[arcticcat522]

She’s pregnant?

DO NOT GET THE DOG

Aside from that, congrats. Also you should sell the GTS lmao

This

[schurchill39]

Shak, Also watch your wife for signs of Post Partum Depression. Super common in "mild" form, but it can be more severe as well, and can have a massive impact on your family. There's a lot of resources to assist with this, and if you suspect anything, reach out to them. I'm one of them, we went through a bad case and it nearly broke us.

Not really what this thread was about, but I'll post that anywhere I can.

This. Not only is your job to help look after the baby, stay on top of work/bills/house, but also to keep an eye on your wife's mental and physical health. She will be going through some pretty drastic changes of the next 2 years and you need to be that baseline that can recognize if things start to go off course. Start the conversation about it now to normalize mental health issues and do deliberate check-in's periodically both before and after the baby arrives; "how are you feeling mentally", or "I've noticed you seem overwhelmed lately, lets go for a walk and have a chat". Familiarize yourself with some of those resources that ExtraHusband referred to so you know who to reach out to when and if needed. It may also not even be a bad idea to have an introductory meeting with a councilor so if she needs someone to talk to after the fact then she has at least a bit of familiarity. With how prevalent miscarriages are, and your previous experience, implementing steps like this into this pregnancy could save some potentially drastic heartache after baby is here and momma hasn't slept because she's a walking, talking snack bitch.

This isn't to say she will for sure experience PPD but getting everything out in the open and making mental health talks a regular/normal part of your conversations ahead of time will make addressing it after the fact much easier should she experience it. The added benefit is if you end up going through any depression or anxiety after baby is here (because dad's aren't immune to that) you are familiar with resources as well.

[firebane]

Thanks guys for the wishes. Yes, we are definitely on edge, particularly my wife. It was particularly hard for her last time, so I am hoping that we don't have to go through it again. But yea, it appears that I am going to have to put the dream of a dog on the back burner for now.

My dog loves company.. You're more than welcome to come by and throw a ball around for her :D Unless she doesn't like you.. But only met 1 person so far.

[msommers]

At the end of the day you need to figure out how much help you're going to get from family, how much time you and your wife are going to take off from work etc. Raising a puppy and child simultaneously needs resources -- it's not impossible and I'd argue it's better for baby's immune system/allergies.

[shakalaka]

This. Not only is your job to help look after the baby, stay on top of work/bills/house, but also to keep an eye on your wife's mental and physical health. She will be going through some pretty drastic changes of the next 2 years and you need to be that baseline that can recognize if things start to go off course. Start the conversation about it now to normalize mental health issues and do deliberate check-in's periodically both before and after the baby arrives; "how are you feeling mentally", or "I've noticed you seem overwhelmed lately, lets go for a walk and have a chat". Familiarize yourself with some of those resources that ExtraHusband referred to so you know who to reach out to when and if needed. It may also not even be a bad idea to have an introductory meeting with a councilor so if she needs someone to talk to after the fact then she has at least a bit of familiarity. With how prevalent miscarriages are, and your previous experience, implementing steps like this into this pregnancy could save some potentially drastic heartache after baby is here and momma hasn't slept because she's a walking, talking snack bitch.

This isn't to say she will for sure experience PPD but getting everything out in the open and making mental health talks a regular/normal part of your conversations ahead of time will make addressing it after the fact much easier should she experience it. The added benefit is if you end up going through any depression or anxiety after baby is here (because dad's aren't immune to that) you are familiar with resources as well.

These are really good points. Thanks for taking the time. My wife is a psychologist, so I would think that we are somewhat better prepared to deal with these things than a 'regular person', but she's by no means immune to all this just by virtue of being a psychologist. I am well aware of that. I do like the points you have made and I will definitely keep these in mind. Even though we are only like 6 weeks or so right now, sometimes I lose my patience with her mood swings - which I need to work on as I am in general an impatient person. Haha.


My dog loves company.. You're more than welcome to come by and throw a ball around for her :D Unless she doesn't like you.. But only met 1 person so far.

Haha I love dogs. I have some family that have them and when we visit I sit there playing with the dogs all the time. The more time I spend with one, the more I want one. But based on everything I have read here, I think I just have to wait until the time is right. I don't mind doing the extra work to be honest, but I want to make sure my wife doesn't feel overwhelmed with everything happening as it is so it's likely better to just hold-off for now. Although that breeder I mentioned above does have the perfect little guy for us and even though not CKC registered, is full Havanese and they seem like reputable breeder and have been doing it for a long time.

All CKC registered breeders that I messaged, have a wait list of loner than 1-2 year (one was 3 years) and some aren't even taking reservations right now. So one thought is to get on a 1-2 year wait list right now and see how things go by then I guess.

- - - Updated - - -


At the end of the day you need to figure out how much help you're going to get from family, how much time you and your wife are going to take off from work etc. Raising a puppy and child simultaneously needs resources -- it's not impossible and I'd argue it's better for baby's immune system/allergies.

This is also a good point. We could have a lot of help from my wife's parents pertaining to the baby, that's not an issue. The dog however, my FIL has made it clear that he wouldn't let one enter his house, so there's that. Haha.

[bjstare]

At the end of the day you need to figure out how much help you're going to get from family, how much time you and your wife are going to take off from work etc. Raising a puppy and child simultaneously needs resources -- it's not impossible and I'd argue it's better for baby's immune system/allergies.

You sound like someone who has (maybe) raised a puppy, and not raised an infant.

[ExtraSlow]

Parenting sub-forum is still active I see.

[Tik-Tok]

Is having a CKC registered kid important?

[killramos]

Is having a CKC registered kid important?

Only if they are pure bred