We want a dog SO much....advice?

In considerding all options we did consider the litterbox idea....but in the end decided against it (and our preference for a greyhound removes it as a possibility anyway).

Having a petsitting come in the middle of the day to potty the dog would be ideal, but I think most dogs would be fine with that long 2 days a week.  I know my dogs handle it ok.  I occasionally have left them for up to 12 hours and it's not a problem.  I wouldn't leave water out for that time period though.

I hate the feeling that I have to go to the bathroom but I have to hold.  I would feel horrible leaving that dog for so long.

A dog is a fifteen year commitment, and people of childbearing age should only adopt dogs that are bombproof with kids.  Everything else can be dealt with through management or training.  But *temperament* is your overriding need.  Find a trainer who can evaluate the dog being childsafe before you accept it into your home.  I can't tell you how many times I get panicked people in my classes who are pregnant and the dog they have sucks for kids - they think they're going to fix it, and they end up having to dump a six year old dog - where?  The only place, usually, is a kill shelter, if they can't find a home for it. 
Best place to get a dog?  For you, probably a pure breed rescue group or SPCA that does behavioral evaluations prior to releasing the dog.  Best breeds for kids (usually, not always - they are all still individuals): Spaniels (Boykin, Field, Welsh Springer), English style Labs, Portuguese water dogs, Leonbergers, Newfoundlands, English Cockers, Hounds (but they are comfort freaks and often won't "hold it" for lengthy periods).   Eleven hours is a very long time for a dog to hold it.  A dog walker can help.  But, some dogs will sleep on the couch that long...

ORIGINAL: alw

Teach,

I don't know much about it but I think that if you introduce a dog to a household that has a child the dog sees that as the way it is.  If you have the dog first- when the baby comes home the dog may view that as an intruder and not like it as much.  As I have said, I am no authority on this but there are a lot of folks here that are so hopefully they will chime in.

7 years will seem like yesterday once you have kids. []

 
I actually have the complete opposite opinion. Pets are a great way for a coupel to see what having a child is going to be like. Also sonce they are being responsible and dont have their heart set on a puppy I think that will be helpful when the baby does come along because he will be mature. Also bringing a dog into a new home with a screaming baby seems considerably worse then having a dog beforehand that is already comfertable with new surroundings and one you can train prior to the baby to be gentle around the baby.
I think if you can get help on those two days then go for it!

11-12 hours is a stretch -- you definitely would be best to consider either a dogwalker those days or similar.  10-11 hours is no problem but there's a typical comfort level there that you exceed with that extra hour or so.  PLUS the fact that there will be days when you'll be later.
 
However, my big suggestion is to look at an OLDER dog.  An older dog is far far easier to have them be happy with a long day because they easily sleep while you're gone.  A younger, more active dog has a harder time with such absence. 
 
But by all means, what Anne says is SO important -- this dog MUST be ok with kids and you need to continue to socialize it with children while you are preparing it for a life with your baby. 
 
Be really careful -- a greyhound wouldn't be my first pick (particularly an ex-racer) for a home with small kids).  You'll need to set this up carefully with an eye to the future. 
 
Another thot -- why not get active with a rescue group and volunteer as foster parents -- you can keep it short term and still get your 'dog fix' AND at the same time you'll find out what works and what doesn't.

There are a lot of reasons to wait, but I don't think I would.  We tried to start our family two years ago.  It didn't work out the way we had planned.  I wouldn't have gotten through the last months without my dog and I am hoping to she will be able to walk on a leash well before we finish adopting our baby.  I have had more time to train her now than I will once we have a baby in the house.
 

There's a lot of conflicting advice even from experts about whether to get a dog before having a child, but after considering all of the advice, we went ahead and got the dogs first and haven't regretted it. Both dogs were adopted as puppies and raised by us and trained carefully. By the time we had our first child we felt that we knew the dogs well enough so that we had zero concerns about bringing a baby into the house.

It's true that once you have a child your wife will be home more and therefore you won't have the problems with leaving a dog unattended. But you will have a baby at home and that in itself is a consuming issue. This is why some experts recommend that if you don't have a dog already, you should wait until your child is at least five or six years old before obtaining a dog. Not everyone agrees with that advice and experienced dog owners say they can introduce a dog, even a puppy, into a house with a small child and handle it all well, but you may find it more difficult.

We found a reliable dog walker, who is a volunteer at a local rescue group, to come in and walk our dogs during the day when we weren't home for extended periods. If I were you I'd do some research and see if such services or options exist around you that you feel comfortable with.

Your only problem may be in adopting a puppy, since they need to be taken out more than just once in a twelve hour period. But an adult dog should be okay. If so, I think you should take the advice to seek out a good rescue group that evaluates the dogs they take in; most of these groups are interested in a good fit for you and their dogs and can give you the kind of advice you need.

There are several books on the subject, including Childproofing your dog, and Baby and Bowser, which basically give practical advice on how to train your dog to be ready to welcome a baby into the house.

Your cute dog sure has a darling little pillow!!!
 
I got a pup as soon as I was married. 26 year ago. I missed having one. I had had doggies growing up. We got my precious Cocker Spaniel. About a year later, my son was born. They were buddies from day one. 
 
We had lots of fun pets as he grew up. Fish, bird, rabbit, etc. over the years. Great for kids to have pets. You just have to have the right pets and teach the kids to be sweet to them. My grown son is such a pet lover and I am very happy about that.
 
I have always stayed at home and my hubby worked, I didn't have to leave the pets alone. If you do, get someone to let them walk or at least go outside.
 
Good luck to you.