Hi all,

Looking for a bit of advice from any dog owners out there.

We are looking to get our first dog. We want our girls (2 and 4) to grow up around a dog and we want one ourselves. We are moving to a new house at the start of August which is pretty much the perfect place for dogs.

The house move won't require any massive renovations but there will be disruption while we settle into the new house.

We had planned on getting the dog in Sept or Oct time, depending on litter availability.

However, the breed we want - lab retriever cross seems to be quite hard to come by and we have found a breeder who has her last litter (retiring) which will be available early August.

Question is, is moving and then getting the pup within a few days of each other insanity? Would it actually give the girls something to focus on and be a good thing? I know it would be good to have the dog from the start as it would save the immediate discussion of what new floor covering we out down

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Cheers. FL2 TD4 GS 60 reg Facelift - so many issues
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I'd say go for it. If you are particular with a specific breed you may have to wait months or years for another litter to come along. I'm sure it will adapt and it will take the kids minds off of the move and give them something positive to look forward to.

Go for it but don't put the new carpets down for a few months  MY 09 GS manual in Lago Grey, Wood Co arm rest and side bumper strips - now sold.

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Thanks both. Yes the floor covering is a good thing. New house has tatty laminate which we were going to replace but no point until dog is trained  FL2 TD4 GS 60 reg Facelift - so many issues
2019 DS. Terribly unreliable.
Sold DS for a 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Fingers crossed....
Sold Outlander for a 2014 SD4 SE Tech because I’m mental
Now greatly regret selling the Outlander. MPG of the FL2 is atrocious and so are the fuel bills. Fun though 😎
Couldn’t afford the fuel bills so back to an older Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Significantly better than I remembered it to be…

Go for it, in real terms your upside down for a day or two, nothing that wouldn't be able to be sorted with a pup

And at least you can find out if the dog likes laminate or not Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

What's the cross? I don't want to sound pedigree snoblike but with crosses you have no chance of knowing what the temperament will be unless that line has been bred long enough.

We moved house then had two springer pups the next week, it's doable but comes with extra stress!

Pedigree lab and pedigree golden retriever cross. Seems to be a very successful and reliable cross.

I'm sure there will be extra stress yes, question is whether or not to get it all over and done with in one go and if that extra stress will affect the pup settling in. FL2 TD4 GS 60 reg Facelift - so many issues
2019 DS. Terribly unreliable.
Sold DS for a 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Fingers crossed....
Sold Outlander for a 2014 SD4 SE Tech because I’m mental
Now greatly regret selling the Outlander. MPG of the FL2 is atrocious and so are the fuel bills. Fun though 😎
Couldn’t afford the fuel bills so back to an older Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Significantly better than I remembered it to be…

Might not be too bad then as they're quite similar to start with. Just wonder why you'd want a cross of the two over just one of them? I've got nothing against cross breeds as they can be (and I know many) that are nice but there's always more of a risk.

Knew someone that wanted a labradoodle and ended up with something that looked like a pure lab but with a poodles tail

I say wait a bit, a new young dog will need a lot of input to train well, a 2 and 4 year old are time consuming enough as it is. I have a black lab and a springer and two kids (3 & 5). The 5 year old has only just started to play with the dogs and the 3 year old is not gentle with the dogs, as my dogs are older they are happy to take the 3 year olds roughness. (Doubt a puppy would be so accommodating).

I would leave it a year so u can give more time to the dog and not have to worry about the move etc. settle in first, then dog.

From my reading that specific cross seems to produce some very good and reliable traits. There's a gamble with all dogs I guess but We are happy with what we've read.

I have however heard some bad stories about labradoodles. Some people end up with hairy nutjobs. FL2 TD4 GS 60 reg Facelift - so many issues
2019 DS. Terribly unreliable.
Sold DS for a 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Fingers crossed....
Sold Outlander for a 2014 SD4 SE Tech because I’m mental
Now greatly regret selling the Outlander. MPG of the FL2 is atrocious and so are the fuel bills. Fun though 😎
Couldn’t afford the fuel bills so back to an older Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Significantly better than I remembered it to be…

Thanks Wurzel. That is our other consideration. However the girls are very good with animals and not rough or in their faces in any way. We have a cat who explained those rules very early on  FL2 TD4 GS 60 reg Facelift - so many issues
2019 DS. Terribly unreliable.
Sold DS for a 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Fingers crossed....
Sold Outlander for a 2014 SD4 SE Tech because I’m mental
Now greatly regret selling the Outlander. MPG of the FL2 is atrocious and so are the fuel bills. Fun though 😎
Couldn’t afford the fuel bills so back to an older Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Significantly better than I remembered it to be…

Reading between the lines, it sounds as though you've already made your mind up.

However, for what it's worth, getting the dog now will undoubtedly put quite a bit more stress into the mix. An unfamiliar house with lots of nooks and crannies that puppies will love to get stuck in, plus the inevitable mess as you do up rooms with the puppy "helping".

Couple that lot with two young children and it isn't going to be stress free, that's for sure.

Or, just wait a while, get the house safe and secure, sort out the plan for the house renovation and see how the dog fits in with that plan.

There is no right/wrong answer - as long as you go into it with your eyes wide open and ensure the puppy gets the attention it needs in the early months/years you should be fine.

Your OP doesn't say whether you've had dogs before, so if I'm preaching to the converted then I apologise - however, don't underestimate how much time, effort and energy a puppy will take up in the early months and years. It really is like having another newborn baby - but one that is mobile from the word "go"!!

Thanks Choc. We have actually just decided to wait we will be first time dog owners and your point about the spaces for the pup to get stuck in is a good one. We will wait for the time being.

Thanks everyone. FL2 TD4 GS 60 reg Facelift - so many issues
2019 DS. Terribly unreliable.
Sold DS for a 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Fingers crossed....
Sold Outlander for a 2014 SD4 SE Tech because I’m mental
Now greatly regret selling the Outlander. MPG of the FL2 is atrocious and so are the fuel bills. Fun though 😎
Couldn’t afford the fuel bills so back to an older Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Significantly better than I remembered it to be…