1bassoon Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 OK, ladies - Our house is on the market. We're trying fsbo for a bit - 2-3 weeks, then probably going with a realtor. Dh starts work in our new location June 9, them will commute on weekends until we get a contract on this home. So - here's the dilemma - Our dear friends have the most adorable puppy at their home, ready to give us. Their golden retriever momma - a sweet, wonderful dog - had 12, count 'em - TWELVE - puppies. This one my kiddos have fallen in love with. A little black and tan female, 8 weeks old. We SO want this puppy! What do we do? PROS: a puppy would ease the heartache of my children, esp. 15 yo dd who has wanted a dog FOREVER. Puppy is from a wonderful, mild-tempered momma. Puppy is very laidback, gentle - everything we would want in a dog. CONS: Well, we're selling our house. How do I deal with that?!? And housebreaking a puppy? Might it make a rental harder to find when we relocate? My heart says, "Get the puppy!" My kids say, "Get the puppy!" My husband, wisely, says, "Let's pray about it for a bit." Any advice? Thoughts? Slaps upside the head? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancypants Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 OOOhhh... super tough because I'm a major dog person... and puppies... well, as a dog person you can imagine what puppies do to me! LOL BUT... moving... renting... puppies... not a good mix. Even this sold out dog lover would probably have to say another good dog will come along at a better time... Or perhaps your friends can hang on to the puppy for you until you get settled in a place that you know will take a puppy? (I know this is not as likely a possibility but... perhaps...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 We got a puppy when our house in NH was on the market. The puppy had a major accident and we ended up having to replace the carpet, which was only 18 month olds. I wouldn't do it if it were me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faithr Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 Is there anyway that you can keep the puppy outside (on a porch or something) or in a puppy pen? This will prevent accidents in the house. You can buy a puppy pen from a pet store or you can make your own just using cheap shelving from Home Depot. Put the puppy pen on a uncarpeted floor and line it with paper or housebreaking pads. It would make things more complicated for you, for sure, but if it eases children's heartache and gives them something to love during this time of turmoil, I say give it a try. We have a new puppy right now and I love the puppy pen! We have it set up in our family room. It keeps the puppy safe but still in the middle of family activity. Since it is getting nice outside weather wise, we take her out regularly. Since you have older kids, like I do, you have plenty of help taking care of the puppy. The puppy pen can be moved outside, so when we are out working in the garden, we just take the puppy with us. So I vote for getting it! Of course, you are talking to someone who is currently in love with our 11 week old puppy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twinmom Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 I vote for getting it...but only if you get a really good crate and USE it, and only if your kiddos are old enough to really participate in the care and upkeep of the puppy during the move. It is a bad time to get a puppy, admittedly. However, it does sound like this is something that will really help your children through the move, and they are already attached. Crate train like the dickens, hon! Get yourself some puppy pads and a really big box of Spot Shot and go for it. It will be hard, but it sounds like it will pay off in the long run. Jennifer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarheel Heather Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 OK, ladies - Our house is on the market. We're trying fsbo for a bit - 2-3 weeks, then probably going with a realtor. Dh starts work in our new location June 9, them will commute on weekends until we get a contract on this home. So - here's the dilemma - Our dear friends have the most adorable puppy at their home, ready to give us. Their golden retriever momma - a sweet, wonderful dog - had 12, count 'em - TWELVE - puppies. This one my kiddos have fallen in love with. A little black and tan female, 8 weeks old. We SO want this puppy! What do we do? PROS: a puppy would ease the heartache of my children, esp. 15 yo dd who has wanted a dog FOREVER. Puppy is from a wonderful, mild-tempered momma. Puppy is very laidback, gentle - everything we would want in a dog. CONS: Well, we're selling our house. How do I deal with that?!? And housebreaking a puppy? Might it make a rental harder to find when we relocate? My heart says, "Get the puppy!" My kids say, "Get the puppy!" My husband, wisely, says, "Let's pray about it for a bit." Any advice? Thoughts? Slaps upside the head? Thanks! Best of luck on that one, it is hard all around with a puppy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 I would get it.....but keep it off the carpet. I'd keep it gated in a kitchen or something like that. Play with it outside sometimes. And when you leave the house, crate it. I've found that crate training is the best way to house break anyways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 I did not know puppies could get realtor's license..... Kept off carpets - confined to a crate when showing the house, single room or so that you can clean fast when not showing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 I wouldn't. Not now. Not while you're trying to sell the house. Honestly, pet smells are one of the *major* turn-offs for home-buyers. The pet owners rarely notice the smells, and it's true that dogs aren't as bad as cats, but an untrained puppy?!? Potential buyers are going to walk into your house and they will smell "someone else's pet". Even if they just love dogs, it won't be the smell of their pet, it won't smell like home to them. Not to mention the stress and work added for you, as you try to keep the house clean and in salable condition and prepare for a move. Is there any way that your friends can hang onto the puppy till you're ready to move? Although I agree that having a puppy (especially a highly energetic one that will grow into a fairly large dog) will make finding a rental home much more challenging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chai Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 I wouldn't. Not now. Not while you're trying to sell the house. Honestly, pet smells are one of the *major* turn-offs for home-buyers. The pet owners rarely notice the smells, and it's true that dogs aren't as bad as cats, but an untrained puppy?!? Potential buyers are going to walk into your house and they will smell "someone else's pet". Even if they just love dogs, it won't be the smell of their pet, it won't smell like home to them. Not to mention the stress and work added for you, as you try to keep the house clean and in salable condition and prepare for a move. Is there any way that your friends can hang onto the puppy till you're ready to move? Although I agree that having a puppy (especially a highly energetic one that will grow into a fairly large dog) will make finding a rental home much more challenging. :iagree: We had two dogs (already trained) while we were trying to sell our home. It was a major hassle and a turn-off for too many prospective buyers. When we had showings, we had to pick up all of the dog stuff and bring them with us wherever we went. That meant that we couldn't go to the library or most other indoor places. One rainy day, we spent the showing time sitting in our car in a parking lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1bassoon Posted May 30, 2008 Author Share Posted May 30, 2008 Is there any way that your friends can hang onto the puppy till you're ready to move? Although I agree that having a puppy (especially a highly energetic one that will grow into a fairly large dog) will make finding a rental home much more challenging. We're looking into that right now. My friend is thinking about hanging onto pup until Aug. 1 -when we move into a rental. I Good thoughts/advice everyone. Still mulling it over, here. Plenty of people do rentals with pets - that's not too big a turnoff for me. The biggest concern is showing a house with a puppy. If we had a contract already, I'd just do it. Plus, I'm really struggling with this fsbo thing! But that's another post. . . :001_unsure: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
covenant.christian Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 A puppy will only increase the stress...wait until after. Although I hope you have sold your house by now! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgie Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 My husband thinks we are nuts and quite frankly I agree, but still....puppies. Awww. But, they require a lot of care, just like newborns and I worry about our house having a pet smell. It was a big turn off for us when were looking for a house. If the house had pet odors, I just wasn't as keen about it. Does your new place have a fenced yard? Goldens like a lot of room to play. I think we are going to wait until after our house sells, but that may change. Puppies...sigh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1bassoon Posted June 1, 2008 Author Share Posted June 1, 2008 Just thought I'd update - We had our first fsbo showing today - ran around like a crazy woman for 1.5 hours - and the thought going through my head was, "And HOW would I do this with a puppy!?" So, unless we get a contract in the next 2 weeks - No puppy. Thanks for the voices of reason, everyone. Now, who wants to hold my hand while I break it to the kids? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
probablytracy Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 She is awesome and something for us all to keep our minds on...instead on impending move and selling!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in the NH Woods Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 when we were looking to buy a house, visiting homes with dogs was a big turn off. We were under pressure, had very little ones who needed to attend any showings with us, and our little boy was terrified of dogs whether they were friendly or not. Then we has to worry about the dogs getting out.. then there's the bathroom trash strewn on the floor by the dogs... and piles of dog doo for the kids and us to step in.... not happy memories. That's not to say that you would be this way, but I would think it would be a lot of extra work for you. Oh yes, some people have severe allergies to dogs as well. Just my opinion, :leaving: Cindy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1bassoon Posted June 4, 2008 Author Share Posted June 4, 2008 Well, here's a neat twist. . . . . . . We decided no on the dog. And then - Our good friends adopted her! Best of both worlds! The kids are happy that she's going to a good home (not the pound!), and I'm happy that I don't have doggy stress. . . . . . Yeah! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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