This is a totally stupid idea. Of course you don't want another dog - sounds like you don't really want the one you already have. My exH once got a puppy without telling me, I came home to find it in our kitchen. And guess who ended up taking it for most of it's walks?

I hope you stick by your decision to hold firm against getting a dog. If your SD wants to care for a dog what's wrong with the one you have? Why don't you suggest she takes it out for some walks if she's so keen.

We have a dog, but I don't work and am able to take her for walks etc - we love her, she is our baby, but we thought long and hard before getting her, and it IS a big adjustment in your life having a dog, in many ways comparable to the adjustment you have when you have a baby. You have to reconsider trips and places you go where you can't take it - eg we never go on holiday abroad because we can't take the dog. I think its wrong to get a dog if you can't put in the time and effort they take - eg I don't like it when people who work long hours leave a dog alone in their house all day - they are pack animals and they hate it.

I sincerely hope your DH sees what a daft idea this is - especially a big dog in a small and already crowded house. Absolutely she can get one at BMs if she has the space - but to be honest I think she just likes the idea of a cute puppy - not for instance taking it out in the wind and rain last thing at night to do it's business.

that's a definite NO. stick by your guns. if sd wants a dog, she needs to ask the parent she LIVES with for most of the time. and, if her mother allows her to have a dog, she can buy it for her. AND said dog does NOT come with for visitation. you have your hands full already. if you don't have a voice in this, you will ALWAYS be railroaded. roar woman!

Oh, man, I love dogs and would have 13 of them if I could, but know your limits! 2 is mine, and I love both of them more than I love most humans, but I also don't have kids of my own, and the skids are older, not babies! That is a lot for you to handle! I'll admit, I was the one who bought the Chihuahua and sprung him on DH (even though we weren't living together yet or married at the time), but I also took care of him and paid for all his vet bills, food, etc., and he's pretty low-maintenance overall. When we got the Bernese, we researched for YEARS before we bought her because we both love large breed dogs, but needed the conditions to be perfect before we got one. They can't just get any breed, either, they have to take into consideration a lot of factors. Space, availability they BOTH have to walk it regularly, if they can afford a puppy with all the things a puppy needs, etc. Not to mention the actual breed characteristics. Bernese Mountains are known for being loyal, gentle, easy to train, good-tempered dogs, and they don't have dominant personality traits, so we knew she would be fine with our Alpha-male Chihuahua (another thing your DH and SD need to think about...will this dog get along with the dog who already lives with you and who was there first). We looked at MANY other breeds before landing on a Berner. All things to consider when looking at that "cute dog." Plus with your baby on the way...getting up 18 times a night between a baby and a puppy...that's a NO!!!!

I'm a huge dog lover, seriously. I really mean the big ones too. My big guy comes to my hip when he sits and I'm 6' with a 36" inseam. I love him to pieces. Will always have a dog, most likely a big one.

HOWEVER, like previous poster, you need to know your limits. Big dogs NEED training and lots of it. Little dogs do too, but when they act out, you can pick them up. Try picking up a 100+ dog when it's misbehaving. My dog could kick my ass if he wanted to, but I'm his Momma and there is nothing he wouldn't do for me. I've had him in training since he was about 4 months old and he still gets in trouble when he starts to act out. He'll be 5 years old soon.

I would love to have a second dog, but I know that I don't have the time to put that training into a second dog right now. If I didn't have my big guy, I would make time, but there's the difference...I do have him. When I was first training him, there was someone in my training classes with a baby on the way, all I thought was...OMG how can she do it?! Granted, my dog is awesome. He might hit SO in the balls with his tail from time to time, but who's to say that's not because SO pissed off his Momma? }:)

I did tons of research on breeds too, what was good with kids, but protective, etc etc. AND I made sure that I could exercise the dog enough. Certain breeds need a lot more exercise then others.

Ok, off the rant on dogs, on to 13 year olds. SO got SD12 a cat, because "he promised her one and you're the one who told me to keep my promises". What BS. He's a cat guy too. We had been dating for awhile, but basically told me it wasn't any of my concern. Umm...ok. (yeah, the fact that I will not sleep here without my dog, makes it my concern." We don't live together. So he got her one in Feb. She really could care less about this cat now. She will lock it out of her room so it won't bother her. I, on the other hand, will lock it in her room. It's her cat, it's her problem. I should not be the one dealing with it. My dog actually does well with the cat now, but the cat is a major pain in the ass. I still call it PITA (pain in the ass). So the moral of that long rant is, just because she's 13, should understand responsibility, doesn't mean that you won't be the one dealing with it. I love your statement about it going back and forth with SD. Wish I could say that with the cat, but then again, that might backfire on me. They cat might come to MY house when they stay here.