I would wait. Leaving an 8 week old puppy alone, (crated of course), can be done, but it is not the best plan. You have the perfect opportunity during the summer to spend lots of time bonding with and training a puppy to be a good dog.

Dogs are pack animals, and puppies need way more interaction than that to become acclimated into families in a healthy way, and trained well. I agree with weed. Many people may object and say that they isolated their puppies in such a way, but it is not a good way to do it.

Wait.
Plus what could be worse than house training a dog in Indy during winter. Do you really want to take the puppy outside in the middle of the night to potty?
I don't know why breeders would have litters this time of year except to cash in on holiday gift sales so make sure this breeder is reputable.

I would wait, puppies are a lot of work and a puppy that age will need to be taken out every 2 - 3 hours. When its warmer and you have more time available, there will be a lot less stress on both you and the puppy.

I don't recommend buying a puppy since you've stated DH's allergies are getting worse. There's no guarantee that the breeds you mentioned are allergy free. I have a friend that went thru several breeds trying to find one they weren't allergic to and they ended up getting rid of every dog because of the allergies. Their house is now pet free.

I suggest you contact rescue groups of those specific breeds and foster first before buying. Plus, you may find the perfect dog and avoid the 'puppy stage'!

The only time DH and I started with a puppy was when he was out of work for 4 months and I was working from home on top of that. The puppy kept DH busy and out of my hair, and the bond that we formed with that dog was incredible.

When we took her to puppy kindergarten, we saw a big difference between her and the other puppies. When the other parents would call their puppies, the puppies were oblivious to their people and much too distracted by the presence of other puppies. Our puppy loved playtime, but when DH or I called the puppy, she came running to us at full tilt every time. We were so proud.

I have to concur with all of the previous posters. I have two adult dogs. The first we raised from puppyhood, the second we got as a 5 year old adult.

Both are great dogs, BUT, the bond I have with the one we got as a puppy is much stronger. I had retired and was working part-time. I took the first 5 months off work and she was with me 24x7. Today (6 years later), the bond is so much stronger than with the other dog.

You'll be glad you waited for the right time. You want to enjoy the dog's puppyhood. Those first months are just critical and leaving a puppy alone 6-7 hours a day is asking for trouble.

freezetag, while you are correct the chances are slim on falling on a rescue of the specfic breeds you mention you might try another avenue. Once you do decide on a breed that will work for your DH, start contacting some breeders. Often they have a young adult they were keeping that may be growing to not exactly what they want for their program or an adult that has retired from the show ring and breeding program. Sometime thay may have only had one litter and decide to eliminate them from a breeding program. They usually will charge about the same as pup, it will usually be neutered/spayed, housebroken, some basic obedience training and will love becoming the center of someone attention. Good breeders move these dogs on because they know it is what is best for the dog not to get rid of them.

I currently have two puppies- 4 1/2 & 7 1/2 months. I can say without a doubt that I would never get an 8-week old puppy during the winter months here in Indiana. I was reluctant to get the youngest pup when we did even though it was only mid Sept. and I am home all the time. When the pups were younger, there were times when we would need to go outside every half hour or so.

You have to look at your own situation. With the kids in school you probably have many school obligations with them. Then the holidays are upon us now. Are you really going to have the time to properly train a pup at this time? Do you have the time for puppy school? Just some questions for you to ponder.

Good luck with whatever decision you make.

Linda

I think your doubts about the situation are valid and it sounds like you are second guessing yourself. Although you could raise and train a pup with the schedule you described, it will be much easier on everyone if you adopt later - guaranteed there will be no shortage of dogs anytime in the near future. If you decide to get a pup now, walkies on the leash for a good 45 minutes in the morning, in the afternoon again at night when you get home from work and just before bed time. The time I put down is enough time for peeing and pooping and to get the little guy worn out a bit before you leave again. No matter what you do, good luck, let us know what you decide and when you get your new little fur ball. Happy Holidays.

Thanks for the input - it is hard to say no to a cute little puppy, but it seems to be the best decision for now.

While I agree with others that this may not be the best time for you to get a puppy, I have to disagree about raising pups in winter in cold climates. We obtained our two pups in mid-Oct, went through housebreaking in Oct, Nov and even into Dec, in North Dakota. While not pleasant, it really is not such a problem.

As for the time issue, there are plenty of people who never have the opportunity to be at home with a puppy due to work obligations, and still manage to raise perfectly well-adjusted, well-bonded puppies. In your case, it may in fact be better to wait, but that is a decision you will have to make based on an assessment of your life style.

I also agree with annz that there is no guaruntee that your DH will not be allergic to the breeds named.

Maybe we should consider a fur-real dog! Seriously, though, dh doesn't have a problem with his brother's bichon, but his cousin's yellow lab bothers him terribly. Weims seem to be OK for him, but not Westies. We planned to have dh go for a sniff-test before bringing anything home; generally it seems that an hour of playing with a dog should give dh a good idea of whether it will be OK in the house. Dh's allergies aren't life-threatening, but he already suffers a little because of our cat, and we don't want to make our house any worse for him.