I really feel for you and it really wasn't long ago that I was posting things like this. My puppy is 7 months now which is absolutely crazy in itself! Nelly was and still is very difficult BUT almost every week she gets better at something or stops doing something I don't like or learns something new or seems to have calmed down a bit or is trying a little harder to listen to me etc. They will always surprise you. It helped for me to write a little journal of the things they're doing and not doing, what's hard and what's getting easier. Then, on a particularly tricky day you can look back and see how far they've come. Nelly no longer does accidents in the house AT ALL, she sleep all through the night, she doesn't bite as much and she is becoming so affectionate and I'm forming such a bond. At first I felt awful that I didn't even love her......now I 100% do! It will take time but things will improve all the time.
I got Aspen a pen - it's huge - and I even played with him in it. tried to make him comfortable, etc. I got up to make myself lunch and he still barked like crazy. Is it just going to take time for him to get used to it? I am feeling frustrated as he is now into jumping and is even more mouthy than usual. Sometimes I just need a break but he makes that nearly impossible with his barking!
I am so glad you posted this. I too have been having the puppy blues. Sometimes I wonder if we did the right thing bringing a new puppy into our home. We have had her for a month now (she's 12 weeks) and I am exhausted. I'm having similar feelings that you have expressed. One thing I noticed is that as time goes on my feelings for her grow stronger. By the way, your pup is a cutie pie.
Wanted to chime in to say that we will be bringing home our yellow lab baby (he'll be 8 weeks) in about a month. I have 4 kids (ages 8,6,4,1.5). I'm wondering if having the kids and the dog will be good - they can do some entertaining in the puppy play pen so i can get a break. obviously i'll never not watch them together, but my 8 year old is absolutely to basically live in the play pen with the dog if needed. (i'm kidding of course) Our house is a very open floor plan so he/they will be under constant supervision. Thanks for posting - i honestly didn't know this was a thing. Last time i had a puppy when I got my own dog when i was turning 14 and raised a husky by myself. I'll keep on top of getting breaks and keeping dog set up for success to help alleviate the puppy blues. Any other advice?
It is really hard adjusting and I think that's the biggest thing to me. It almost feels like a loss even though you are adding someone to your family and life! This is because you realize that things have changed and something as little as watching TV and going out to eat won't be the same because you have a little pup to watch over. I think that the best thing for me was having my boyfriend tell me that he was now my responsibility and that you can't blame a puppy for being a puppy. These past few weeks have gotten easier but I still occasionally feel exhausted or frustrated because of my Aspen. However, as many people will tell you and have told me, all the tears, bites, and interrupted sleep is worth it because you will get a lifelong friend. I will add - don't forget to take care of yourself. If you need to nap, take a nap. If you need to go out, just to be by yourself, go out. And thank you, Aspen is a cutie and a handful. Can't wait till he loses those puppy teeth!
Aww I can't wait to see pictures! I never knew puppy blues were real either until I started looking up how I was feeling. My family thought I was crazy! It was nice to know I wasn't alone. Seeming this is my first time being a puppy owner I don't have a TON of advice except for make sure you have lots of toys to chew on, take breaks when you need them, rest, and don't expect too much from your puppy. For me, creating a schedule for Aspen and myself has helped bring a little order to the chaos. Also don't forget that even if you are playing and walking and your puppy still doesn't seem tired or is nipping or biting a lot, he may be tired and may be needing a rest. I have learned with Aspen that a tired puppy may still act like an energetic puppy!
Be prepared for your puppy to bite a LOT and HARD. It can really hurt, and children often end up scared of the puppy for a while, and certainly avoid interacting with it. It's very hard when you expect them to be each other's best buddies, but it often doesn't start off that way. Lots of puppies will spend several weeks where they basically only interact by way of their mouths, and you have to grin and bear it to some extent, while he learns bite inhibition. You may get one of the very rare un-mouthy pups, but don't count on it. Be prepared for tears, for your kids not wanting to play with the puppy and for you having to do a whole lot more supervision, not less! The mantra of puppy owners is "this will pass". You might like to practice
This is so true! A puppy needs lots of sleep, but when it's bouncing around (and getting up to mischief or being bitey?!) it's easy to think that it needs more play. In fact it's more likely to be over-tired and needing time out to rest. So do make sure that your children know this too and be prepared to restrict their 'playing with puppy' time if necessary.
What a handsome little guy! My two girls are eight months old and the playpen has been a lifesaver from day one! We got one that we could add to and as they got bigger, the pen got bigger. We started out with one medium crate with a small pen attached and are now up to two large crates side by side with a very large pen(3 sets) attached. Unfortunately, the pen will be dismantled soon, Luna can now jump the pen as well as the taller kitchen gate, so the pen is really just a suggestion for her! If they are not in their crates, it is eyes on at all times. They are currently going to doggie boot camp, so I am hoping to be able to give them the run of the house soon. The biggest obstacle we have at the moment is that big brother Jack is a grazer, so the girls have learned that there is usually something in his bowl, so their main goal in life is to get at that bowl! I am hesitant to limit his feeding time, he went through a time of not eating when our dog Stella died 9 months ago and lost 20% of his body weight, he is just now back to his weight, so I don't want to mess with his food.
