Aitch, your comment was a totally accurate statement about human behaviour. The SiL felt like she’d failed and was trying to alleviate those feelings in a way that was understandable but not kind or true.
Anyone who thinks pups are harder than children has a screw loose. We have a new granddaughter, and there is no comparison between what we went through with Tilly and Cooper, and what our Daughter in law is going through with her daughter. She is a good baby, but DIL still doesn't get much sleep after 2-1/2 months. At 2-1/2 months our pups slept though the night and were pretty well potty trained. We could leave them alone in their pen or crate for a few hours with no problems. You just can't do that with any baby. By the time they are a year old, dogs are pretty much adolescents who can take care of them selves and just need continued training and exorcise. By two years they are full grown, and really should not need a lot of supervision. Obviously they still need company, exercise and training, but nothing like a two year old child, that can barely walk, and is not potty trained yet. I don't want to minimize the work involved with a pup, but they grow fast and learn fast. They are a lot of work at first, but it levels out fast. At two they are companions, not babies.
Great discussion - no apologies needed from anyone. Coco is a rescue & OH has said, at the beginning he doubted whether we'd done the right thing & he even had fleeting thoughts he'd have to go back. I am the main carer/trainer & Coco is very strong & pulled me over and had me in tears many times in the early days. OH underestimated how dedicated I was/am to our dog(s). I think some people are too easy-come, easy-go over taking in a puppy/dog. And others really have to search their hearts & bravely give the dog up - it must be devastating for them.
Hi..my whirling dervish Penny is 5 and a half months and if i hadnt seen this forum i would have thought i had bought some deranged animal with mental health issues i am always seeking advice about everything..as i write this i have new scratches on my arms because she has decided that 10pm is a good time to go bonkers and have the zoomies and chew my flesh( shoved chew toys in her mouth). You will find that everyo e has went tbrough tbe same stages and yes some pups are calmer Penny was always bitey and i have got used to it. We are all powering through this together and i pray that when croco shark teeth all come out things will get easier. I am on my own and she is my first lab pup. I adore her even although its reallt hard work ..much harder than i anticipated but hopefully all worth it and even if she usnt the perfect dog she is mine and i love her
Ive just read through this all, one calendar month to go and she will be here. She got weighed last Friday and she is the biggest in weight out of the seven pups.....
I would love to have compulsory attendance at some training and behaviour classes, based upon R+ , with an exam at the end. Followed by life with a robotic puppy that is programmed to act like a real pup requiring night time toileting etc. Not sure that even today's technology could re-create crocopup though
The pain of extreme dentistry comes close. My gentle calm 4 years old lost his mind while I was rubbing him down yesterday and bit me on my nip really really hard. I forgotten about that. It did make my eyes water
There used to be a dog licence in the UK, it was 37.5p - about 30 years ago now, don't know why it was scrapped. Also I think there should be a cat licence, don't want to rant about cats here but maybe there would not be so many then!
Hi there Don't be put off in the slightest. Some people are meant to have dogs and some aren't. I can't comment on whether they are easier than children but what I do know is that they'll be your best mate from a very young age till the day they pass. I don't think having children is this smooth. Initial months are hard work but so long as you know what is involved in having a dog and you are prepared to gain advice // seek help when you need then you will indeed not regret getting a dog. All the best x
This. This this this this this. @Aella - you will be fine. I predict a few moments of "omygodwhathaveidone", but they will pass very quickly. Come to this forum and vent / share / giggle. Don't let your SiL see the bad times - they are none of her business. The good times outshine them completely.
The licence was dropped as so many people simply didn't register their dog and pay the annual fee, and there wasn't a single database to track. As a cat owner, can't comment on the cat licence but then mine are house cats
Thank you, looking forward to having her, just have to keep on top of the grooming and hoovering to reduce the amount of dog hair that be around the home x
You need to use a photo-hosting website, but not Photobucket because they’ve now stopped people sharing their photos. (Grr- I’ve got so many on their stupid site!) If you use Facebook, I’ve found that is the easiest way to share photos, (copy link and click on icon like mountains, then paste link) but you need to make sure that the privacy setting for the photo you’re sharing is set to ‘public ‘. Your pup looks gorgeous by the way!
I'm only 19, so I can't say that it is harder than having kids as I've never had my own, but I can say that it was quite an experience for me and still is. I too had the puppy blue, and for each time Aspen (my 6 month old pup) has made me cry or upset me with being a little devil, I can confidently say he is the love of my life and that I wouldn't trade him for the world because he has made me laugh and smile on hundreds of occasions. I wanted to re-home him at 9 weeks (got him at 8 weeks) but my boyfriend told me NO! And I am so glad he did. All of the troubles you may go through with your puppy are worth it, and who knows, yours might be a little angel. Just don't stress about it before he even gets here and don't listen to what your sister has to say. She might just be jealous already that you could be more successful in raising a pup than she was and that's why she's trying to bring you down.
