Hi there. I am a single 50 year old male who still works but only 4 minutes from home, so can come every two hours if necessary. I am scheduled to bring home a pup (8 weeks) on June 1. Like most prospective puppy parents, I have spent a lot of time reading and preparing - much of it on this fantastic forum - a tremendous resource. My question is: After reading almost all of the recent entries in this section, I get anxiety/indecision about this major life choice. I understand that most people don’t post when things are going great, but is it possible to read too much information on raising a puppy? Many thanks in advance and i DO really appreciate this resource!
Yes. Just enjoy it. When you first bring your puppy home, spend time bonding above all else. Just play together and chill together. I find you'll pick up cues (toilet!) just by getting to know each other. Treat training like a game.
Your right to a degree, you just need to separate the wheat from the chaff and decide what is relevant to you and your situation and dog .
...well you have probably seen some common themes, lol Biting etc Me personally of coarse Im not a fan of the shark phase, the biting does hurt, but it gets your mind working, soak some old wash clothes frozen so she can chew on them. Its just not that big of a deal, I still remember how my teeth "itched" right before they fell out, no fun. This is our 3rd lab, they have all been a bit different but all so worth it! Heart breakers and then you do it again and again. Cant wait to see your pup!
It's not possible to read too much information, but it IS possible to work yourself up into an overly concerned state and become very anxious about it. If you are returning home every 2 hours from work, do keep in mind that your puppy is going to need far more from you than a quick toilet visit at these times - they are going to need interaction, training, stimulation, socialisation off your premises and play - it's not going to be possible to provide that with 5 minute quick visits throughout a working day....
Thank you so much for your replies. I am taking the first two weeks off of work to get routine down and focus on socializing in that important 8-11 week window. In addition, the property where my guesthouse is has 2 golden retrievers in the main house, so that will help as well, with my landlord volunteering to come in and have the pup play with her two dogs, etc. Thanks again for the info.
Hmm... It's good to take time off work - but really, 2 weeks in the entire time of puppyhood, isn't going to go very far. And I would never allow someone else's dogs to interact with my puppy, without being there myself to supervise - far too many things the puppy can learn, which are not great. Other dogs are not a substitute for human attention and learning. Taking a dog to the dog park, turning a dog loose with other dogs, taking a dog to daycare - all are not substitutes at all, for human-dog training and attention.
