Hi All! I am very excited to have found this forum. I have a 10 week old black lab named Eli and we have been together for 2 weeks. I live in a house that is made up of 6 condos so noise is something that I want to be mindful of. I have to be honest that I am been really overwhelmed these past 2 weeks with the demand of raising a puppy. I grew up with dogs but this is the first time I am raising one all on my own. Trying to learn to balance Eli's needs with my new work expectations (I am a teacher) has proven to be difficult and exhausting. I have read that things will get better with the dog part so I am trying to hold onto that but the days feel long and exhausting. I want to take good care of Eli and love him but I am having periods of time where I am feeling so overwhelmed with the constant demand of taking care of his needs that I wonder if I made the right choice in getting a dog. I'm working hard to find a routine but we are struggling to find one that is not disturbing the neighbors. I am a very early riser and get up around 4/4:30 and Eli usually is up around the same time. I am having a hard time motivating him to play outside with me to help him release some of his high energy. I am looking into getting a glow-in-the-dark toy. He just recently started being a bit more interested in walking outside for little bits of time but in the morning he often just wants his breakfast, but once given breakfast, he has a ton of energy. What do you suggest for this? I have to have him settled in his crate by 5:30 at the latest because I have to begin my work day. Unfortunately I can't be flexible with this time as I have a very early meeting at 5:30am. Some other questions I have: 1. What toys, teething treats and training treats do you recommend? 2. If I am eating at the table or working on the couch, Eli often jumps up and barks to come up. However, if he does come up, he will then often bite the table/my computer, the couch if he has a lot of energy. I do try and only let him up or reward him with a treat if he is sitting quietly. However, if he is always getting treats (when he is settled/sitting/not barking) while I am eating, is this encouraging him to think he will always get treats when I eat? What do you do when you eat? How about when you are sitting on the couch and the puppy wants to come up and is not finding his toy or bone on the floor sustainable? 3. What are some good methods of occupying a puppy when he is awake? I can be a bit flexible now but there are times that I have to work when he is awake and that has proven difficult. I take him out a lot and play with him a lot but any other ideas would be appreciated. 4. Do you use puppy playpens? I have one for Eli and he will eat treats in there but he does not seem to like to play in there for more than 5 minutes. He seems to want to run around the house with his toy or be in a different room. Is this a habit I should stop? What do you suggest/where do you play with your dogs when inside? 5. Do you give your dogs bones in their crates or let them have it outside the crate? Eli often gets upset if I put him in his crate with a bone but will eventually settle in with the bone if I sit in front of the crate while he eats it and then will fall asleep. 6. Does it get better? How long would you wait to let things settle in before thinking seriously about if getting a dog was the right decision? I've always loved dogs but I'm struggling right now. Thanks so much for reading!!
