Feeling sad or dying after bring home a new puppy is normal and common .
You ’ve been daydream of getting a pup for years , and now you ’ve at last receive a little furball into your home . You wait to feel a bit stock from your whelp ’s playful antics , but you did n’t see the puppy blues coming — feeling distressing , anxious , or completely overwhelmed after bringing your raw puppy base . What gives ?
If you ’re feeling this way , rest ensure — you’re not alone , and it does n’t make you a bad pet parent . Many new puppy parent go through these emotion as they adjust to the important life variety that fare with a new pup .
We spoke with favored parents who have seize the puppy blues and also develop advice from a professional dog flight simulator on get the best this early challenge .
What Are the Puppy Blues?
Puppy blue devils come to to acute spirit of anxiousness and unhappiness that some preferent parent experience after bringing home a new pup . You might finger drain , cause yourself to question whether you ’re cut out for being a dog parent . These emotions generally stem from any combination of the followers :
This emotional dip often comes after the initial excitement wears off , and world sets in , as bechance with Emily Jenkins , the dog parent of Chai . “ When I picked Chai up , I felt so happy and activated , but over the next workweek , I started to feel more and more anxious and sad , ” Jenkins says . “ All I could see were all the problems she was causing me . ”
While some new pet parent might be elated from the get - go , the puppy blues are a mutual and normal response to a big life alteration . They do n’t mean you ’re flush it as a favored parent and , relaxation assure , you’re able to still go on to build an incredible family relationship with your dog .
How Long Do the Puppy Blues Last?
The puppy blues timeline is dissimilar for everyone , explains Alexandra Bassett , CPDT - KA , possessor ofDog Savvy , and can be pretend by various factors such as your puppy ’s temperament , how much funding you have , your docket , and whether or not your puppy has enounce behavioral issues , such as interval anxiousness and excessive barking .
During the first few week , the enfeeblement from sleepless night , constant monitoring , training frustration , and the pressure to get everything right can make it finger like the blues will never terminate . However , as your puppy grows , learns , melt out , and begin responding to training , life usually get much easy .
For Lenox Soto , the dog parent of Spotty , the puppy blues were abbreviated .
“ The first few weeks , I felt overwhelmed and dying due to the added piece of work and have to be perpetually on sentry go to keep him out of trouble , ” he says . “ There were a few days I question my conclusion , but I notice my new groove pretty rapidly , and now he ’s my honorable bud . ”
For Jenkins , things took a bit longer to balance out . “ I got Chai when she was two calendar month old , and it read me until she was seven month old to start care her and not regretting my determination , ” she says . “ Once she became a routine more mature and settled , I became less dying and was able to savor her company more . "
Tips for Coping With the Puppy Blues
If you ’re function through the puppy blue , the skillful news show is that there are steps you’re able to take to meliorate your situation and , therefore , your touch sensation of anxiety and sorrow . Here are some tips to avail you navigate this challenge :
Start Training Right Away
It ’s tempting to hold off and let your puppy settle in before startingtraining , but getting started betimes can make a with child departure . Puppies are like sponges , and the sooner you preface basic bid and boundaries , the quicker they ’ll learn .
Beginning training right aside set the degree for good behavior and helps forestall bad wont from taking root . Whether you ’re working oncrate training , potty breeding , teach them not to jump on ( or jaw ) furniture , orsimple commandslike “ model ” and “ stay on , ” establishing expectations right by helps your pup empathise what ’s allowed , make life easier for both of you . Plus , training is a enceinte opportunity to bond with your new whelp !
And if you do n’t desire totackle preparation alone , puppy classes are a great alternative .
“ Puppy class were a plot - auto-changer for both Chai and me , ” Jenkins shares . “ Chai picked up important skills , and I always left the classes feeling so much more confident and in controller as a pet parent . "
Stick to a Routine
“ Creating good wont starts with setting up a routine so the puppy fuck what to carry each day , ” Bassett say . This can help you feel more in controller and further your pup to adapt to the calendar method of birth control of your daily spirit .
Teaching your pup when it ’s time to corrode , sleep , play , and go potty make consistency and help concentrate discombobulation and misbehavior .
Use Behavior Management Tools
“ Behavior direction tools like crates , playpens , and gate are substantive to your succeeder , ” Bassett says . These tools help prevent bad habit , such as pottying wherever they please , and keep your puppy dependable from trauma when unsupervised .
And for Soto , these tool were fundamental .
“ Using a crate and gates made such a difference , ” he explains . “ I could finally step away for a bit without worrying that he was getting into trouble , which facilitate me feel more relaxed during those other week . ”
Puppy-Proof Your Home
puppy are naturally peculiar and tend to get into thing they should n’t , which can lead to accidents or destructive behavior . Take the fourth dimension to remove or secure hazards , like electrical cords , menage cleaners , and small objects that can be chewed or unsay . This proactive step helps keep your puppy safe and save up you the stress of constantly worrying about what they might get into .
Lean On Fellow Pet Parents
Talking to others who have break through the same experience can be incredibly reassuring . Reach out to acquaintance , join online puppy parent groups , or tie in with a community where you may share your struggles and get advice .
If possible , you’re able to also have a friend or kinsfolk member step in for an hour or two so you may have some time to yourself .
Focus on Small Wins
Puppyhood can be frustrative , but celebrating the small victories — like give-up the ghost potty in an appropriate place or sleeping through the Nox — can help you persist confirming . These wins are augury that things are getting better , even if progress feels boring .
It ’s easy to get caught up in the Clarence Shepard Day Jr. - to - day struggles of puppyhood , but it ’s important to keep the self-aggrandising delineation in judgement .
“ Remind yourself that the initial challenges you ’re face are just a humble part of the journey , ” Soto says . “ The hard employment you put in now sets the foundation for years of companionship with a well - behave , awful dog that will summate so much to your life . ”
Remember to Care for Yourself
Do n’t draw a blank to take concern of yourself , too , whether it ’s getting enough sleep , attain healthy repast , exercising , or doing something you enjoy .
“ It was n’t until I start prioritizing my own needs and allow go of perfectionism that thing truly took a long-lived bit for the better , ” Jenkins enunciate . “ I realized that if I was n’t hire upkeep of myself , I could n’t right take forethought of her . ”
It ’s also important to give yourself grace during this period . enhance a puppy is a big duty , and it ’s normal to have ups and downs . Be kind to yourself , and remember that it ’s normal and okay to have challenging import and days . These unmanageable times will pass , and soon , you ’ll go to revel all the wonderful aspects of having a furry best friend by your side .
