What You Should Know About Puppy Blues
You have a picture-perfect plan in your head, you saw a photograph, you meet the pup, and you are in love. A couple of days later, the honeymoon stage is over. The cute love bites and the occasional accidents no longer seem cute. Now, you’re left with an overwhelming case of puppy blues. Regrets, anger, and the thought of returning your puppy pops into your head. You start to feel overwhelmed and the guilt sets in. If you’ve got a case of puppy blues, you are not alone.
Millions of dog videos circulate on the internet, and in these videos, it just seems so darn picture perfect. However, what you don’t see behind the perfect front is years of training behind the scene. Unfortunately, being a dog owner is not as easy as these videos made it out to be. It takes a serious amount of hard work, countless trials and errors, and dedication from the owner to make it work.
To start, I just want you to know that having puppy blues does not mean you are a bad owner because let’s face it, puppies do demand a lot of your attention. On top of that, it takes a lot before you and the pup get into the rhythm. Know what to expect, and prepare yourself by finding a training method that works for you. If you are overwhelmed, seek advice. There are many platforms out there that provide support to new dog owners. You can get free advice from a dog behaviorist and other dog owners here.
The Chewing Puppy
Puppies and babies are similar except babies are largely immobile at 8 weeks and puppies enjoy running on four legs at this age. When you look close enough, you’ll see that behind every cute little face is a mischievous one lurking in the dark. As soon as the stubborn puppies lock their eyes on something, they’ll go at it relentlessly. From your furniture to your hands and your wallets, if you don’t keep it away, your pup will get to it.
The chewing behavior is a tricky one because this behavior can have a biological or an emotional origin. Biologically, puppies go through a teething phase. By chewing early on, they learn about their environment and the texture of things. To correct a biological chewer, I’ve found the redirecting training technique to be very useful.
On the other hand, emotional chewers require a little bit more digging. You need to first identify the root cause of the stress and tackle it from there. However, it’s The most common cause of emotional chewing is boredom and in my previous blogs, I’ve shared tips on how to keep your dogs entertained.
The Frustrating Potty Training
Potty training is a big factor that drives many new owners up the wall. Your inner zen is now full of anxiety because you just can’t predict when the next accident is going to happen. For potty training, it’s crucial to first crate train your dog. Crate training will give you some time to yourself, and it will also provide you with better control of the whole potty training situation. Confined your pup into an airport carrier for up to 30 minutes at a time. Upon exiting the cage, leash them up and take them to their potty spot. Give the command to pee and repeat the process. This method has been proven to be effective. You can read more about this potty training technique here.
A New Puppy Owner’s Sleeplessness
Out of all the reasons why new owners go through puppy blues, not getting enough sleep takes the cake. It’s hard enough that during the day you have to provide constant supervision to the little one. At night, the little one puts up another fight by whining and barking none stop. However, you have to take it for what it is because It’s normal for a puppy to whine during the adjustment period. Unfortunately, there’s no skipping this difficult one to two weeks. However, as an owner, you need to stand firm and get your point across. So, when your puppy cries at night, don’t give in so easily. Let your pup cry for a little because, without an audience, they will mostly go to sleep.
Remember, the puppy blues is only temporary. Just like humans, puppies will start to mature. In no time, they will become a part of your life where you cannot imagine a life without them.
With these tips in mind, if you still suffer a case of puppy blues. Join a community of pet lovers and receive professional advice for free.