Owning a puppy is hard work. It comes with a huge amount of responsibility and is no different from having a baby.
Every decision you make affects that little ball of fluff that you may to refer to as your “fur baby”.
Over the years I have worked with hundreds maybe even thousand or more people to help them with their puppy or dogs and I have come across several people who feel overwhelmed by having a puppy in their lives.
Not realising the impact of owning such a cute creature and how it can affect how you feel.
A puppy can cause you to have sleep deprivation.
If they are unsettled at night you wake up to tend to them to ensure that they are happy and feel safe. Standing outside in the all weathers is hard especially when you are tired.
Lack of sleep makes it hard for us to see things clearly and this can cause us to be tearful and break down even when we wouldn’t normally do this.
It is normal behaviour and you are not alone.
Ensure you talk to your friends and family about how you are feeling. It will help.
Your puppy is 100% reliant on you for everything.
Social media can make things worse. We are all guilty of posting the cute photos and videos of our puppy’s doing cute things. We rarely capture the moments and share of the times that we may be terrorised by them.
Find a force free trainer. One that uses positive reinforcement, food, toys and praise. Someone who can support you and be there for you during these difficult times. To help you deal with the problems with your puppy.
The dog training industry is unregulated. Do your research ensure that they don’t mention about being the pack leader or use correction techniques to train. This will undoubtedly make the problems worse.
You don’t have to struggle alone. Don’t feel bad for having moments where you are crying and feel like you need time away from the puppy.
Put your puppy in its safe space and leave it with a safe chew and go and have a bubble bath!