Is the puppy blues real?

Posted on 24th February 2021

You waited 8 weeks or longer in anticipation. You planned and you got excited. You dreamt of cuddles, walks and exploring new places with your perfect dog.

Fast forward…… it’s been 7 days and all you want to do is send that puppy back. They pee, they poop, they bite, they cry. You’re tired, your house is a mess, the kids are scared of the puppy. You feel guilty and you can’t see an end to this nightmare.

Yes, you’ve got the puppy blues!

Why does the puppy blues happen?

1. Expectation versus reality: Puppies bite… hard…it hurts. They seem to latch onto your hands or clothes every time you want to interact with them.

Did you watch your puppy in the litter? They all play by biting. It’s NORMAL

Puppies bite to communicate too. And if it’s increasing then what you are doing in response is making it stronger

QUICK TIP – segregation and prevention by being proactive as opposed to reactive

They also pee and poop, being dry will not happen overnight and will take longer if you are not present or do not get up in the night to let your puppy out

2. Life check: us humans don’t like change.

We look forward to things but when there is a sudden realisation that this change is permanent, we start to mentally list all the things we are missing. I can’t just pop out, I can’t stay in bed, I can’t have a bath in peace.

Missing those things is normal, just like people feel after having a baby. The responsibility hits and the knowledge that life won’t be the same again.

QUICK TIP – grab a jar and some small pieces of paper or 1 pence coins. Add a coin or paper to the jar every time your puppy made you smile today. For a boost, add 5 when they do something epic like sleep through the night or pee outside.

3. The whole world is an expert

Get a puppy and you can guarantee that the world and his wife will start telling you how to bring them up! You start to drown in a sea of internet and personal advice. Here’s how I see it… just because I have had teeth all my life does not make me a dentist!

QUICK TIP – contact a trainer before, go to trusted sources only, sign up with a trainer asap and stick to one route. If your trainer says do it, then do it, don’t ask another 100 people, you will end up confused and so will your puppy.

Training takes time, you will not see results over night so anyone offering instant results is generally to be avoided. Be consistent, the worse thing you can do is change what you are doing every couple of days because you got new advice.

If something doesn’t sit right, listen to your gut and don’t do it. Relationships are so precious at this stage.

For our epic Puppy Power course which gives you all the training support you need, go to our puppy classes page