Don't under-estimate how hard a puppy is people...

[lepetitchienbrun]

Feel like I'm finally falling back to earth just now after our pup's first couple of months with us. Honestly it really was like having a toddler, but one with no sense and no nappies.

Ours is a bit madder than the average puppy but still. I had never owned a dog before and regardless of the many, many chats I'd had with dog owners, it was a huge shock.

We have got there in the end [quickly touches wood...] and I now love him but would happily have sent him back if it had been possible for some weeks. Still feel like my life has been turned upside down but the difference is I can see it's worth it now.

So just a warning to those thinking 'oh we'll get a cute little puppy" to be aware of what a challenge it can be.

[Lilcamper]

They are like babies, but without nappies, they are mobile and have teeth!

[GobblersKnob]

Not even babies, toddlers. Deaf toddlers than can run at twenty miles an hour with a mouthful of needle sharp teeth and an overwhelming urge to sink them into everything they see

[Amrapaali]

Just back from visiting a friend who is the proud owner of a Lab puppy. (also brown)

I remember her saying it was so hard initially. She was terrified, very out-of-her depth and had advertised for the puppy to be rehomed. But somehow decided to stick it out for a few more weeks, and now the way she coos over that pup- she's got that mother-of-newborn lovesick look!!

Agree it can be very hard. But am sure the rewards are brilliant...,

[VenusDeWillendorf]

Same as kittens I'm afraid!
Like an untrainable toddler, who slept on our faces, and woke us up every few hours looking for a warm spot. Howled down the house if left in the kitchen, and scratched under the doors, if we shut her in in desperation for a nights sleep!

Also having to rescue her from the high places constantly - took 9 months before she could hop down from the top of the doors herself, and she loved to climb.

Who knew?!

[BeyondBurma]

I felt the same and my pup is now 2 years old and adored!

I was terrified and used to stand at the kitchen sink and cry! It got a whole lot better although doesn't for everyone, I have a friend who loathes her dog and it must be around 8 months old now but the children love her to bits so the dog stays and she feels utterly miserable.

[BeyondBurma]

I felt the same and my pup is now 2 years old and adored!

I was terrified and used to stand at the kitchen sink and cry! It got a whole lot better although doesn't for everyone, I have a friend who loathes her dog and it must be around 8 months old now but the children love her to bits so the dog stays and she feels utterly miserable.

[Bassetfeet]

So agree . Puppyhood is a challenge to the best of us . But then they learn and we love them so much.
Seared in my memory is tackling rugby style my border collie pup in a gorse filled field to retrieve her as she dodged and weaved around me[as they do]. I was at the end of my tether [and she should have been on hers ].
All came good of course in the end and so worth it for the doggy loveliness when she finally got RECALL

[catbus]

I love hearing about this! I'm in the depths of new puppydom, having had Clover for a month now and am exhausted. Luckily our 4DC are always around for the mental stimulation but boy she's a stubborn, nutty bitch
I think I'm more knackered and nerve shredded than any of my kids have made me feel put together!
Ironically, it's my 3 year old that doesn't take any crap from her

[lepetitchienbrun]

I am still having challenging moments with him but those early weeks. Eugh.

The time he had wee'd on the floor and i soaked it with kitchen paper, turned my back to grab the cleaning spray and he grabbed the wee sodden paper towel and was dragging it across the floor. The time he pooed at the back door, the hourly...no often half hourly...toilet trips to the garden every day for nealy two months! The mad biting hyper shoe stealing and jumping (still got that). The never relaxing as you have to watch him constantly (crate time excluded but then he barked in those spells!!)

There were tears and marital arguments and sleepless nights about it all. If dh had not insisted the pup stayed he would doubtless have been sent packing by me ( referring to pup but dh too).

And i still have the dog teenage phase to come...joy.

But he is lovely.

[Bowlersarm]

I was just like you. If someone could have taken him away and I knew he would have a lovely life, I would have welcomed it in those early months.

He's 7 now, and I love him to bits. Can't believe I would have been happy not to have him now, but I remember very clearly thinking that. I didn't know what had hit us.

Enjoy him, it really does get easier.

(We have two now )

[Bassetfeet]

I suggest you get him neutered when your vet thinks right time ..as he enters his teenage years . so pleased you love him despite all.

[CheeryName]

MIL has a puppy and I can't believe I'd forgotten how much work they are -she pops round with her and I just can't wait for them to leave me and my carpets alone!!!
Mil has mentioned us puppy sitting when she goes on holiday. I have told DH I am not doing any puppy duties at all. And I love dogs normally.

[hmc]

Yup - they are darn hard work aren't they. I have a hyperactive breed (flatcoat retriever pup) which is......fun!

[BabeRuthless]

Totally emphasise with this. We're two months in and coming off the back of a couple of horrendous days. I know it'll get better and things are a lot more settled but the 5:30-6am wake up calls are starting to wear thin. She does have a way of doing something incredibly cute at just the right time though

[CrazyPuppy]

I hear you OP.

We definitely went through a kind of mini-depression about 2 weeks in - what have we done? why did we get you? where has our life gone? - and like you, this was after extensive reading, research, thought and "practice". In no way were we fully prepared for the reality!

Now at nearly 16 weeks we are (just about) over that, seeing great progress on most fronts and positive about our new life. In fact DPup is curled up on my lap snoring right now. He is great and we love him dearly.

However, having experienced this, I am not sure I would take the same decision to get a cute little puppy again!

[insanityscatching]

Oh yes those early weeks were like a hell I had never experienced before. Eric was like a toddler on speed and many's the time I questioned whether we had done the right thing.
Now he's five months and I love the little bundle of fluff who is sat on my lap making contented snuffling noises and can't imagine life without him.
We would like a second dog eventually, just hoping the memories fade sufficiently to take the plunge again.

[lepetitchienbrun]

Crazypup our two must be almost exactly the same age.

Yes lots of times where I wanted my old life back and I get a lot less time with dc and resented the fact that I was missing out on my dc and spending time with a difficult puppy instead!

Yes too to the early mornings - we are not early morning people!! On 7ish at the moment which wouldn't be early for most families but we were 8am start types. That hour matters. But this is liveable with for now. Hoping as he gets older he can go longer.

Like the longer walks in nice places and people are very friendly about him. Need to line up some dogsitting friends for when I have meetings or need to be out longer. Do people pay friends to dogsit or do people offer their services as they want to hang out with a dog?

Overall, it has all been a massive shock - ridiculously so given he is a small fluffy little thing but finally now I wouldn't send him back .

[CrazyPuppy]

Haha, 7am would be a lie in for us!

Getting the dcs involved in training has helped a lot. I felt bad about missing time with them too but in many ways they are more tuned in to the puppy's cues than I am so it is a win-win. They are 8 and 9 so old enough to be more involved.

[Damnautocorrect]

I think the hardest bit is 6-9 months when they are basically full grown but behaving like a puppy. I know so many people who have given up at that point because they can't cope and think it's the dogs personality.

I'd never have a puppy again, I just couldn't do it again! When the time comes for a dog (we rent so I wouldn't want one until I own a house) I think I'll go to a rescue and get one of the ten month olds someone's done the hard work with but given up!!

[catbus]

A toddler on speed- yes!!
I really am on my knees today- she's currently asleep, finally..
The going batshit mental jumping up biting the lead when I've had to put it on her to get her in when all else has failed
Playing with her because she's going mental clearly needing distraction and that failing because she's more interested in chewing your arm not the tug toy..
The constant supervision, especially when anyone walks by the garden and she shouts hello at them relentlessly...
OP I am hanging on to it getting better because today has to be one of the most draining so far..

[WhereBeThatBlackbirdTo]

I'm another (former) pup owner who vaguely considered rehoming at about 8 months. (Only very vaguely, I wouldn't have gone through with it).

They are such hard work and it's difficult to explain why if you're talking to a non-pup owner. My Springer had me in tears in the field at least three times. We got through it with the help of an excellent trainer and I wouldn't be without him now - he's a perfect fit for me!

But - NEVER AGAIN!

[Owllady]

I find adolescence harder, same with my children

[BadgersInTheSlurryLagoon]

Oh yes, this is so true. We got BadgerDog when he was already post-puppyhood but he had been an outdoor dog living with lots of others so wasn't housetrained, cried all night, was constantly needy and on top of that had loads of health issues. I didn't sleep for 2 weeks through worrying about him and how I could ever take care of him and was developing fairly severe depression when my mother fortunately came to stay and helped me out. Now he's 4 and is an utter angel unless there's a tennis ball within a 2 mile radius - he comes to work with me every day and is hugely popular, and is the best and most loving and affectionate companion to both me and DH.

Actually I was massively shouted down by a colleague the other day when I compared him to a toddler (DDog, not the colleague) and was told that I had no idea and toddlers were a million times worse and I'm completely unprepared for parenthood. I think I'd stop TTC if I hadn't read threads like this (and had lots of friends tell me otherwise) - I couldn't cope with a million times worse than I went through with needy sick rehomed young dog.

[punter]

I found with punter lab that doing basic training using a clicker tired him out far more that playing with him or out in the garden. You could almost see his eyes going back in his head after he had done 'sit', 'down', 'stay' and 'come' about 20 times with clicker and tiny treats. Walking him on the street was a nightmare as he picked up every piece of litter, ate what he could, wanted to say hello (i.e. jump up) to everybody and chewed his lead as we walked. Now although he is 21 months old I wish I had known stuff I learnt from this topic thread at the beginning - then I would not have cried my eyes out every morning when I had to face another day of puppydom. Love him to bits now but if he had not been micro chipped I might have left him tied to a tree somewhere around 6 months old - thought about it but of course but never did. Good luck OP, it will get better.