Reality of having a puppy?

[Bythebeach]

Looking for some realistic advice please as we have been seriously considering getting a labrador puppy for the last few months and are the verge of deciding yes but would like the answers to a few practical considerations!

I'm assuming when puppy arrives, we'll need a few weeks to settle and bond and I was planning to not work at all in that time. How long do you think that would need to be?

How soon/at what age would it be okay to leave a puppy and pop out say 30 mins for the school run - or do I just take her with me? Or an hour to the shops/gym?

I will be working 2 or 3 days a week once puppy is settled and at that stage, is it okay to leave a puppy at home with with a carer/walker coming in in the middle of the day or will we need doggie daycare?

Also, how easy is it to transport a pup around in a car in the early days - can I just take it over to my parents/friends from when it arrives?

Lastly, there is a gorgeous puppy from a litter that had all been reserved become re-available and would be ready for collection at 8 weeks next week - we were really planning on August and had made enquiries on two litters ready then but I am a bit tempted to just say yes for this one. The reason I am hesitating is I have a two night trip with a friend which would be about 12 days after the puppy came home - my husband is okay to work from home if we do this but the main responsibility for our puppy will be mine as I'm home more. Is it okay to get a pup and then for me to leave DH and kids in charge soon?

Thanks for any help.

I have a 14 week old puppy and it has been really hard and very life changing.

I work from home and thought I'd take 2 weeks off and then it would be fine. It wasn't.

I know some people seem to go along merrily and it doesn't impact but for us it has been huge.

We now have her at doggy day care 2 days a week so I can actually work, as she doesn't actually sleep that much and so getting any work done when she's here isn't that possible.

The longest I've left her is 30 mins, and that is only a couple of times and when I've known she is shattered. Mostly she hasn't been left and one of us has stayed with her rather than go out as a family.

For the first 3 weeks we did alternate nights on the sofa, as she was up 2-5 times for a wee /poo.

We then had a baby monitor in our room (she is crated in the kitchen happily) and we're up still 2-4 times and morning is at 5:25am. Last night was first time she slept from 10:30pm-4:30am.

Some people do leave them all day with a pop in at lunch but I wouldn't be doing that ever. I imagine longest would maybe be an hour or so.

Re cars, from day 1 we have put her in a crate in the boot, first 2 trips after coming home she cried and howled. But asince that she is fine. We've done 3 hour drives with stops every 30-45 mins and she has been great.

She was toilet trained really fast, but that was as we worked really hard, taking her out every 30 mins or less in the day. She has 4 accidents in total and that was as I hadn't taken her out. She now asks to go out.

I take her to a puppy socialisation once a week which she loves, it's outside and she loves other dogs.

Now the good - she is lovely. And I'm loving the walks in fields and the moments where the training works (recall and sit)

We also have 2 cats and 2 guinea pigs and that has been hectic!

I thought I was prepared. I had read and talked to so many people but nothing had prepared me!

It is a cliche but it is so much about the work you put in too. I see this as a full on commitment. Not just getting a cute puppy, but a project that requires shit loads of work. It is paying off so far. But at 5am when she is desperate to go play with the cats, and you just want to sleep I have questioned the choice!

I am so very sleep deprived at the moment as partner is away working, but that will get better as if I'm not up a load of times in the night 5am is fine.

My experience is probably not the norm, as I look round at others who seemingly just breeze through it!

Look on here for the puppy survival thread (we are in part 2 but you can hunt back for part 1) to give you an idea of the realities of getting a puppy as they are all different.

I took 1 month at home to settle my puppy before going back to work and I was glad I did.

I built up to leaving the puppy alone from day 1 gradually increasing the time BUT for the first few weeks I left him alone whilst 'hiding' nearby so I could check how he was. At the end of the month I could leave him approx 3 hours.

I go into a the office three days a week and initially I was going to just use a dog walker to come in for 30 mins twice a day. It soon became apparent that for my puppy that would not be enough and he is now in half daycare. If you do use a dog walker or daycare the costs can add up so if money is tight you might want to factor that in. Also I found a lot of dog walkers are full as they only take on a certain number and home visits take up too much time. Also some daycare centres have a minimum age.

Mine cried a bit in a crate in the car at first but as soon as he was big enough to go in the boot he was happy. It really depends on the dog. Until they have their vaccinations you will need to carry them and avoid putting them down outside (garden is ok) and unknown dogs.

Puppies are bloody hard work (see survival thread). Leaving him/her with your husband is ok if you are on the same page with training but I can tell you in the first few weeks I would not have been able to do any work at home whilst looking after him. You need to be watching them like a hawk for toilet training. How old are you children as puppies are quite full on and can be bitey (mouthing).

I've spoken to several people lately who have had their lives totally turned upside down with a puppy. The reality is apparently that it's very hard and often overwhelming. People who actually have puppies may be along to tell you differently in a bit.

I am SO glad that we didn't go down the puppy route but went for a full-grown, fully toilet-trained rescue greyhound. I had a week of feeling completely overwhelmed and after that it was fine. She can be left, she sleeps through the night, she's never peed in the house, she doesn't need hours of exercise and stimulation and we all love her - happy days.

Sorry, that all sounded a bit flippant - good luck with the decision!

Come and have a look at the puppy survival thread OP! Also join the FB group dog training advice and support.
Giant pup is now nine months and I could leave her for about four hours max. Walk in the morning then she naps. But she certainly couldn't cope all day with just a lunchtime visit.
Beware. Mine peed in the car. Every bloody time we went out! (Her litter mate threw up!) We did lots of very short journeys and she's fine now. Other people may not want the pup there whilst it's teething. The biting. Dear God the biting. And toilet training.
Won't kill DH to do a couple of days!

I was prepared for it to be awful and in reality it was easy! She slept through the night after the first week, toilet training wasn't really a drama (a few wees in the house but nothing major), she's a Velcro dog so recall has never been a problem. She's a bit thick/stubborn though and has never mastered sit or stay but she's tiny so it's not really an issue.

She's two and a half now and is an absolute joy.

Having a puppy is really hard work, and you need to think about it for more than a few months imo. They will need to go to daycare until they are at least 1 year old on the days you work - and maybe longer depending on the dog, but if not would need an hours walk in the day as well as before and after.

Before you get a puppy, try going for a good 30 minute walk before and after school/work (and twice on the non working days). If there is only one adult around, you have to take the kids with you. If you are thinking you'll combine the walk with shopping, that won't work as you can't take the dog in the shops - and you can't tie them up outside either.
Every time you'll be out of the house for more than 3 hours, write down what you'd do with the dog. Even a trip to the park doesn't work if your kids are of an age to still need you to push them on the swings etc

I got a puppy last year and another one this year. Its brill.

I've got a labrador puppy. He's 10 months now and to be honest he's no bother most of the time. Mine was happy to be in his crate from the word go. He didn't suffer separation anxiety as breeder separated him from litter mates a week before we picked him up (he was 10 weeks). Breeder also started toilet training. He never once had a poo accident inside...plenty of wees but it only took us a week to complete his training.

He's always slept in a crate downstairs. Had us up once through the night for the first couple of weeks then settled 11pm ish until 6.30am.

From 12 weeks I left him twice a day for 20 mins a time when I did school run. Plenty socialisation took him with us in our arms until he was allowed a walk.

Then he started the biting stage! That was fun with two small children. I just removed him with a firm no. That stage finished by 16 weeks .

Be aware labrador grow big and strong very quick. Training is needed from the very beginning and never walk them on a long leash or allow them to pull. I learnt that the hard way when mine pulled me over

Mines had an hour and half walk through woods mostly off Leash and a play with a couple of dogs we bump into and been snoring since 11am he can be left for up to 4 hours in his crate.

Labradors are notorious chewers and he has destroyed a shoe and a couple of toys. Therefore for your sanity and puppy's safety consider a crate.

He's lovely.

Have a read of the various articles and sites linked to on this thread as well. There's loads of good information on there about puppy care as well as how to make sure you've found a decent breeder.

Finding a decent breeder is really very hard. It took me a couple of years to find my girl. (Not a common breed though.) Be aware that being kennel club reg means very little and council registered means even less! I went through the breed club and made contacts.
I love my girl to bits and she's a breed I've wanted for 20 years. But the early weeks? Bloody hard work and awful at times. Sleep deprivation. Biting and chewing. Teaching pup to walk on a lead. Keeping a puppy that can't go out for walks (and then once vaccinated very very short walks) entertained is very hard work.

Thanks for all the replies! It's good to hear the reality. We have been wanting a dog for years CMOT but only seriously considering it the last few months because until now we definitely didn't have the energy for a puppy. Our kids are now 12, 9 and 4.5 with youngest starting school in September and we seem to have a bit of time and energy now. We have the cliff top at the end of our road and park 2 mins walk the other way and are out lots anyway but I don't know how restrictive it will feel incorporating a puppy's need into our life. I really, really want a dog but also want to get it right for any potential dog and our family!

We got a rescue dog at 6 months. Toilet trained and sleeps through the night. Worked up very slowly to leaving her for short periods but our routine is very much based around someone being at home most of the time. Walked twice a day.

Demented - your experience sounds very positive - do you think you were luckier than most?

I have been reading lots and lurking on the puppy survival thread on and off. I was planning to crate from the start and hoping that would help.

I think I do need to revisit the reputation of the breeders - it's so easy to get carried away by cute puppies.

Our puppy is now 6 months old and even though I waited a very long time for my own dog, I was kind of dreading it, toilet training, broken nights, chewing etc However, he has been brilliant. He has a puppy pen in the kitchen and from the beginning has gone through the night (he is often still asleep in his basket when we come down in the morning). We had a few weeks or so of accidents but he got the hang of it fairly quickly and by 12-16 weeks he was asking to go out (and this breed is apparently stubborn with toilet training).

I didn't leave the house at all for the first two weeks and then I work from home in the morning and take him to my parents for the afternoon when I go into the office. He went everywhere in the car with me ie. school pick up and tends to just fall asleep as soon as it starts moving.

The longest he has been left on his own is 3 hours, and that is only recently. On Saturday we had to go out as a family and as my parents were looking after my brother's dog (dog hating elderly huskie), we left him at 10am and my dad came round at 11.30 until 3pm and we got home at 4.30. If you give him a kong, he doesn't even bother watching you go!

He is such a laid back, friendly little chap and it feels like he has been part of the family forever.

Talk to the dog-owners you know about they found puppyhood, especially those who have young dogs and might actually remember. I found I'd forgotten all sorts of details between one puppy and the next.

MRSJ - He sounds lovely! What breed?

Lume - I have but I only 4 people with young dogs so just wanted to ask a wider group.

OP the problem is all puppies and home setups are different. You may breeze through it but equally you may wonder what on earth you have done in the early months .

I will say this, it's been hard but it had been worth it.

He's a pug, so a bit smaller that the puppy you are considering! I really recommend puppy training classes as well as that was great fun and has been really helpful. We had a Tibetan Terrier as a child who had no recall whatsoever so he could never really be let off the lead.

Our puppy is great off the lead now and not really bothered by other dogs. He comes back really well but then he is very food focused so any treat is much more interesting than the other dogs in the park!

My experience is very much the same as Demented including puppy breed and age! I leave him twice a week for about 4 hours while I work and he's fine, neighbours say they've never heard him make a noise while I'm not here and I've only ever once heard him bark at all.
Toilet training was quick and easy, just took him outside every 20-30 mins until he started waiting at the door.
He only cried overnight for the first week or so but now he sleeps through until I get him up about 7:30.
He has eaten two pairs of my shoes though, and just about everything else he can get his mouth around.
But he's lovely

I had three months off when we got ours then did a phased return to build up the time he spent alone.

Getting a puppy was a shock to my system. I have no dc but can only imagine it is similar to having a toddler. It is very hard work.

So rewarding though. If you think you can do it, go for it.

Getting a puppy is a bit like having a toddler. Hard work but worth it. I love it!

Showing my husband these-he is, rightly, wary about the responsibility and sleeplessness now that we are done with babies.....

The sleeplessness isn't a forever thing! Big girl goes to bed after 10 and sleeps through now. She's 9 months now.
She IS a massive responsibility though. We can't have a day out or holiday etc without thinking of her. But I love her to bits and wouldn't be without her.

Someone I know said it's like having children but everything is condensed into a smaller timeframe. The responsibility is huge but they are a great companion. I would not be without him but in the early days I did wonder what on earth I had done