When did you love your dog?

[Fannyfanakerpants]

We have an almost 8 month lab x collie. She's a good dog on the whole. She's walked well, I do training every day, through out the day, we go to training classes at least once a week, we've started basic agility and I see progress each week. But she's such hard work, and I knew she would be but I can't honestly say I enjoy her yet. I'm anxious on every walk incase she doesn't listen or runs to another dog, she still bouncy and jumps up and is so stubborn. I have 3 young children and I'm sure another 3 children would be easier than one puppy.
Please reassure me that I'll love her one day and not spend 15 years regretting her.

Love came slowly for me. I think it was when he showed his 'adult personality' towards the end of his teenage phase. Before then I felt responsibility but no love. Now I utterly adore him and can't imagine life without him. So yes I can say sometimes it takes time.

8 months is a shitty age so you have my sympathies and totally understand how you are feeling now.

I think a puppy is extremely hard work, I have 3 dogs and 4 children!! It was such a shock that first morning coming down to a whole kitchen of wee and poo (before the days of crates!!). She was so naughty (pure lab), chewed bloody everything never had a barbie with any hands!!, ran off all the time. When she was running off or naughty I didn’t like her in that instant but I did love her the rest of the time, do you have times like that? I had her when had 2 little ones not yet at achool and looking back that was a bit silly!! Now all of mine are at school and I walk 2 out of 3 of mine every day (oldest one is nearly 13 and can no longer cope) and I love the walks even though the younger lab can be a bit naughty!!!

It took a long time and I'm ashamed to say it did come along rapidly once she was 'good'. Knowing I could trust her and seeing how much she adored me...

I do have odd moments of loving her I suppose. I am definetly proud when she listens at agility or comes back on a walk. But then there are times, like today, when she heard another dog in the woods and just ran for it. She's never done that before! I need to keep going with training and know in the long run it'll pay off.

Mine was instant - he was 14 weeks and had been returned to the breeder due to ill health of the new owner. I went to meet him after my DD messaged the lady who advertised him, he jumped into my arms and snuggled into my neck - I was hooked. DH didn't want another dog but came home to find said puppy in the kitchen - boy did we have a row that night - but it was love at first sight for me. Thankfully DH now says he's the best dog in the world . Having said that, he was a complete little shit between 9 and 18 months - his recall went to pot and the amount of times I was stood screaming in a field to get him back while he was off chasing pheasants isn't a pleasant memory at all!

With me it's a funny up and down... relaxing on the sofa lots of love, going training some love and sometimes very proud, cleaning up the "overnight mess" ... well let's just call it out of love for a little while!
I think the art lies with enjoy the lovable moments and ignore the rest. You will find you will get more and more of the former and less of the other as you grow together ❤.

The second I saw her big brown eyes stare into mine when she was an 8week old pup. I brought her home, showed her to my partner and he feel in love with her too.

My about 8 months we were both falling out of love a little bit, but once she reached 2 and we saw the girl she really was, she was perfect for us and, as naff as this sounds, she completes us.

Completely agree with above, our pup is now 16 months and I must say the puppy stage was hard. Dh works nights so the night time wees were my responsibility, as is a lot of the walking. My children are young teens so that helped. Definitely wouldn’t have a pup with small children far too much work for me. He is now 16 months and an absolute delight. We’ve got rid of the crate and he is allowed free roam indoors apart from the children’s bedrooms. He sleeps on the landing which is fine for us. His recallnis excellent, he eats, sleeps, plays. Alerts us if there’s someone outside. He’s loving and just a little darling. But I do agree puppies are hard, when you start to see the adult dog emerging it becomes so much easier.

My first dog was an adult rescue so not the same as dealing with the puppy stage!! but even though he was generally well behaved it did take probably a couple of months before I really loved him, and him us, we were all getting to know each other and settling in, and bonding.

I remember there was one day he was trotting ahead of me on a country walk, I was now confident to let him off lead, and I realised I was enjoying the sight of his happy face so much after the anxiety of "have we done the right thing/will we cope/is he going to be happy with us?" that my heart just felt so full of love.

It will come OP I'm sure. Pup is still soooooo young at this stage!

It was instant with me too, she was so small and just settled in like she was always here. She really didn't go through the puppy stage but was difficult to house train. I think it was timing and her nature. She's gone now and can't ever imagine feeling like that for a dog again. My dog before her was a handful i think I had a love hate relationship with him. He was a handful, he always trying to escape and I spent my days chasing him. Eventually he escaped and got knocked down. I cried when he died but I grieved for a long time when she died. She was family

We took our dog in from someone who was abusing him, I wasn't attached straight away buy dh was. It was after about 4 weeks when he got out of the garden and luckily found by a local vet and put on Facebook that we got him back, it was then that I knew I loved him. We've had him now 3 years in August and wouldn't be without my fur bubs

When he was big enough to enjoy a walk. We potter along by the river together, I chat at him and he boings at me or pokes me with his nose. I only realised how much I cared about him when he got sick one weekend. He was about 4 months old and really hard work. I wasn’t sure any of us liked him but we were hanging in there. Then he got sick and I had to take him to the vet puking all over the place. He looked so sad sat on my lap in the waiting area voming on me and the towel I’d wrapped him in. I realised then that he may be a pain the bum but he was my pain the bum! He can still be a fit but I know now that deep down I love the bones of him!

I cried when we got her - I've loved her from day one. She does get on my nerves and I wish I had more time for her. When she annoys me I know it's my fault for not putting in the time when she was young and just wanting cuddles. (Did have about a month period when training would've been best that she wasn't with us )

She's hard work even at 1
The feelings you experience are my main fear in having a child

I took me a while. When they hit a year and got easier was when I noticed that really loved them. Now I can't imagine my life without the furry bastards!!!

As soon as we picked him up! Our breeder put him in my arms and he covered me in little puppy kisses! And then we drove home and he had his head in my lap the entire time!

He can be a little shit and has chewed more things than I can count but he's adorable and I loves him!

Instant here too. GlitterDog was let out of her kennel, ran to me and hasn't left my side since.

Oh! The puppy stage is such hard work and frustrating. When you take them out for a poo and they don't "go" but do it behind you as soon as you come in. Arggg!

If I ever went upstairs and didn't think to lock her in the kitchen, for some reason or another, I'd come down to a big steaming poo at the bottom of the stairs (stood in it a couple of times 😷) Arggg!
Jumping over six foot walls and escaping and all the other stuff. I can honestly say that at 15 to 24 months I could have given the bugger away.
But I've had dogs for forty years and it's like child birth you forget how bad it was and do it again.

Then around 2ish it all clicks into place and they are suddenly perfect!
My gorgeous girl is 15 this year and has been the most loyal friend and I love her to bits.