A recent study found 45 per cent of new dog owners have experienced the ‘puppy blues’, when the dream of having an adorable pooch in your home makes way for reality
Raising a puppy is full of delightful and rewarding moments, but it can also be incredibly stressful. Many dog owners speak about the experience of the ‘puppy blues’, when the dream of bringing a tiny fluffy bundle of joy home turns into the reality of dealing with a ball of energy rampaging around and destroying everything in sight. Some even question whether getting a dog was the correct decision.
Thankfully, this doesn’t last forever, and now one TikToker has shared some words of encouragement to other struggling dog owners.
Sash, who regularly shares content about her life with her golden retriever puppy Woody, who came to live with the Londoner and her partner in December, posted a video posted a clip showing the pooch running riot around their home, biting furniture, snapping at her heels, and generally making a nuisance of himself.
“A message to anyone feeling like s*** with their new puppy, or anyone who wants one but has been a little bit scared off by the horror stories,” she said. “It does get better.”
Continuing, she said: “For a good few weeks I was fully in the trenches. Every waking moment was biting, hanging off my clothes, barking into my actual soul.
“It felt like I was experiencing all of the cons without any pros. Like, no puppy cuddles or cute little moments, it was all just firefighting, in between, obviously, training and feeding and naps.”
Showing clips of Woody being well-behaved, responding to commands and enjoying cuddles with his owners, Sash continued: “This is actually a positive message to say, after a couple of weeks of this, it feels like we’ve turned a corner. So, the biting definitely happens less.
“He’s doing really well with his training and I’m getting some really lovely time where he’ll just come and cuddle up next to me. He’s chewing his toy rather than my face, which is lovely.
“Obviously, progress isn’t linear and I could be posting this too soon, but it’s made me realise that the warning that things don’t calm down for two years doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be in this bitey, crazy demon mode for that duration. I mean, correct me if I’m wrong, but I think some things improve whilst other challenges pop up.”
She concluded: “The biting is definitely getting better, but our new issue is that he’s really nervous around other dogs. Kind of walking in general, he always tries to run back in the direction of home.
“I think there’s always a hill to climb, but in general things are slowly getting easier, so stay strong out there.”
The puppy blues are a very common phenomenon. As adorable as puppies can be, the reality of having one in your home and everything that comes with it can have an impact on owners’ mental health, according to pet specialists at Rover.
They said: “A recent study found that 45 per cent of new dog parents had negative feelings during puppyhood. This malaise often stems from the overwhelming realisation that a little ball of floof has completely changed your whole world.
“With a bit of time and adjustment, the puppy blues will eventually go away, but while you’re in it, it’s rough.”
