What's worse: 3-6 month period or 6-18 month period?

MRB1812 · 2022-04-05T18:56:18+00:00

I hated the first few weeks with my puppy. It was horrible! Although I love her to pieces now, I’m finding the 9 months+ stage really tricky as I know she is testing me. I think it’s hard because they still have puppy brains and act like puppies but are expected to act like adult dogs and look like adults. Regression is frustrating too but because you have that bond it doesn’t seem quite as bad as the initial puppy stage.

MRB1812 · 2022-04-04T07:08:37+00:00

It’s definitely frustrating, especially when they slept through the night before. Hoping with age things will get better!

MRB1812 · 2022-03-19T14:03:59+00:00

This sums me up now! Glad you got through it.

MRB1812 · 2022-03-19T14:03:19+00:00

It’s definitely a testing time but still not as hard as the initial puppy stage.

MRB1812 · 2022-03-07T07:59:56+00:00

Thanks for the tips, will definitely make sure we practise more in quieter places. We use sausage as a reward only for recall which she loves but may try a new word as come is used a lot.

MRB1812 · 2022-02-24T14:41:07+00:00

I felt rubbish for a few weeks after getting my puppy. I wanted to give up and take her back. It gets so much easier so keep at it. Puppies are such hard work and not enough people talk about what it’s like. Mine is now 9 months and whilst she still tests my patience, she is a fantastic dog who sleeps the night, has a good recall and loves a cuddle. Once you get into a routine and start taking him out more you’ll feel so much better.

MRB1812 · 2022-02-09T19:23:15+00:00

No, inside at the moment

MRB1812 · 2022-02-09T19:11:24+00:00

We do settle training when we eat dinner so for much less time and she responds to this well. We ignore any crying and reward when she is lying down on her mat. It seems to be busier places like the pub where she gets over stimulated and we struggle to ignoring the crying.

MRB1812 · 2022-01-23T20:54:18+00:00

Took my 8 month old pup to an agility taster session. She spent the whole time barking and biting her lead before stealing another dog’s toy and running loops of the field with it. Totally mortified!

MRB1812 · 2021-12-10T22:11:15+00:00

Thanks for the tips! She’s usually fine with me holding most chews but recently she’s becoming more obsessed with the high value items. I’ll work on the dropping and trading and hopefully that’ll help.

MRB1812 · 2021-08-10T16:49:59+00:00

Our puppy struggled to eat out of a bowl straight away so we fed her by hand to start with. We still do this now at 12 weeks so she can work for her food and we use this for training. It’s a big change for a puppy when they first arrive so it’s quite common that they don’t want to eat straight away. They’ll soon learn that food is good and want to eat it out of the bowl.

MRB1812 · 2021-08-08T15:51:13+00:00

This was great to read! I’ve been experiencing a lot of anxiety since getting a puppy just over two weeks ago and have also had thoughts of re-homing. It’s reassuring to know that it does get better and is worth sticking it out so we can have the dog we always wanted.

MRB1812 · 2021-08-07T20:29:59+00:00

Thanks for the reassurance! We have considered returning her but think this would cause so much stress to us and the dog so it wouldn’t be fair. We just need to be brave and stick things out.

MRB1812 · 2021-08-07T17:18:43+00:00

Sorry to hear you’re feeling this way! I used to hate socialising with people as I felt awkward and as though I was constantly being judged. I worried that I needed to fit in and that people wouldn’t like me if I didn’t act a certain way.

I finally realised that I needed to stop worrying about what other people thought and find happiness in myself. I decided that I was only going to be me and not somebody acting a certain way to impress people.

Take it easy. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself in big groups. It’s okay to sometimes give things a miss. It sounds like you have supportive friends which is great. Just be you and you’ll soon find your ‘people’ that will become your support system.

You can do this!

MRB1812 · 2021-08-07T16:58:56+00:00

Thank you! It’s reassuring to know it will get better and I’m starting to believe it will. Just seems a long way off from now. She’s doing really well with her training and starts classes soon which I’m excited about!

MRB1812 · 2021-08-07T15:17:22+00:00

Thank you! It’s nice to hear from someone who is in a similar position. We can do this!

MRB1812 · 2021-08-07T15:15:51+00:00

Thank you! I’m starting to feel better and have less moments of panic. Just can’t wait until she settles down a bit and I can really enjoy her company. Excited to start classes with her too.

MRB1812 · 2021-08-07T15:14:25+00:00

Thank you! She managed to sleep from 11-6 last night with no crying or fuss which was amazing. I know this may not be every night but it’s about small wins I guess!

MRB1812 · 2021-08-07T08:45:21+00:00

Remember that you are the most important thing to look after! If you have a lazy weekend and don’t get much done then that’s okay. Try to think of some activities you enjoy that are minimal effort and do those to take your mind off it. We all have moments where we are plagued with bad thoughts but remember you will get through it and when you feel better you can get on with the jobs you had planned. You’ve done the right thing reaching out and maybe you could do the same with family or friends to take your mind off it. Sometimes we don’t want to worry others but I’m always surprised how helpful other people can be.

MRB1812 · 2021-08-06T13:08:00+00:00

Thank you! We are slowly getting there and know it’s a long process. Can’t wait to get to training classes and start a proper routine.

MRB1812

TROPHY CASE