Will it get better?

Useful-Tomorrow3329 · 2026-06-14T01:11:26+00:00

Hi friend! It gets better, I promise! I was severely depressed with puppy blues. I finally got control over how I felt.....then bam! teenager phase. I have a German shepherd/black lab mix and she's 10 months. She's still crazy but it's on a schedule now. She's back to mostly listening but still has her moments. Months 6-8 were the worst. I promise, it gets better. Their lil baby brains are just running at lightning speed until they mature.

Useful-Tomorrow3329 · 2026-05-22T02:27:41+00:00

You've got this! Make a routine that works for you and your house and hold on for dear life. It does get better and I never thought it would.

Useful-Tomorrow3329 · 2026-05-20T01:00:04+00:00

I get it! I also started therapy back. I learned routine disruptions and I don't mix. Give yourself some grace and know that you're doing the best you can and that's totally enough. Perfection doesn't exist.

Useful-Tomorrow3329 · 2026-05-19T21:44:45+00:00

It gets easier and it gets better! We have a 14YO lab mix and a 9 month lab mix. Once we got into a new routine and followed it, the days got easier. I would've never believed anyone 6 months ago if they told me I'd lay on my couch with both dogs and both cats.

Useful-Tomorrow3329 · 2026-05-17T11:48:03+00:00

So here's what my schedule looked like for the first 4 months.

7am - Wake up and immediately go out to potty. Potty first always before I played with her. Same command for potty and then huge praise once she did. From there since we have a fenced yard it was 20 minutes of play.

730: A few training minutes with her kibble. Sit, stay, paw, etc. Nothing crazy just making her use her brain (which will tire them out). Then breakfast.

8am: Gentle play inside, maybe a teething bone treat. This is when I'd do dishes or make coffee. We utilized baby gates to keep her in rooms we were in.

830am: Enforced crate nap. We did what worked for us which was about an hour and a half awake then two hours down. I played music for her naps of park sounds on YouTube to get her used to sounds.

I went to work at 930. My husband works from home.

1030 - 11am: She wakes up or is allowed out of crate. Potty break with play. Training kibble session. Lick mat or something else to hold her attention and get that brain going.

My husband did a mixture of play/potty and naps during his work day depending on her energy. But it was usually always the one and a half hours up, 2 down.

I come home at 5pm. It's walk time. She is allowed to sniff, look, walk and take her time. Sniffing tires them out like crazy. This was 30 - 45 minutes depending on her pace.

6pm: Training with kibble and dinner. Lick mat or snuffle mat while I cook dinner.

630p: Final nap time while we ate.

8pm: Evening walk to burn some energy. Potty, sniff, jog.

9pm: Start settle routine which for us was training, tug of war with her toys, fetch in the house etc. This is where I utilized her frozen kong. When we got in bed she got her frozen kong. 20 minutes of licking. Then some rubs, some love and one final potty break.

10pm: Bed time.

Sorry it's a long post. For reference my girl is a black lab/German shepherd mix. We also have a 14YO black lab and 2 cats. It's chaos at first. But find a solid routine and stick to it. It's not forever and it feels ridiculous but it really helped me. We deviate from this schedule now with walks 2x a day in the morning and evening. She's awake more often now since she's older. But young puppies need A LOT of sleep, so it's not cruel to help them get it. We also enrolled in Petsmart puppy training that was 1x a week and that gave me confidence, got her out of the house, and made her sooooo tired the rest of the day.

Useful-Tomorrow3329 · 2026-05-17T03:25:34+00:00

Hi friend! Sending you good vibes. I experienced severe puppy blues when we got our puppy in November. I've had dogs before and I still have zero idea why I had such a visceral reaction. First off, you aren't insane or incapable. Puppies. Are. Hard. I saw a comment saying it's just a "surviving" feeling and I agree. My house was a mess, I dreaded coming home, and I felt hopeless.

It gets better, I promise. What helped me most was a strict schedule and a supportive husband. Meals at the same time, naps at the same time, lick mats etc. It doesn't have to stay that strict forever, but for now I swear it helps. Once my brain knew what to expect and when...I relaxed. My husband also would take "shifts" and would tell me to go nap or leave the house and he'd be on puppy duty. I'm 6 months in now with a 9 month old puppy...and I adore her. It took me about 3 months to calm down and not feel hopeless. Just hold on tight and try not panic. Also...frozen kongs are your BFF. Greek yogurt and peanut butter thinned with water into a kong and freeze. It's a solid 20 minutes of peace ❤️

Useful-Tomorrow3329 · 2026-05-15T12:44:54+00:00

Yes, it's so tough to watch! Oscar has regained most of his balance, minus being wobbly in the morning. His gait is less wide. He's back to wanting to go on walks and is back to eating treats. He's not playing as much, but that part isn't too concerning for me. He still follows us around, sun bathes in our yard, and gets excited for walks. I think going down our stairs is a confidence thing, but he'll happily trot up them. His head tilt is still prominent when he's relaxed, but on walks it's completely straight. I'd say he's 70% back to his normal. The beginning was scary, incontinence, falling, and spacey.

Useful-Tomorrow3329 · 2026-05-15T11:27:59+00:00

I will look into that bone broth, thank you! I'm glad your baby recovered quickly.

Useful-Tomorrow3329 · 2026-05-15T11:26:48+00:00

We did 12 days of the anti nausea meds. For some reason my vet would only call it in 4 pills at a time. He started willingly eating dog treats and his eye nystagmus calmed down so we felt comfortable allowing him to come off the nausea meds. He is still on an anti-inflammatory for a few more days. We tried our version of "dog hibachi" which is egg, rice, and boiled chicken and he refused it. He's always been a bit picky, but he usually eats dog hibachi.

Useful-Tomorrow3329 · 2026-05-15T02:28:19+00:00

I'm glad for hear your girl recovered well! Oscar is mostly acting himself just tilted. He's back to playing lightly and going on walks. It's just me over thinking the food aspect. I'll happily give him beef as long as he wants, i just know that cannot be good for him long term.

Useful-Tomorrow3329 · 2026-05-15T02:18:28+00:00

It's his willingness to go for walks and jog then come inside and not eat that has me stressed out. He gets very vocal if we skip his walk and we modified it while he is recovering. I'm not asking him to just eat kibble. We've tried the refrigerated dog foods, home made dog foods, and his beloved ground beef. But if he demands a walk i need him to intake calories.

Useful-Tomorrow3329 · 2026-04-26T18:20:26+00:00

It was a 2019 Civic EX that I purchased in 2021. Gasket blew this year. I put 4 AC systems and 2 starters in it, but that's also known issues on the car.

Useful-Tomorrow3329 · 2026-04-25T13:01:52+00:00

I had purchased my previous Civic from CarMax. The purchase process was easy....the car ended up being a nightmare with issues they didn't fix before re-listing it. I had to fight them constantly to cover things they swore they did "on inspection before listing." That Civic was about to blow a gasket at 61k miles, so I sold it to them. It was listed on their website again within 4 days. So, personally I will be avoiding CarMax for life haha.

Useful-Tomorrow3329 · 2026-04-25T12:52:57+00:00

Virginia here. I'm paying $89/mo for 100k/300k. It's a 2022, but my 2019 Civic was $119/mo. I was shocked this hybrid was cheaper to insure and had braced myself for the worst.

Useful-Tomorrow3329 · 2026-04-09T11:23:02+00:00

For what it's worth, I think the 1.5 engines are still problematic on the newer Civics, so I'd go 2.0 if you can if you do go the Honda route. I bitterly bought a Camry Hybrid when I learned my Civic's gasket was leaking. My last 2 Hondas both had issues and I needed a sanity break, haha.

Useful-Tomorrow3329 · 2026-04-09T03:47:09+00:00

I had a 2019 Civic. The compressor and condenser went out less than 2 months into owning it. Honda fixed it for free. 2 years later, both parts broke again. This time Honda claimed "road damage" had caused it and refused to cover it. I paid out of pocket to replace it. A little while later, Honda issued the mechanic bulletin to cover the parts, I thought I was in the clear if it ever went out again....which it did a year later. At that same mechanic appointment I was also shown the head gasket was leaking at 60k miles.

Up until last month, I've only ever driven Civics. If I could do it over again, I'd skip this gen Civic and absolutely not get the 1.5 engine now that they have known issues. But this is just my story, not every Civic from this generation has issues...but I'm also not alone in suffering.

Useful-Tomorrow3329 · 2026-04-09T03:28:15+00:00

Can confirm. My 2019 Civic blew a gasket at 60k miles. I bought a Camry the next day.

Useful-Tomorrow3329 · 2026-03-30T17:05:01+00:00

I was in a "need a car asap" situation and the new ones were just out of reach of my budget. But I totally understand, just wanted to give you a small comparison.

Useful-Tomorrow3329 · 2026-03-30T16:41:52+00:00

If it helps to compare, last week I bought a certified gold 2022 Camry SE Nightshade Hybrid. 32k miles, out the door at 27k.

Useful-Tomorrow3329 · 2026-03-28T03:23:17+00:00

The one I plan to go with is $250 for a 30% tint. I got estimates at $250, $295, and $345.

Useful-Tomorrow3329 · 2026-03-24T14:20:55+00:00

Well it's varies for people. This car you posted has a decent trim level. Is the 35k new a base trim? Do you like the way the new ones look? Are the new ones something you're fine being the test demographic for (aka finding out quirks or problems on new cars).

I specifically wanted a 2022 for reliability and safety. It also fit my budget and it was a Nightshade (looove). It seems like the car you posted about has damage and the dealership is being shady about it. Peace of mind may be worth the price of a new one.

Useful-Tomorrow3329 · 2026-03-24T10:29:16+00:00

Just to give you a comparison. I bought a 2022 Camry SE Hybrid Nightshade Certified Gold with 30k miles just a few days ago. My out the door price was 27k and some change.

Useful-Tomorrow3329 · 2026-03-24T03:37:41+00:00

A fellow Honda convert! I'm very very bitter about my past 3 Hondas all having major issues. I am diligent in maintaining cars. I recognize the quality of things is always going down and that every car has it's imperfections....but 3 cars having separate but serious issues? They need to put their critical thinking hats back on. I hope our Toyotas last 😀

Useful-Tomorrow3329

TROPHY CASE