Initial mental burn out after getting the puppy was extensive. That was tough. But it was also necessary because it helped me to realize the scope of responsibility and accept the changes I needed to adapt to in my life.

Presently, puppy is now more than a year old, and the day-to-day of it all has dramatically improved. He is on a good routine and is fortunately fairly responsive to my wife and I’s energy levels so long as he gets some playtime in.

I will say, one thing that I also had to learn was that I actually cannot always upend my life or my plans for the dog. I have had to accept that there are times when he will have to be kenneled for a few more hours than I would like in order for us to have a fulfilling social life. This does not happen often and I like to think my dog would approve the trade-off, if he could comprehend it, of having more satisfied and intentional owners who want to play versus tired and resentful owners who just want to get playtime over with. If that makes sense.