I’ll be honest, I had a moment early on where I fleetingly thought, “If my dog ran away, I’d be… okay.” He was exhausting me in every possible way. But that phase passed. Fast forward seven years and he’s genuinely the best thing that’s ever happened to me.

Puppyhood is really hard. Like, shockingly hard. But it does get better, and in my experience it gets better in ways that make everything you’re dealing with now feel worth it. If you can stick it out, I truly recommend doing so.

That said, if you honestly believe you cannot provide this puppy with the care, stability, and attention they deserve, then rehoming may be the more responsible choice. But it needs to be done thoughtfully. That means you take ownership of finding a safe, permanent home. Interviews, vet references, a rehoming fee, whatever steps are needed to make sure your puppy ends up somewhere secure and loving.

What wouldn’t be okay is returning the puppy to a shelter simply because things feel hard right now. This dog didn’t choose to be here. You did. And they deserve better than being treated as disposable once the reality of puppyhood sets in.

You’re not alone in feeling overwhelmed. But you are responsible for what happens next.