Apollo is 12 weeks old yesterday and I picked him up 3 days ago! Wow!
I thought, a brand new puppy just as I’ve always wanted! After I got home, I was thrilled. Then, after sleeping, I woke up and felt like I had made the worst decision in my life. I lost interest in everything, barely ate, and was nervous the entire day almost to the point of crying.
Today I still feel hopeless on and off. It’s better when I’m with friends and sometimes—when I can actually get him to cuddle with me—it gets better! And, reading about other peoples’ stories definitely makes me feel better! I really cant wait to begin enjoying my time with Apollo a lot more and I wont give up easily. If youre going through this, you’re not alone.
Keep going, you’ll do great! It’s a long process but one that’s so clearly worthwhile…I can’t imagine life without my Nemy anymore.
Be sure to give yourself some “you” time (as you mention getting when you’re with friends). A puppy can be in a crate for a few hours without any issues—it’s good for them to have time to rest. By getting into a routine and doing fun things together, you’ll be happy again in no time. A week makes ALL the difference.
Thank you for your kind words and encouragement Wade. Im exhausted haha. But I will hang in there!
Wow, this is exactly how I felt when I got my first dog. It’s crazy how hard the first few weeks were, even after waiting for months on an adoption list with a rescue group. Stick in there, it gets better.
Yes, this is incredibly hard for me 🙁 and I’m still really struggling. Any tips on this? How long did it take to pass for you and how did you know it did? Thanks!
Probably around two weeks—maybe three. The good news is that your puppy becomes better trained every single day (though there will still be the occasional accidents, of course). Eventually, your dog won’t be as dependent on you and you’ll feel like there’s more time to do your own stuff.
Like Wade said, a crate is a really important part of the mix. Your puppy needs to sleep and you need to do other stuff. Then, as soon as you get him out, always take him outside to pee/poop. Routines help a lot.
A week ago today I brought home Apollo, wow. The puppy blues are no longer constant but they do come and go. ESPECIALLY in the mornings. But the other day, I felt a twinge of excitement to go home and play! Small victory! I’m learning his manorisms and tendencies pretty well and that’s helping. I’m still very nervous in the mornings and I’m hoping that goes away soon.
That’s excellent, Tim!
You should still expect a tough day or two ahead (as there will be some when you and your dog are just at odds), but things will likely only continue to get better in the days and weeks ahead. Just imagine the anxiety and depression halving every week from here on out, and being replaced by happiness and bonding!
Tim – I picked up my 11week old BC pup on the 21st, and it wasn’t a coincidence that I came across this site. This whole puppy parenting experience is dredging up similar emotions and struggles to the post-partum period after my kids were born. It’s made a difference reading/hearing about others going through the same thing 🙂
Hi Jaye! Congrats on the new puppy! My issues with puppy depression are slowly fading still and I’m 1.7 weeks in. Once I started figuring out a schedule things got better. I was worried about where I’d take him, how to train, being fair to him, midnight pee breaks, etc. It’s hard to deal with! I still have little issues of nervousness and hopelessness but the first week was the hardest. Now he’s my little boy! And things are only improving. When you’re going through it, reading these pages really helped me! Reading the symptoms and solutions just to know it’s all normal! Keep at it and post here often! Share your story if you want to help others!!
Ok so I’m 2 weeks in. I thought the symptoms had subsided but it seems I’ve had a relapse after a long weekend. He spilled my dinner all over the floor yesterday and I got really mad at him. Don’t worry, I don’t hit and I try really hard not to raise my voice but it leaks out sometimes. I’m getting tired of constantly having to worry about his welfare (should he eat that stick? What if a dog peed on that?? Is he sick or is this normal?). It’s wearing me out. I just want to be at the companion phase… I’m hoping the adjustment takes place soon.
I saw a few setbacks too—for instance, accidents after I thought we were past that stage. But, that’s normal.
It’s good that you’re worried about the dog’s welfare so much, but remember that you can’t protect against everything (and wouldn’t want to be responsible for that sort of responsibility anyway). Dogs are dogs, and they’re going to get into stuff. Do your best, and you’ll be fine.
You’ll begin to have more positive days than negative ones. Apollo will continue to train and grow up, and you’ll figure out what your role is supposed to be. A lot of this anxiety is because you’re still a new dog owner—just ask any parent and they’ll tell you they feel/felt the same about kids when they first had them!
Just keep trusting the process and setting routines. Training will likely be another month or two, but it definitely pays off. Nice to have someone excited to see you when you get home, right?
Hey Everyone! I wanted to check in to add closure to my thread here. Ive had apollo for 5 months now, and Im happy to report that everything is great. Hes a smart little guy and I love him to bits. It can be a bit inconvenient to have to leave him alone during my busy days, but hes just fine when I get home. We havent had an accident in the house in a while and he does cause too much trouble hahaha. Im very grateful for all your support and Im happy to be on the other side of that hellish wall. Take care everyone!!
Hey Tim,
I just want to thank you for doing check-ins throughout your process with your puppy. It was really nice to read where you were when you first got him and where you are now 5 months later! It’s really inspiring since I’m more towards the beginning with my puppy. The struggle is real haha. Anyway, it’s great to know it gets better : )
Your stories are encouraging me so much! I’m really glad I’m not alone because often times I feel that way. I got my 3 month old puppy 3 days ago. He is so adorable but sometimes really naughty. He growls when I try to take away a something he is biting. I’m googling all training tips but I’m just struggling to train him. I’m thinking of enrolling him to a puppy training program. Do you guys have any advice for me? I definitely feel really anxious being alone with him and having to work from home and watching him at the same time overwhelms me. Nights and weekends when my husband is alone are much better.
Angela —
I work from home as well. I get so nervous and have anxiety in general about taking or making calls when my puppy is awake. He is 10 weeks old and doesn’t seem happy unless he is gnawing on my hand or fingers. He even leaps at my face !!!! It is just he and I so we get up at least 2 times each night and then wants to stay up !! He is not interested in the Nala or any other teething toy/bone that I have purchased. I tried the little greenies that look like toothbrushes and he swallowed it whole!!!! Talk about nightmare!! All my friends want to see pictures, but I just want them to take him away so i can sleep. I’m going through the resentment and anger but these just bring on enormous bouts of guilt. I feel like going to a psychologist and asking for a RX.
Oh my god. I’m experiencing this too right now. My 13 year old dog recently died and so I thought by getting a new puppy (of the same breed!) it would make things easier. But NOPE!
First, it makes me very very nostalgic and sad. Second, I didn’t know there was such a thing as PUPPY BLUES! I had no idea I wasn’t alone, and these stories help me a lot. Right now my puppy is sleeping on the floor next to me and she came to our home 6 days ago, and I’m already feeling this depression eating me alive!
Also, sometimes she gets all aggressive toward me – biting, scratching and barking loudly. I don’t know why, it’s just so spooky. Sometimes I feel like I’ll have a violent dog but others say it’s normal puppy behavior.
Our recent addition (a beautiful, crazy, fun, slightly aggressive German Shepherd puppy) showed a few signs of aggression, especially towards my wife. We found that during those times, our puppy was really stressed out, tired, bored, and needed some outlet. We take her in the back yard and run her, give her loads of treats, which seems to work. Also, we enrolled in a fantastic positive reinforcement only obedience class. We’ve only been once, but the advice and tips have already made a difference.
We are three and a half weeks in with our golden doodle puppy (she is twelve weeks). She is precious and has slept through the night every night. My problem is how things are going with our resident dog. He is a doodle rescue and very shy. He is also very bonded to me (not my husband) so he follows me everywhere. This makes it very hard to train the new puppy without isolating the first dog. And it makes me feel really guilty. The older dog is also having a hard time adjusting to the bouncy new puppy. Has anyone dealt with bringing a new puppy home with an older dog? Have any advice? I really worry if things will work things out and if we have made a huge mistake. There has been some snapping and growling when the pup jumps on the older dog.
Thanks Tim for coming back on the thread. I am suffering now at the moment but i am going to give it 6 months minimum after reading your story.
Thank you so much everyone for sharing their stories. we got 8 weeks old puppy 3 days ago, and yesterday it hit me really hard, I started crying, I couldn’t eat, I was not sure if we made a mistake and puppy should go back to shelter. After reading all the stories, I feel much better, I’m not the only one. My 16 yo daughter is supporting me, puppy was her idea and I agreed to get a puppy, but just after 2 days got so scared, never thought anything like that could happen to me. This site, reading stories and suggestions made me feel much better. I’m now looking at positives not negatives. thank you
I had no idea puppy depression was a thing until today. We rescued our 2 year old Australian shepherd 3 days ago and I regretted it almost immediately. I feel a loss of freedom, of time, I haven’t slept properly. But she is the sweetest thing you’ll ever meet. She’ll follow me into the kitchen while I’m cooking and fall asleep on the floor behind me. Yet I feel almost no connection to her and I keep hoping I will. She’s definitely my fiance’s dog, not so much mine, or at least that’s how I feel. After reading these stories, I have a bit more hope that things will get better. She’s already made improvements in behavior and bathroom issues in just 3 days. I know we did a good thing adopting her, but I feel like I miss my life before I had this huge responsibility. Tim, your story gives me hope, as do everyone else’s stories on here. It’s good to know I’m not alone. Best of luck to you all! 🙂