I’ve grown up having dogs, and when I moved last year all I wanted was a dog of my own. Finally, my boyfriend gave in and—last Saturday—we picked up our beautiful Lola (a Yorkshire Terrier mix)!
She’s absolutely amazing, which makes me even more shocked I’m feeling this way. Yes, she cries when we go to bed, but not for long. And, she wees on the carpet and chews everything (including me—I have the war wounds to prove it!!!). But, I can understand everything, since she’s just a puppy…only three-and-a-half months old.
I just have this overwhelming, negative feeling, and I’m not sure I can even find the words to explain it coherently. I hate that my parents’ dogs are no longer ‘mine’ and that Lola now needs to be priority. I HATE it when she cries, I feel like I’m completely failing as a puppy mum. My boyfriend tries to comfort me when I get upset, but the look in his face when one of us is clearing up another wee, or throwing away another of one of our possessions that she’s managed to destroy around says it all. We love her, too much to even explain, but I just feel that we are never going to get to the other side. I know this is silly, because even the thought of her losing her puppy face and growing up is almost as upsetting. I just want to do the very best by her and the saying that “a dog is in your life for only a short period, but for your dog, you are their whole life,” makes the idea of doing wrong by her all the worse. I go back to work on Monday, and although we have started training her on being alone (I will be checking on her every few hours), I just hate the thought of her crying herself to sleep. We have tried crate training but, again, the sound of her hysterically crying made that lesson a short one.
I can’t/won’t give her back because I love her too much already and I feel like I need her as much as she needs me. I just need to know that the feelings I have are normal, I suppose, and to hear any advice this community might have for me. Thank you in advance!
Wow, it’s awesome that you’ve already bonded so much with your puppy, and that you obviously care so much about it. Kudos!
You should know that, like babies, crying is just a part of what puppies do. The same goes for accidents, and chewing. None of these things are abnormal, nor are they indicative of you “failing” in some way—it’s a healthy part of development!
That said, there are lots of things that can help…
1) Crate training (yes, the puppy will cry, but it’s very important that they’re safe when you go to work or elsewhere! Better to have the puppy unhappy then destroying your home or eating something that can hurt them when they’re not being watched)
2) Chew toys. Anytime your puppy takes something it shouldn’t, offer a “trade” for the chew toy. Eventually, they’ll learn what they’re supposed to bite and what they’re not. Having something flavored (like the nylabones in the “Tools to help” section of the site) makes it a positive exchange.
3) Frequent bathroom breaks! You’ll get better and better at knowing when your pup needs to pee, but a few times worth trying are after they wake up, after they play, and about 10-15 minutes after they drink a lot. While taking them out, be sure to reward and praise for peeing outside as well!
Anyway, just a few ideas…!
Hi folks! I’m in the same boat… I’m in an apartment building in NYC with paper thin walls, and if I have a third night of crying/barking (she’s beginning to bark loudly now), I’m sure my neighbors are going to make formal complaints. I have been crating my 4mo old morkie during the day for the last few days (I’ve only had her 5 nights so far), but today she gave me resistance and was barking after I locked the door. I left to work, hoping that since it was 1pm, I wasn’t causing too much of a disturbance in the building, and this may be the perfect time to train her, but I can’t be sure. I can do without night time crating if she can deal with the daytime… any thoughts? Advice? Words of encouragement? I’m beside myself, and beginning to regret rescuing already, although I feel so horrible even talking about her like this because she really has been nothing but sweet to me otherwise. Help!