The feeling of being overwhelmed by all the new responsibilities after beginning your puppy home can be scary and draining at the same time.
Do not feel guilty about not being a good puppy parent or making the wrong decision Puppy blues can affect your emotions and mental, physical, and social health.
If you or your loved ones are going through puppy blues, you must read this quick article. We are discussing everything you need to know about puppy blues.
Puppy Blues: Everything You Need to Know
Puppy blues can be extremely challenging for puppy owners. But with knowledge and smart tactics, any puppy parent can overcome the challenges of puppy blues.
Me Jessica Comstock, a passionate dog breeder, have helped many of my peers with their puppy blues experience over the 7 years of my career. Today I offer you everything you may need to know about puppy blues as a puppy parent including 8 easy and simple tips.
What are the puppy blues?
After adopting your little friend you may go through puppy blues. Puppy blues are very similar to the postpartum depression of the mother of a newborn. It is a set of challenges like regret, remorse, anxiety, and depression after adopting a new puppy.
After bringing a new puppy home you may doubt making this decision to adopt the puppy and may feel overwhelmed, unprepared, or feel regret. If you are currently going through puppy blues, do not worry! You are not alone. Many new puppy owners go through puppy blues.
It is not only the new puppy owners who go through this condition, experienced puppy owners can also go through these challenges.
Causes of the Puppy Blues
Puppy Blues can happen for several reasons. Firstly, adopting a puppy can look like a quick and easy decision. But down the line, you may realize you will have to be responsible for another life. A sense of responsibility can easily cause you stress and anxiety.
Secondly, your early experience with your puppy may not be as pleasant as you have expected it to be. Your puppy can act overly energetic, clingy, stubborn, ill-mannered, and resistant. This can make you question your decision to adopt the puppy.
Thirdly, your lovely puppy may disrupt your routine or lifestyle. Your puppy requires your constant attention and love. They may follow you around the house, keep distracting you while working, and wake you up at night time.
Additionally, there is a constant need for supervision. Initially, puppies do not know how to behave indoors and around people. This stress of always being alert about their whereabouts and social isolation of self can cause stress.
Finally, you may experience too many challenges during the training and behavior management process like potty training, crate training, leash training, etc.
This part is not easy for any puppy parent as puppies are like babies and they need to be taught to play out expected behaviors through training and behavior management. While some puppies enjoy the process, some might resist and act stubbornly.
These challenges can make you doubt your ability to be a good enough puppy parent.
Signs & and Symptoms of Puppy Blues
If you are experiencing puppy blues you may go through many emotional, physical, and behavioral challenges, therefore it is important to understand the signs and symptoms of puppy blues.
To check if you or anyone around you have Puppy Blues or not take a look at our list of signs and symptoms of puppy blues.
- While you are thinking about your puppy, you feel overwhelmed, anxious, and depressed.
- You doubt your ability to take care of your puppy or bring them home
- You are not getting enough sleep, and your puppy is somehow affecting your sleeping quality.
- Lack of appetite due to stress and anxiety.
- Muscle tension, headaches, and tiredness.
- Avoidance of social interactions because of your pup.
- Neglecting yourself as you are putting all your energy into spending your time with the puppy.
- Resentment towards spending time or playing with the puppy.
- You are considering giving up the puppy or returning them to the breeder.
If you are facing any 3 of the signs or symptoms, it is most likely you have puppy blues.
How Long Do the Puppy Blues Last?
The duration of puppy blues varies. It can last from a few days to several weeks. It depends on individual circumstances and coping mechanisms. With support and adjustments, feelings of overwhelm typically diminish over time. However, seeking professional help is advisable if symptoms persist or worsen.
8 Easy Tips to Overcome the Puppy Blues
Get over your puppy blues phase by following 8 easy and simple tips and have an everlasting friendship with your little furry friend.
1. Choose the right match for you.
Do your research beforehand. Before adopting a puppy, it is important to explore the set of challenges that come with it. You can research about them from online sources, books, experienced dog owners, breeders, and veterinarians.
All breeds of puppies may not suit your lifestyle. You may regret it later if you have made a more challenging decision. There are over 300 breeds of dogs all over the world. Some may be playful, some are loyal, some are energetic, and some are intelligent.
If you live in a small apartment and have a busy life, having a German Shepherd may not be your best decision. As they need a lot of attention and energy from their owner. Take your time and utilize all the available resources to make this decision.
2. Understand and remember why you adopted the puppy
Considering you have already made the decision and brought your puppy home and experiencing puppy blues, now it’s your time to reflect on your decision-making factors.
Always remember no matter how impulsively you have decided to choose your puppy you must have considered a few factors before actually making the decision.
It can be factors like, they looked cute, they were playful, they looked independent or you felt like you had a connection as soon as you saw them. Reminding yourself of the decision-making factor will help you to be confident and motivated to take up the challenges rather than doubting your decision.
3. Understand your pup’s unique needs
Every puppy has a unique nature and unique needs. While your experience with a Labrador Retriever will be full of energetic moments, your experience with a Shih Tzu will contain a lot more low-energy affectionate memories and grooming time.
The energy level can also vary from one pup to another within the same breed. It is important to observe them in the beginning and accommodate your lifestyle according to their needs while not disrupting your own.
4. Make an effort to bond with your puppy and take care of them
If you are experiencing puppy blues you may be compelled to avoid spending time with your puppy or take care of them. This will cause only more damage to your bond with your puppy, delaying the ultimate relationship development.
Therefore, make an effort to take care of your puppy, spend time with them, watch tutorials, or read blog posts to understand how to deal with day-to-day challenges with your puppy.
Likewise, acknowledge your efforts and give yourself some breathing room.
5. Communicate with your puppy
The biggest challenge of adopting a new puppy is that it is difficult to communicate with them. This may cause you to feel distant or act out unfriendly behavior. Use positive reinforcement to make your puppy follow your command.
Offer them a treat to act on a simple task and, in the compilation of those tasks offer them treats, praises, or playtime. This will help in making your puppy more sociable and strengthen your relationship with the puppy.
6. Start training and behavioural management process
Puppies are like newborn babies. In the beginning, they may not be able to take care of themselves and disturb your lifestyle. To accommodate your puppy in your busy life you need to train them to act out desirable behavior.
You may want to build habits that are most suited for your life. Starting with potty training, regular feeding, crate training, and early socializing you can train your puppy to enjoy their alone time and be independent and empowered. This will also help in the prevention of separation anxiety.
Now your puppy will not disrupt your peace but rather be a great companion.
7. Spend time with other puppy parents
Spending time with other puppy parents gives you exposure to a broader picture. It also aids as a mental support system. Other puppy parents talking about their challenges and how they have overcome them will motivate you to take on the challenges of puppy blues with confidence.
8. Seek help
Take a break if you need it. You can employ dog-sitting services to take care of your puppy while you enjoy socializing with your friends and family. Try talking to veterinarians, dog breeders, and psychologists if needed.
Conclusion
In the process of raising a puppy, it is most important that you make the effort. Questioning your ability and decision will only cause you regret and remorse.
As a result, you are bound to experience puppy blues. Puppy blues is not an unsolvable issue.
You can easily overcome puppy blues with enough motivation and effort. Starting a journey with your little friend can be challenging. But will you give up on your lovely pup, when a little effort could go a long way?
