Puppy Blues: Struggling to bond with your new puppy.

Dear puppy owners… it’s ok if it’s harder than you’d hoped! Let me explain.

“Puppy Blues” is a term that’s starting to be more well known, but what does it mean?

It means that having a puppy is TOUGH and it’s ok if that’s feeling hard right now. When you bring your puppy home for the first time it can feel really exciting as you welcome the next chapter of your life but many owners experience "puppy blues" - they feel that they can't bond with their puppy, they feel tired and it suddenly doesn't feel as exciting as you'd hoped anymore. Let's explore some of the reasons why owning a puppy can feel so difficult and how you can help to make the experience easier on you and your puppy.

Why is puppy ownership so tough?

• Puppies bite a lot when they’re teething and although they don’t mean to hurt you, it does hurt.

• Puppies often don’t sleep through the night so owners end up tired and everything feels harder.

• Puppies make a mess, they need toilet training, they rip things and it can feel like the mess is overwhelming.

All of these factors and more make puppy ownership hard. You see all the cute bits on social media but not often the chaos that owners feel.

How can you feel better?

- Take time away. Go for a walk without the puppy, ask a friend or family member to watch them for a few hours, just give yourself a much needed break!

- Make a routine and stick to it. Puppies thrive on routine and so do many owners, it’ll help to keep you all on track.

- Talk to people. Most owners feel bad for admitting it’s hard, don’t!

- Seek help. Talk to a professional, it’s why we’re there!

To help give your puppy the best start in life and for more expert tips, check out our online Puppy Training program.