I knew I eventually wanted a dog. In the far, far future. But out of nowhere I ended up with a white pomsky puppy on my hands. And I read a bunch of books and articles, and watched every video I could find about training and taking care of a puppy. But nothing can really prepare you for the REAL DEAL.
Here are 10 things I've learned after having my puppy for 6 months.
1. The importance of crate training.
I've heard both sides of the spectrum when it comes to this, but from my personal experience this is the #1 thing to start working on the moment your puppy arrives at your home. I'm not going to get into all the details about it since there's plenty of great articles/videos online that show you how to do this. But basically your puppy has been taken from its home of 8 weeks+ and unless you happen to work from home/never leave your house, you're going to have to leave your puppy in a crate. Get it to love it.
2. How clingy they are.
Which brings me to my next topic...they are going to follow you everywhere and scream bloody murder if you try to leave them alone. Of course this is going to vary from puppy to puppy, but in general they are not going to be happy by themselves. I couldn't even leave the room for a few seconds without my pup whining, crying, scratching, etc. Compared to that it is so much better now. Yes I'll still have a puppy trailing my tail around the house, but with a yummy treat to work on he'll stay quiet when I leave the house for even 4 hours.
3. Puppy depression is a real thing.
And I'm not talking about the puppy being depressed. YOU. After experiencing the puppy blues myself, you realize how common it is. It was way worse for me since I spent the most time with him, did all the training, most of the cleaning, etc. There were times where I literally wanted to return him since I was so stressed/sobbing on the ground while my pup would be obliviously jumping on me. And this wasn't just a few moments here and there. I'm not exaggerating when I said I felt like taking him back to the breeder. This lasted for MONTHS.
4. Sometimes TIME is the only answer.
During my puppy blues, reading reddit (puppy101 shout out!) helped me so so much. The real life advice is great and even just to know there are other people who are going through the same thing/have went through it helps a lot. While there's many things you can do to make the transition with living with a puppy easier, in the end some things will only get better with time. This wasn't the answer I wanted to hear after having my puppy for a few weeks, but it is so true. The separation anxiety just takes time. The impulse control just takes time. The potty training just takes time. Luckily dogs grow up so much faster than humans. It'll seem so slow and unnoticeable, but by 6 months I've come to appreciate just how much my puppy has "matured."
5. All the stuffs you wanna buy for them.
It took a while before I could leave any kind of store without buying something for my puppy. He has so many toys it's ridiculous. He has a bunch of different types of treats and chews as well too. It's that fascination of seeing him interact with something new that never gets old! Even giving him a carrot/celery for the first time was amazing.
6. How much more active they'll make you.
Especially if you weren't that active of a person to begin with. That is me. I was surprised to learn that I haven't gained back all my weight pre-keto diet since I'm back to eating carbs pretty much whenever I want. And while it's too hot to be outside 99% of the time right now in Arizona, I spend so much time playing with my puppy I've actually lost weight (not a lot, but still). He loves to play chase so we do that all the time. Plus the walks (when it was cooler) outside do you both good.
7. The amount of sleep they need.
On the other hand, puppies actually need about 18-20 hours of sleep a day. Just think of them as toddlers. They aren't going to want to nap half the time, but they do need it. They'll be active/playing for 45 minutes to an hour, then it's nap time for 2-3 hours. While some people do like to let their puppy determine this, I like to enforce them. Meaning (back to point 1) crate time. Even nowadays, my pup sleeps better in his crate than outside it. This way he won't be tempted to get up and follow me around even if I'm just going to grab something from the other room. And it helps when they themselves are getting overtired, which can equal being bratty (biting, jumping, barking, etc).
8. How quickly they grow.
It wasn't till I realized how much my wrist was aching when I had to carry my puppy (even for a few minutes) that he's HEAVY now. Each time we went to the vet in the beginning he was staying at a measly 5.7 pounds. It's crazy to think that now he's about 16 pounds! And he's lost his baby fat and gotten really lean. Now when he runs into me with his toy it actually hurts...
9. How quickly you'll get over the icky stuff.
Dogs get dirty. Puppies are even dirtier. No one likes cleaning up pee and poop, but after a while it won't even faze you. I will literally wipe my puppy's butt after he's done his business without even batting an eye. I will open his mouth and put my fingers in there if I (absolutely) have to grab something that he shouldn't have gotten a hold of. I (sometimes) let him give me kisses/licks on the chin. I've even let him sleep in my bed a few times even though I vowed I would never let my dog get into bed with me.
10. How much you'll end up loving them.
Probably not as surprising for people who already naturally love dogs, but I am obsessed with my dog. I've become one of those people. All I do is take photos of my puppy. I'm one of those people who have an instagram account for him (the only reason I even go on IG any more to be honest). I miss him even when I go out for a couple hours. Basically nothing beats a puppy's love for their human! (Shameless promotion down below. Follow him for cute photos that I post every day).
