I often hear, “I wish I had a puppy!”
Everyone loves puppies, at least everyone I know. However, I don’t believe everyone knows how much responsibility and work they really are.
Let me share with you my first month with my new puppy, Paris.
While on the drive to pick her up I was more nervous than excited. This is a big change and huge responsibility. There was no turning back!
Upon arrival my fears and worries were squashed. Harmony (aka Paris) was the first puppy to great me and it’s like she already knew that she was mine!
Best feeling ever!
Now as the day turned into night, I knew that she wouldn’t be sleeping very much. What I didn’t know was how little sleep I would be getting.
For the first week, I was awake with her almost every 2-4 hours. Oh and did I mention I was crate training so the poor little girl would just cry and cry if she couldn’t see me. To solve that issue I pretty much slept on the floor with her in her crate and me on a blanket.
Finally I was able to actually sleep in my bed after over a week of being on the floor while she settled down. Still though we were awake at 12, 2, 4, and 6 almost every night.
It’s like I picked up a newborn baby!
Eventually we got to know each other pretty well. I discovered her fear of the TV pretty quickly! We had to fix that one which meant many cuddle nights as we hid from the moving pictures.
Paris met a ton of people her first two weeks! I don’t think my friends quite understood the lack of sleep I was having which made having people over, let’s just say difficult at times. Especially when you have a possessive personality. However, she did really well with meeting new people all the time, classic puppy socialization.
One of my favourite things about her is that her love of cars is just as strong as mine! She actually learnt how to climb down the stairs because I was loading the car and she wasn’t inside it yet.
So we took our adventures to the road! She traveled with me many times and each time this was her position. Peacefully sleeping.
One of the best things about having a puppy is seeing their joy over such little things. Snow, a new toy, seeing their favourite people, it just makes your heart burst!
Oh and I also happened to turn my little Paris into a model!
There are many joys and challenges that a puppy can bring. Now, aside from the learning curve of adjusting to life with a fur baby, there are a few things people don’t tell you about when getting a puppy!
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You talk a lot about pee and pooh!
Especially when potty training, you get so proud that your new puppy went outside you just often share those little details without thinking.
Or like when she sh*ts herself because she is so scared of the vacuum, sometimes you just can’t help but share the laughter.
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You get stuck at home
This was a tough one for me. I love to adventure and travel but that’s really hard to do when you have a puppy at home who needs to be let out at least every 3 hours! Oh and it’s extremely hard to take them places as not many stores allow pets, plus you have to wait until they have all their shots…the struggle.
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The lack of sleep!
It took me a few weeks to get her to sleep through the night. I am lucky that I am often home so she will be awake all day and often sleep 12 hours during the night! But wow be prepared to lose a lot of sleep.
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The cost
I knew dogs were expensive and then of course I decide I want one of the most expensive breeds! Do the research and make sure you find one that works for you and your price range
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The new people you will meet
I have met so many neighbours who live around me and I have to giggle every time because they will know my dogs name but not mine. It’s like you’re invisible once they see that little fur ball.
Even through the frustration, trust me you are never short of this, a puppy is a gift that should never be taken for granted. Give them you’re attention and they will shower you in love.
