What Are The Puppy Blues?

If you’ve recently welcomed a furry friend into your life, you understand how difficult this transition can be. After all, puppies require practically constant supervision during their first few months of life making them a real handful, especially for first-time owners. 

The good news is that you’re not alone. In fact, many pooch parents deal with feelings of sadness or overwhelming responsibility upon bringing home a puppy. This state, sometimes coined “the puppy blues” can be difficult to work through, but certainly not impossible. Below, we’ll go over what the puppy blues are, what they stem from, and most importantly, how you can work through them with your canine companion. 

What Are The Puppy Blues? 

The puppy blues are sometimes referred to as post-partum puppy depression. While this isn’t an official term or medical classification, many pup owners can experience overwhelming feelings of sadness and/or stress after bringing home a puppy. 

What Causes Puppy Blues?

The puppy blues can be caused by a number of factors. Just remember that these feelings are totally normal and don’t signify that you dislike or don’t value your furry friend. Here are some reasons why you might have a difficult transition into puppy parenthood:

Abrupt Change In Schedule: Bringing home a furry friend causes an abrupt lifestyle change that can be impossible to fully prepare for until you’ve brought home your new puppy. This can undoubtedly be overwhelming. 

Sleep Deprivation: Introducing a puppy into your life means that you’re going to get a lot less sleep unfortunately. Sleep is incredibly important for regulating mood and keeping us feeling our best, so it makes sense that ushering in a furry friend can cause you to feel a little bit off. 

Anticipation: The process of getting a puppy can be exciting, but also drawn out. You’ve likely dreamed about getting your puppy for months, but you most likely weren’t fantasizing about all of the training and potty clean up that comes with bringing home a dog. It’s a lot to take in, especially when you had preexisting expectations that may not line up right away

How Do You Cope With The Puppy Blues? 

Getting a new dog is an adjustment for anyone, especially if you’re bringing home a young, inexperienced puppy. Luckily, there are a couple of ways you can make this transition more smooth and alleviate some of the challenges associated with the puppy blues. 

Have Patience With Yourself

One of the best things you can do for you and your pooch is to have patience with yourself. Taking care of a puppy is hard work for anyone, even if you’re highly experienced with dogs. There will be accidents, mishaps, and probably some furniture casualties. Take it easy on yourself and ask for help where you can.  

Don’t Take It Out On Your Puppy 

While puppies can be incredibly frustrating at times, it’s unfair for owners to take out their anger or exasperation on their dogs. After all, our puppies were just recently brought into the world, so it will understandably take some time for them to figure out the difference between acceptable and unacceptable behavior. 

Don’t forget that with the help of consistent training, patience, and diligent supervision, your puppy will likely grow out of their current restless state within a year or so. At the very least, your puppy can learn to seek out direction from you during this time making daily life more manageable for you and your furry friend. Take comfort in the fact that your puppy’s current behavior won’t last forever. 

Know That You’re Not Alone

It can be difficult to go through your puppy’s initial stages of development especially when you feel like you can’t bring it up with other coworkers, friends or family members. However, don’t make the mistake of keeping your puppy blues to yourself! Many pet owners can relate to the struggle of having a young pet and having someone validate your feelings can make a world of a difference. 

Seek Out Support 

When in doubt, seek out support from trained professionals. You can talk to your veterinarian or even invest in dog training classes to get your pooch started off on the right paw. This will also give you access to a community of other puppy owners who may be experiencing a lot of the same difficulties as you are. 

There’s no doubt that bringing home a puppy can be incredibly difficult. The key is to seek out support where you can and put your puppy’s current state into perspective– Remember, these crazy early days won’t last forever. With patience and commitment to training, your pooch will be a great canine citizen in no time at all.