Are you getting ready to become a new puppy parent? If so, it’s important to be aware of the “puppy blues” and how long they typically last.
Puppy blues can last from a few days to up to three months, depending on various factors such as your expectations, level of preparation, amount of sleep you get, new responsibilities, time spent with the puppy, the puppy’s bond with family members, financial state, breed, and training difficulties.
However, it’s important to note that not every new puppy parent experiences the puppy blues. And even if you do, there are proven tactics to help you overcome this temporary challenge and develop a strong bond with your furry friend.
In our upcoming discussion, we’ll explore these tactics and provide tips for managing the puppy blues. So, don’t worry, we’re here to help you navigate this exciting new chapter in your life!
When do puppy blues go away?
Prior to knowing the fact when doing the puppy blues go away, you must have a general knowledge of what puppy blues are.
What are puppy blues?
Most importantly, puppy blues aren’t a mental disorder. It can be described most suitably as a clash between your furry ball’s adjustment to the new home and your emotional balance. Don’t worry! There are some proven methods to win this struggle.
So, when do puppy blues go away?
Puppy blues go away in a few days, weeks, or even months if the problem is not well identified.
As I mentioned before, it can cause various reasons. Puppy blues can occur immediately after bringing a new puppy home or after several days, weeks after his arrival.
Now, as you know about puppy blues, you can take early precautions to prevent it. Primarily, you can prepare for your puppy’s arrival.
So, those early precautions would be,
- Its a must to keep your expectations limited.
- Understand the responsibilities that come along with a puppy.
- Be prepared with necessary puppy aid equipment.
1. It’s a must to keep your expectations limited.
Do you expect your new puppy to come and lick your face or play with you immediately after he comes to his new home? Then you are 100% wrong. You must bear in mind that he is a living creature like you but not a toy.
But the matter is, It will take some time to develop a healthy relationship with him. You can minimize this time period with your patience.
2. Understand the responsibilities that come along with a puppy.
Principally you need to understand the fact that you should spend some of your precious time and money on your furry ball. And also that the situation in your home will not be like before.
3. Be prepared with necessary puppy aid equipment.
Earlier preparation will help to minimize last-minute anxiety. For example, if you only remember to bring a potty for him, when you saw he started to poo in your favorite pair of sandals, the situation will be worse.
So it’s better if you bring home a dog crate, appropriate dog food, a dog potty, leash, collar, equipment to clean urine, and a grooming kit.
Above mentioned are the precautions that you must take prior to his arrival. Also, there are principal measures that you must follow after his arrival.
It includes proper training of your pup, using a dog crate, get support from your family members in his responsibilities, and learn from the experiences of puppy parents who faced this situation.
How do you identify that you have puppy blues (symptoms)?
Puppy blues hit different puppy owners in different ways. But there are some most common symptoms which help you to identify the situation.
So, here are the most common symptoms,
- Anxiety
- Sadness
- Feeling of regret
1. Anxiety
You will feel nervous, tired, worried, unease about the outcome of this situation, feeling down about everything, even the things you are interested in before. Overall you will feel stressed.
2. Sadness
You will find you will be eating less, sleeping less, having trouble focusing, and crying often.
3. Feeling of regret
You will start regretting about your decision about bringing him home.
"Did I choose the right dog breed?"
"Am I a horrible puppy parent?"
"What will they say If I hand him over to the breeder again?"
In addition to these, you can feel helpless, exhausted, and angry.
Recommended reading: 8 Things you should consider before buying a new dog
What causes puppy blues?
Various factors can cause puppy blues. These factors can cause puppy blues independently or collectively. Primarily it occurs when you bring a new puppy friend home, it can happen with adult dogs too.
Here are the common reasons,
- Loosing of expectations
- Lack of sleep
- Addition of a whole set of new responsibilities.
- The relationship of your family members with the new member seems unhealthy.
- Financial problems.
- Issues with training.
- Constant damage to your belongings.
- Loosing your free time more often.
1. Loosing of expectations
As a puppy parent, you will expect your life will be a more contented one immediately after the pup’s arrival. Unfortunately, in reality, it’s completely different.
He or she will take some time to share a close bond with you and your family. So, breaking these expectations may cause puppy blues.
By the way, here is why some people hate small dog breeds.
2. Lack of sleep
You will have to wake up in the middle of the night to your puppy’s howling sound. He must be feeling isolated. But definitely, you will feel irritated to sacrifice your sleep after an exhausting day.
You will also have to check him at night several times whether he pees in the correct location as they can’t hold their bladders for too long like adult dogs.
So this sleep deprivation will damage your mental balance directly.
3. Addition of a whole set of new responsibilities.
Bringing up a puppy will involve a huge amount of responsibilities. Normally we all are busy so that we have no time to talk even with our family members.
So, the involvement of your so precious time with the puppy will lead to the decline of your some duties as an employer or a parent. You know what, some puppies want to play at night too. It exhausts the owner within the first few days.
4. The relationship of your family members with the new member seems unhealthy.
You will be a mama who tried to uplift your children’s mental state by bringing a new puppy home. But if your daughter is constantly complaining that he pees in her favorite shoes and she does not want him around anymore, you will be stressed.
5. Financial problems
A new expense is now added to your list.
6. Issues with training
Is he not responding to potty training and still poo in the living room? These things can happen. But you will be pissed to see your puppy acting like a weirdo, not responding to the training you are doing spending your precious time.
Suggested Reading: Here’s why you hate your second dog and what to do about it?
How to get over puppy blues?
As a veterinary student, I think getting over puppy blues is a gradual process. As this is not a mental disorder, there is no need for the involvement of a psychiatrist. Many puppy owners had undergone this struggle and managed to overcome it.
So, I’m pretty much sure that there is a 100% chance that you also can completely overcome this problem. There are some precautions that you wanna follow prior to the arrival of your new furry friend.
Here are some of the main actions you can take,
- Keep your expectations at a lower level.
- Be aware of the struggle(problems) come along with him.
- Be aware of the responsibilities that come with the puppy.
- Your early preparedness for the puppy’s arrival.
- Use new tactics to train him if he is not responding.
- Make sure he gets plenty of exercises.
- Figure out what is annoying you.
- Ask for more help from your family.
- Share your experience with other puppy owners.
- Try to keep records of his progress in training sessions.
1. Keep your expectations at a lower level.
Keeping your expectations at a lower level will ease your way of dealing with him. You have to understand the fact that he will need time to share a close bond with me, especially to build up trust.
So, if he has not behaved well, you can console yourself that he will behave in the near future.
2. Be aware of the struggle(problems) that come along with him.
Although this is your first experience as a puppy parent, you must have friends, relatives who are puppy owners. Then have you seen those puppies ruining their precious belongings at their earlier stages as a pet?
It’s such a common thing to expect. He will pee in your favorite sandals, bite your most precious curtain, and so on. So, expect these things. These behaviors can be entirely eliminated by proper training.
3. Be aware of the responsibilities that come with the puppy.
You are going to raise a living creature with needs who expect love, affection, and attention from you. It means a bunch of responsibilities. You will have to train him in everything like how to use the toilet, how to be in the crate etc…
You will have to feed him on time, clean him, take him to the vet, give vaccinations at the proper time. Most importantly, you have to be by his side until he adjusts to his new home.
If you understand these responsibilities and fulfill them, you will never experience puppy blues.
4. Your early preparedness for the puppy’s arrival.
You can bring home the necessary puppy aid equipment prior to his arrival. These will include,
- Dog crate
- Appropriate food for the puppy
- Leash
- Collar
- Dog potty
- Equipment to clean urine
- Grooming kit
If you have these, there is no need for a last-minute rush. It will help to keep your stress level at a lower level when you are doing these with your typical day-to-day routine.
Also, there are some measures you should follow when you are dealing with a new buddy.
5. Use new tactics to train him if he is not responding.
You can use a dog crate, which is a better option. It would be better if you can seek advice from a professional trainer, or if you can afford it, you can hire one.
6. Make sure he gets plenty of exercise.
Then he will not try to misbehave at other times.
7. Figure out what is annoying you.
If he is continuously misbehaving also after some training sessions, give it a break. Then try to figure out what is annoying you. If it’s he biting your shoes or not behaving in potty training. Then take steps to prevent the problem.
8. Ask for more help from your family.
Tell them how you are feeling about the puppy. Ask them to engage in bearing the responsibilities of the puppy than usual.
9. Share your experience with other puppy owners.
Definitely, this will be a massive encouragement for you. Especially, talk with those who had raised puppies. Their words will console your mind as they know this is just a temporary situation.
10. Try to keep records of his progress in training sessions.
This will help you to figure out what is missing and what more should be done. Also, it will help to avoid your anxiety around your puppy.
Try to arrange a break from all household burdens and puppy responsibilities. Give your puppy to another caretaker, engage in something that you are really interested in.
Does everyone get puppy blues?
Everyone does not get puppy blues. It can occur when you bring a new puppy friend home. It can happen with adult dogs too. It can occur immediately after you bring him home or it can occur after some time with the workload that comes along with your buddy.
Things to be aware
Puppy blues can be eliminated quickly by proper training, early preparedness, and by other tactics, as mentioned above. There are some of the things you must be aware of as a new puppy parent.
If you are an individual who suffered from a mental disorder before, you must be careful.
If you took medicine or took advice from a psychiatrist before, this is a serious condition you should take care of. It’s better if you take advice from a psychiatrist if you face this situation.
Also, if you suffer from another mental blow such as losing your job, it’s better if you seek advice.
Do not take the misbehavior of the dog so personally.
Do not yell, spank, or threaten him, although if he pees in your favorite dress. If you do, those situations will be worst. Because how can a healthy relationship will start by yelling or spanking?
- Be patient with yourself.
- Understand and bear in mind that this is just temporary.
- Do not be afraid to talk about this with family or friends.
- Do not hesitate to seek professional advice where necessary. As an example, the support of a professional trainer.
- Do not try to foresee the outcome
- Especially, do not get panic. Take this as usual.
- Moreover, If this is your first experience as a puppy parent, think twice about the dog breed you are adopting.
- Breeds like a bulldog, Pekingese are somewhat hard to train.
Conclusion
Let me finish with a familiar situation. Are babies stay in the same way you bring them home from the hospital? No. They will be going to high school by driving a car before you even know.
The same goes here. Your uncontrollable two-week-old puppy will be a five-year-old lazy buddy sleeping in your lap so soon. Trust me, then those good old days with your puppy will be a fascinating memory in your heart forever.
So this article is an in-depth guide around How long do puppy blues last and possible solutions and many more. Hope you enjoyed it.
