Anyone who says the puppy blues are anything to scoff at don’t know how crazy it can make you feel. As a fellow puppy survivor on this subreddit, I am here to tell you that this feeling will pass. It will take time though. And I won’t lie, new challenges will arise after they grow a bit. You have adolescent period to endure, which can be the toughest for some folks. This is a time when your dog willfully doesn’t listen or may backtrack in potty training. It is also a time when all that socialization you worked so hard for in the early stages seems to fail - when your bratty teenager is flexing their new confidence and territorial behavior. Not to mention the fear stages that turn quiet pups into barking maniacs. That isn’t to say that every dog owner experiences all these stages, but it is best to prepare yourself for any curveballs along the way.

I had a rough start with our girl. She had chronic UTIs, which meant that I was severely sleep deprived and taking her outside every 20 minutes, even at all hours of the night (I had many nights that I just made a pot of coffee and watched movies to make sure she was taken out). She went through fear and clinginess and all the things that most puppy parents don’t enjoy. I selfishly found myself missing when I didn’t have to worry about her. I selfishly compared her to other well mannered dogs or even our older calmer dog. I went through the regret and shame of doubting my decision, and in the end...I can honestly say, already at 8 months old, she is the best dog in the world to me. I have a bond with her that I’ve never had with any other dog in my life, and I’ve had many dogs. She isn’t a robotic listener. She isn’t always as obediently as I’d like. Sure, she can be spicy and embarrass me out in public when she’d rather thrash her leash in her mouth than walk politely by my side...But she is a character and she has a presence. She’s the most “friend” of a dog I have experienced, if that make sense. She is loyal and intuitive and hilarious.

Stick it out. The best things take patience and love. Your pup will feel it and give it back ten fold. Good luck!