Regret Getting a Puppy? Do These 5 Things Today

Do you regret getting a puppy? Let me tell you first, you are NOT alone! Raising a puppy (or any age dog) is challenging, sometimes frustrating, and can put a toll on your mental health. If you have a desire to keep your puppy, which I hope you do, you need to take action today to overcome the feelings of puppy regret! 1- Find Positives While it may feel like your puppy (and you) are only doing “bad” things, that’s likely not the truth. Getting hung up on the “bad” (potty accidents, puppy biting, barking, etc.) can lead us to not see the full picture of our pup’s progress. So, write down some positive things about the situation, your pup’s behavior, and your relationship with your dog! While positivity isn’t a catch-all answer that can solve everything, it can certainly help! At least that was my experience in the moments that I regretted getting my puppy. 2- Focus on the Basics Many of the challenges that lead us to regret being a pup parent are due to “problem behaviors” from our puppies. So, get back to the basics of dog training and behavior. If you haven’t already, sign up for 30 Day Perfect Pup here! https://pfrd.site/classfree-here Focus on giving less freedom. Focus on having dedicated training sessions each day. Focus on giving proper physical and mental exercise. Focus on keeping destructible items out of your dog’s reach. The basics of puppy training are often the key to seeing improvements in your pup’s behavior! And often as your pup’s behavior improves, those feelings of regret will decrease in frequency. 3- Find (or Remember) Your Why When you originally decided to get a puppy, what was your reason? Was it for the companionship? Was it to go on fun adventures like hikes, long walks, etc.? Was it to help a puppy in need? Whatever your reason, remember it! And if you don’t have a “why” yet, find one! Having a solid purpose and “goal” for your life with your pup can help you stay at it when times get tough. 4- Get Support This may be the most important thing to do when you regret getting a puppy. Get support! Here are some ways you can find support both in the real and digital worlds. -Join a Facebook group with other pup parents (ours has over 50k members, join here!) -Seek out someone in your local area who is also currently raising a new puppy -Go to group training or socialization classes in person to meet new people and professionals who can support you -Make friends or connect with someone who has raised a lot of pups and can give you sound advice on your journey -Go to parks and dog meet-ups (Facebook groups are helpful for this) and try to meet other pup parents -Choose a friend or family member who can be your venting buddy when you just need to talk about the challenges of being a pup parent Feeling like you’re alone can make pup parenthood more difficult. Find others who can understand your situation and let them be your support system! 5- Cultivate and Focus on a Relationship With Your Puppy Similar to focusing on the basics, it’s so important to focus on your relationship with your puppy. Oftentimes we forget that the relationship between dog and human takes work! Here are some things you can do to improve your relationship with your dog. -Do fun training, especially trick training! -Play games like fetch or tug -Give your pup a tasty chew, treat, or frozen Kong -Snuggle, give your puppy a belly rub, or just pet him/her -Take them on a walk on a long lead without any specific destination in mind and let them follow their nose