Did you know that Puppy Blues is a thing? If you google it, there are loads of articles and links.
But what is it? Quite simply, it’s feeling overwhelmed, low, anxious and/or helplessness after a new puppy arrives in the household and can last up to one year.
Maybe you’ve asked yourself the question ‘What have we done?’ It’s normal and more common than you think. So, first things first, stop beating yourself up! Puppies are of course very cute but some are much harder than others and the journey of puppyhood can be tough.
Here’s a list of a few things people struggle with that will contribute to puppy anxiety:
* Toileting and having to watch puppy like a hawk
*Chewing things, especially things that can’t be removed
* Not sleeping well at night
*Not getting adequate sleep during the day
* Not being able to leave puppy whilst you pop upstairs/bathroom/put bins out/ going out etc
* Being able to entertain the pup to keep him/her out of trouble
* Relentless biting/jumping up at the children or a particular person in the house
* Stealing things
* Barking
* Too much information on the internet and/or choice in the pet shop
* Other people’s opinions
So what’s the best way to overcome this?
Get help – talk to your local force free, positive reward based trainer. Find out how much support you can get. Find out what classes they run and if they will be suitable for you or if a one to one is your better option. To find an ethical trainer check out www.abtc.org.uk
Here at Positive Training For Canines I offer 6-week courses covering the basics of training. You’ll receive 17 daily emails when you sign up, weekly emails with snippets of information, weekly class notes with additional information to help you through your journey, over the phone support, discounted in person one to ones and the chance to join my Facebook groups. Once you’ve completed your classes or a one to one you will be invited to my workshops which cover loose lead, recall and jumping up. Additional support is given to those who need or ask for it. There is nothing worse than feeling alone, especially when help is at hand.
Check out online videos but from valuable sources – I’d strongly recommend looking at videos from Kikopup, Zac George, Dogs That, Chirag Patel, Grisha Stewart and The Blue Cross. You really have to be careful what you read and watch online. Sadly there are many outdated and old school ‘trainers’ out there. By this I mean advice on dominance and using unethical methods to frighten your pup into ‘behaving’.
Puppyhood is a journey and you’ll have your ups and downs whilst your pup’s brain develops, hormones are released and they grow up. It takes time but you certainly aren’t alone.
If you would like help and support, please get in touch by emailing my info@positivetrainingforcanines.co.uk or phoning me on 0777 131 4947