Happy Furbaby Friday!
National Dog Day was a few weeks ago on August 26th and people were posting pictures of their dogs left and right on social media. It was awesome to see how much everyone loves their pets and I celebrated by looking at pictures of Lyssa and Levi over the years!
Weren’t they adorable as puppies?
As cute as they were, they were also a handful! I remember thinking when we got Lyssa “how hard can it be to raise a puppy?” I grew up with dogs so I figured bringing home my own dog would be a walk in the park. Spoiler alert: I was wrong! It was very different to have all of the responsibility on my shoulders instead of my parents’. Reflecting back on all of the adventures with our dogs as puppies got me thinking: If I could go back and tell myself what to expect, what would I say? What advice would I give? That leads me to today’s Furbaby Friday topic.
Bringing Home a Puppy: What I Wish I Knew
You will lose some possessions
This probably should have been a no-brainer but I thought I was going to be the perfect puppy parent and keep an eye on our dog at all times and therefore never have anything destroyed. I was wrong. We have had several things destroyed over the years including blinds, pillows, blankets, shoes, Christmas ornaments, etc. Even if you watch your puppy like a hawk, they will find something to chew on. My advice is to put away any prized possessions you would be devastated to lose. Then just expect that a few things will inevitably be chewed up by your bundle of fur. No matter how many toys you give them, they always seem to find a shoe more interesting.
House training is not as hard as people make it out to be
We house trained both Lyssa and Levi and yes, it is a lot of work, but it’s not impossible. When we first adopted Lyssa, Chris and I were living on the 4th floor of an apartment, which added a few complications. But we still made it work. We took her out every hour or two like clockwork and walked her around until she did her business. You definitely need a patience pill because it can be frustrating when you’re walking around for what seems like hours waiting for your dog to go to the bathroom. But it paid off in the long run. We also watched her like a hawk in the house and there were several times we caught her squatting and immediately took her outside. With all of our hard work, we only had 2 accidents in the house until Lyssa was completely house trained. I call that a win for sure! Levi took a little bit longer to get the hang of things and had a few more accidents, but we followed the same process with him and he was totally house trained in a little over a week. It is definitely a lot of work to house train your puppy, but it’s not impossible. And it’s worth it in the end.
You will have to discipline your puppy
This is the one I was totally unprepared for. I had visions of all the fun things we would do with Lyssa when we adopted her but it never dawned on me that I would have to discipline her. Me. Not my parents. Me. I didn’t know how much of a softie I was until we brought her home. The first time Lyssa got in trouble, there was no one besides me and Chris to teach her the rules. We had to create boundaries and it definitely came easier for him than it did for me. Dogs can’t be allowed to steal tacos off your dinner plate (Lyssa) or eat a whole pan of meatloaf (Levi). It’s not one of the fun parts of having a puppy and I never really got used to disciplining our dogs, but it’s just one of those things that has to be done.
It can be expensive
I remember telling Chris when we were talking about getting a puppy that it wouldn’t add that much cost to our monthly bills. “We will get all of the puppy stuff upfront like a crate and leash and dog bed, but after that all we need to buy is dog food.” Once again, I was wrong. Dog expenses can add up quick. Lyssa and Levi have had several injuries and sicknesses over the years that led to a trip to the vet. Let me tell you, that can get expensive in a hurry. Their annual shots and heartworm preventative aren’t cheap. Oh and Lyssa was diagnosed with a pancreas deficiency which requires her to be on prescription dog food for the rest of her life. Goodbye $100 each month. Don’t get me wrong, it’s totally worth it and Chris and I are fortunate we can afford the cost. I just wasn’t prepared for all of the expense that comes with a dog. It is definitely something to keep in mind if you’re thinking of bringing home a new addition to the family.
How fast it goes by
We adopted Lyssa over five years ago and when we were in the middle of house training and puppy classes, it felt like time stopped. A few times I wished I could fast forward through the puppy stage. But looking back, I feel like I blinked and here we are today with a five year old dog and a one year old dog. How did that happen? Time truly flies, even through the hard times, and my biggest piece of advice to anyone getting a dog is to enjoy it! Even when your shoes get chewed up and you’re cleaning up vomit in the middle of the night. Dogs are truly amazing and they are such great family members. I can’t picture life without our two furbabies. We have to enjoy all of the time we have with them!
What advice would you give to anyone adopting a puppy?
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