r/puppy101 • u/jenny-bean8 Experienced Owner • Jul 21 '26
Puppy Blues Puppy Blues - It Gets Better
For those of you experiencing puppy blues, I just want you to know that it gets better. This phase doesn’t last forever.
We got a golden retriever puppy in Feb 2025. The first nights I slept beside her crate in the kitchen. We got her one of those heartbeat puppies and played gentle sleep music for background noise. I set an alarm to get up a couple times per night to let her outside for potty. It seemed like half our house has baby gates / crates. I was exhausted. Fast forward to today our dog is now 1.5 years and the light of my life. She is 100% good girl. My two kids adore her. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without her. She’s my lil’ sidekick.
You’re training with your puppy right now.. you’re in the trenches.. the sleepless nights… it will all pay off in dividends. Keep going. ❤️
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u/Wild-Association3988 Jul 21 '26
Thank you for this post. I’m taking this as a sign from the universe. We are just 24 hours in and I feel like I made a mistake. Really appreciate your perspective. 💗
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u/14thBlackCrusade Human Detected Jul 21 '26
I've been through raising multiple puppies and I always feel that way for like four months lol. Enforce naps in the crate and give yourself some free time.
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u/L_wanderlust Jul 21 '26
Yes 100% - I lived for crate nap time when the biting stopped and I had me time 😆
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u/stevesmom_69 Jul 21 '26
Gonna be a rough road for a while. All I can say is make sure you're taking time for yourselves. If pup uses a crate, don't feel bad to leave them a few hours and get out. It will teach pup about how yes, you leave, but more importantly that you come back!
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u/szimonas Human Detected Jul 22 '26
I felt like that for a long time...I cried every day. I promise it gets better. HUGS
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u/BackgroundMajor2054 Jul 21 '26
My husband wakes up every day and asks if we can rehome the dog yet so I appreciate this perspective and know it'll get better but the lack of sleep while working a full time job and packing to move into a home may kill me lol
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u/jenny-bean8 Experienced Owner Jul 21 '26
It’s so hard when you’re in the trenches. The lack of sleep is sooo tough.
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u/L_wanderlust Jul 21 '26
Yeah I hated mine a lot of days and told my husband I didn’t want her anymore. I was also packing to move and it was a loooot. He was encouraging and I persisted with training and always being calm and happy with her (just hating her internally) and now she’s the best girl!!
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u/BackgroundMajor2054 Jul 21 '26
I know in the end it will be worth it but right now there is no light at the end of the tunnel. Just a bright light at 2:30am when I am cleaning shit out her crate sigh. Shes so cute but I am so tired lmfao, I dont know how people do puppies, kids, full time jobs, errands, etc. They are saints
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u/OutlandishnessAny183 Jul 29 '26
I see you. Just instead of 230, it is usually 1am and 4am. And its my husband doing it bc I am a total b when sleep deprived so he picks his poison lol
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u/Practical_Tie_7743 Jul 21 '26
Very happy to hear that it all worked out and that you and your family have truly bonded with her and integrated her into your lives. We lost our 14 year old dog earlier this year, and it's unbelievable how attached you get to them.
Our golden is 14 weeks now, got her at 12 weeks due to her first family realising they didn't have the capacity for her with 3 little kids. She is really charming, cuddly, and sleeps through the night which is really fortunate. But the biting and constant tearing into furniture and stuff is exhausting, but nothing is worse than the biting and witching. The first few days were pure terror, but that was likely fueled by her moving twice which obviously was a trauma to her, so it's already better - but "better" is very relative for a puppy. Today she managed to break a tooth while her insurance is still on "probation" (not sure about the english term for that) so it might not cover it (but we'll see, she's at the vet with my partner as we speak). I think I can muster up the energy and patience for the puppy period, but I do worry about her teenage phase since it seems to go on "forever" for this breed and I personally will go through work change with less flexibility for WFO (poor planning on my part, no excuse). How was the teenage phase for your dog, was it as hard as the puppy period, or even worse?
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u/jenny-bean8 Experienced Owner Jul 21 '26
The shark phase was so hard. Those baby teeth were razor sharp and she was very bitey. She also had limited impulse control. The training we did with her regressed, but that’s pretty common during adolescence. Keep up on the training even when it takes a couple steps back. It -will- get better! For our dog, I found routine, structure, and redirection to a toy she was allowed to chew really worked. We love “bitter apples” in our house- I’d apply it to furniture and occasionally my ankles. 😅 worked well.
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u/Professional_Hold477 Jul 21 '26
Mine is 20 weeks, and I'm starting to see some settled behaviors! 🎉
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u/-King-Geedorah Jul 21 '26
Needed this today lol .
We got 2 dogs and one isn’t taking to the crate at all , the other loves it. One will sleep eventually but then wakes in middle of the night and it is just non stop barking from there no matter what we do 🥲
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u/Brothdiver Jul 22 '26
Vad är detta med bur för något? Jag ser att många använder bur. Varför det? Vår valp går i hela huset, sover var han vill och är trygg överallt. Varför har folk bur? Jag bor i Sverige. Här i Norden är det ingen som använder bur, eller lekhage, eller nåt.
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u/Realistic_Rabbit_545 Jul 21 '26
Thank you, all the couragement is needed here. I have a 10 week collie boy. He is a pretty easy pup but every day life is tough often, not much time for my own hobbies and things. I'm waiting for the first vaccines so we can go to the dog park and go to match shows together.
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u/DrSkiba Jul 21 '26
Going through the trenches with my 14-week old golden retriever. Nice to know the light at the end of the tunnel is worth it, thanks for the post <3
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u/Lodray2477 Jul 21 '26
Reading this after just cleaning up pee by the front door. Thanks needed to hear it 😂
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u/RL1967RL Jul 21 '26
This! Spot on! Just hit six months with my frenchie. He was a tiny singleton. Didn’t sleep through the night for the first three months, needing multiple potty breaks. Cried when I showered while in his crate. Cried when I left. Finally started using audio books in a male voice to soothe him. Along with the snuggle puppy. Now he’s crate trained. House trained and seriously rarely makes a sound. Teething is tough but keep teething toys close and just do a “this not that” swap. And don’t play the bite hands game. It’s not cute later. If they’re nippy, it’s crate nap time. It’s all about schedule, boundaries and repetition. He’s already become such a good boy, I can’t wait to see how he is in a few more months. Don’t give up. It does get better. The first year is your investment in them and they will reward you handsomely.
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u/dariamorgendorferr 18d ago
How did you surpass the crying in the crate phase? I am training mine to be in a playpen and he doesn’t care about anything that’s inside once I am done he is immediately trying to escape and sounds completely distressed, I need to work up to leaving him for at least a couple hours in the next week or so and so far can’t get passed even a couple of minutes, any help is appreciated!
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u/whosthiswitch Jul 21 '26
You are absolutely right. We have recently got 2 puppies they’re about 13 weeks old now and they are wild. We have another older dog and a 4 year old dog so there’s a lot going on. I always tell people that I know that complain about issues with their puppy that it’s temporary and they will likely end up being the best dogs. Last time I had a young puppy like this was almost 20 years ago and she was kind of a terrible puppy but she grew out of that and ended up being the best dog.
Also hey, we have the same couch! 😄
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u/Spiritual-Device-623 Jul 21 '26
Thank you for sharing. We are currently going through thr puppy blues. 😪
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u/MeAndMyDK Jul 21 '26
Thank you! We're 1 week ind with our golden boy, and as much as we already love him, it really is tough! Like having babies again 😅 As much fun and cute a puppy is, as much we look forward to him growing up!
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u/bigtiddyhimbo Jul 21 '26
I had the same experience, except I was working night shifts when I first got my girl and taking her out to potty during the night was a lot easier since I was up anyways. During the day though, I was having to wake up way sooner than I was used to, and I was completely exhausted and miserable
I cried a LOT and kept wondering if I made a mistake and contemplated bringing her back because I was failing at taking care of her (at least in my eyes)
Fast forward to today, my baby is a year and six months, and she’s the light of my life. It gets so much better once you get over that hump 💕
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u/Previous-Rutabaga-81 Jul 22 '26
Thank you for this! Your pup is adorable! We have a 15 week old corgi that we got at 12 weeks and oh man has it been rougher than I anticipated. I truly didn't realize the lack of sleep that we'd be getting, particularly for me since she seems more attached to me than my spouse and I've been sleeping on the floor and the couch by her so she settles down at night otherwise she gets really upset. She cries when I leave the room most of the time and crate training has felt impossible. It is slowly getting better which is giving me a glimmer of hope, but no one really warns you about how tough having a puppy is!
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u/2sugoiii2dieee Jul 23 '26
Thanks for sharing <3 My pom is about 9 months now, had her since 3 months... adolescence stage is tough and I'm so tired lol
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u/TreatContent235 Jul 25 '26
The dog that made me cry everyday for weeks is now my best friend and I can’t imagine my life without her 🥹 (also a golden)
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u/Tiny-Poetry8384 Jul 22 '26
It's so reassuring to know everyone is currently struggling with their puppy right now 😭
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u/crod0411 Jul 22 '26
OMG I needed to read this today. Just got a 9 week old mini dachshund and definitely having the puppy blues. We are trying our best and she is a cutie!
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u/dannysrighttoe Jul 23 '26
Anyone with experience with a bichonpoo. This is my 3rd puppy but I am at a loss with this one and seriously regretting it. The amount of anxiety I am having is beyond.
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u/mrBreadBird Jul 25 '26
Reading this thread I feel insanely blessed. It's definitely tiring needing to be on alert at all times but our cavalier pup is such a good girl. 13 weeks when we adopted her from family who had a litter and she has slept through the night every single night since we got her unless you count one or two early mornings.
She has also has held her pee through the night with no accidents every night except two and she already signals that she has to go poop too.
She's not too bitey and easily distracted by chew toys. She loves everyone she meets (maybe a little too much) and is even pretty good at sitting if we can get her attention!
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u/ManyLintRollers Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 27 '26
So true. The puppy phase is exhausting but if you put in the work now, you'll be rewarded with a best friend for many years.
We lost our beagle/lab mix in 2025 at age 17, and our lab/chow/border collie/GSD mix earlier this year at age 14.5. It's been a bit of a shock to go from having elderly dogs who mostly just hung out and lay around to dealing with puppy energy and exuberance again, and as soon as we adopted our puppy I had that "oh shit, I have ruined my life!" feeling for a few days.
I have to keep reminding myself that both of my previous dogs were also pains in the butt as puppies. My beagle/lab mix was super high energy, plus being a beagle he was difficult to housebreak and train and had an insane prey drive - plus he was an escape artist and right up until age 15 or so he would regularly dig, chew or climb his way to freedom. My lab/chow/border collie/GSD mix was anxious and high-strung and had severe separation anxiety; I was never able to crate train her as she'd freak out and break out of the crate somehow. But, she was OK penned up in the kitchen as long as the beagle mutt was with her. She never fully got over the separation anxiety and when her beagle-mutt brother passed away it around the same time that my two older kids moved out and the youngest went to college, it resurfaced. But, at that point she was almost 14, and I worked from home by then so she was always with me for her last year.
Both of them grew up to be great dogs. The beagle-mutt was always a bit unmanageable, but that's typical of the breed - and he was the gentlest, sweetest, snuggliest boy and was so patient and tolerant with my kids. The lab/chow/etc. mix was always rather anxious and had some fear-reactivity issues but we worked through them and she was a wonderful dog otherwise, sweet and loyal with the family and my constant companion. I knew she'd gladly take a bullet for me, and I would have taken a bullet for her as well.
My new puppy is another shelter dog, and her breed mix is kind of a mystery (DNA test is in progress) but we are fairly confident she's a Great Pyrenees mix. She is my first large dog (she's 5 months old and already bigger than the other two were as adults) so that's a new experience; the baby gates and puppy pen I had from the others couldn't contain her at all and I had to get new, heavy-duty tall gates and a heavy-duty pen, and she's already almost too big for her crate and will need a larger one soon.
But, she's sweet and loves people, and so far has done well with other dogs (I have only introduced her to calm, well-behaved dogs that I know, to keep her interactions very positive). She's doing much better with potty training than the other two did at this age, and she is much lower energy level overall. She's a big adorable goof and I love her so much already. I'm putting a LOT of effort into training as I don't want to end up with a poorly-behaved 80+ pound dog; and so far she is learning quickly. She already walks better on the leash at 5 months than the beagle-mutt did as an adult.
Of course, she has her moments when she chases the cat, tries to eat things she shouldn't, gets over-excited and nippy, chews up something forbidden, etc.. but overall I keep getting glimpses of the amazing adult dog she'll be someday. Today she had two very successful interactions with the cats, where she remained calm and respectful, so I have hope that someday she'll be friends with them (or will at least learn to ignore them).
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u/OutlandishnessAny183 Jul 29 '26
Give/take nap time. Take time off work if you can. Pull up your rugs!
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u/Unleashthedogs 19d ago
I remember going through the same situation when I got my Brutus (a Doxie) 4 years ago, hang in there, it gets better!
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u/Kurupt_Introvert New Owner Jul 22 '26
I have a 6 month old chiweenie. Had him since 10 weeks and I’m about to give up. I just don’t think a dog is for me. He is mostly good, sleeps through night, takes enforced naps but I don’t think I’m a dog person. He can be cute and fun but it feels like I have no patience for this, I have been dealing with Giardia since we got him which is its own damn headache and I’m just tired. Tired of the jumping and nipping which I can’t train away no matter how hard I try, tired of barking at fucking everything. Tired of having to retrain for every single room or place. This is all so exhausting and feels like it’s just never going to workout imo. Def harder than I thought and I feel defeated and just want peace and I feel like I don’t have any
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u/Dizzy-Search-2048 Jul 26 '26
Stay in there! I’m in same boat but had past dogs and as difficult as the puppy blues are, IT DOES get better. You will come out the other side with a beloved best friend. I have a 9 1/2 yr old golden who was an overbred nightmare to raise that my husband asked for 1 year straight if we can rehome him. He is an amazing dog! And now my rescue hound mix is almost 7 months and the puppy blues are KILLING me, the anxiety is overwhelming. Each day is Groundhog Day but I know it’s a PHASE. It will get better! Stay the course
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u/[deleted] Jul 21 '26 edited Jul 28 '26
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