A week ago, a friend asked us about life with our new pup, Daisy. I laughingly replied I felt trapped. "I'm watching Daisy like a hawk so she'll 'potty outside,' but it's been horrible because of our muddy backyard!" I explained. Our friend's wife is a professional dog walker, and they've have had several Labs, so he understood. He smiled and replied, "Oh, yes, those puppy blues."
Of course I'd heard of baby blues. But I'd never ever heard anyone hang a name on the entrapment that accompanies a puppy's arrival. I'd gotten spoiled with our 2-year-old guy, Boomer, a reliable, laid-back Lab if there ever was one. While I knew how much work a pup requires during the first several weeks, I'd forgotten how small my world would feel during that time.
So I've been dealing with a case of puppy blues. But as the daylight hours lengthen (and Daisy's bladder capacity increases), I find the blues displaced by tremendous delight in my dogs and a renewed sense of freedom--even if it's only incremental. At least I now feel I can sneak away while Daisy's crated to rejoin the land of the living and attend book club or breakfast with a friend. Hurrah!
Have you ever experienced the "puppy blues," and if so, how did you handle them?
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i only experienced it with Bode and he wasn't even my dog. Note to self: never feed a lactose intolerant puppy yogurt!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, Miss "Anonymous," I feel your pain. Although Daisy doesn't seem to be lactose intolerant. Only way to discover that is the hard way, I guess!
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain. Some dogs "get it" right away (or so it seems) while others prefer to leave their mark on society for quite a while.
ReplyDeleteLeaving a mark--whether it's through lactose-intolerant messages or piddle pools--seems to be the way of the canine. Ah, dogs. Gotta love them . . . anyway.
ReplyDeleteLoved the anonymous note about yogurt :-D It would be smart to avoid Indian food too.
ReplyDeleteThe best medicine for puppy blues for me was to sit on the floor with the pup. While that involves getting quite a few licks and a general mauling, the pup eventual settles and you get that two seconds of connected together time where we end up staring at each other. I could see how he adored me with those lovable puppy eyes and he loved spending time with me. In reality I think he was just catching his breath for the next mauling... but it didn't matter to me.
Not so much a "puppy blues" moment as a, WHAT?! In order to teach Butch the Wonderdog (RIP) to let us know he had to go out, here's what I did:
ReplyDelete*every couple hours I had him follow me to the door
*I'd get down on the floor next to him and BARK until he barked
*at which point we'd go outside until he did his business
He house trained pretty quickly. Did it have anything to do with my barking? I don't have a clue. However, I learned I'm a pretty good barker!
Hey, CAB. That barking techniques must've been...shall we say rough?
ReplyDeleteCharlene, somehow, I can imagine you lying on the floor barking with RIP. How cute! And I may just have to try your "method." Daisy is too distracted by Boomer to "get it." Boomer was a wonder dog, too--he learned in 2 weeks. Let's see, we're on Week 5 with Daisy.
ReplyDeleteAnd Dale, yes, Indian food--I think NOT!
Jane, I used RIP for Rest In Peace. (Butch the Wonderdog is no longer on planet earth.) So, if you indeed imagine me lying on the floor barking when I'm dead, please stop it. ;>)
ReplyDeleteHa! That's an example of my puppy-befuddled brain . . . mixing up the poor Wonderdog with RIP! But I have to admit, that image of you is making me smile this afternoon . . . !
ReplyDeleteI just got a chow puppy and have been experiencing some puppy blues myself...she's quite a handful! She is great about some thing but needs work in others. Good to know it's something all puppy parents go through ^_^;;
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