We decided to get a puppy! And what comes with new decisions but a rush of emotions, thoughts, excitement, and sometimes a little bit of stress to battle. By the weekend our home will have to transform from a newly-wed relaxing space where anything goes into a puppy safe training zone where our little pup can safely become a part of our little family. As I'm sitting here becoming more and more excited after our decision, I can't help but think a thousand different thoughts and questions that perhaps other first time puppy owners are experiencing or have experienced in the past.
1. Can I really handle all of this?
Probably the first question and the most frequent question my husband and I have asked each other is can we really handle this. We tried to put ourselves in every situation we could possibly think of and went through the list of what ifs. I suppose in the end we decided we could handle it because we're getting a puppy! A little piece of advice, if you are in a relationship and pondering getting a puppy, do make sure you are looking at every aspect of your life and your individual schedules to make sure that taking care of a puppy will work for you.
2. But where do I put all the poop?
I honestly laughed at myself the first time I thought of this question, but I needed an answer! Right now, my husband and I have no need for an outside garbage. So when I brought up the question to him, he of course responded with, "the trash!" To which I responded, "I don't think we should keep poop in our house!" And then we meshed together our brilliant minds for about two seconds and decided on an outside garbage. When you've never had a puppy before, it's silly little things like this that you randomly question right before you get your pup.
3. Patience
This one is not really a question. We plan on training our pup ourselves, not hiring a trainer or taking him to classes. I know, first time pup owners, so naive. I understand puppy training is difficult but my husband and I are up for the challenge. We have committed to being just as stubborn as the pup and maintaining our patience because (hopefully) it will all be worth it in the end.
4. Getting all the right stuff.
Earlier this week I was making a list of all the materials I needed to purchase for our pup! It's a lot of stuff! Especially for a home that has never had a dog inside it before! Bed, toys, treats, brushes, shampoo, deodorizer, poop scoop, collar, leash. That's not even everything! They recommend you get everything you can before you actually pick up the pup, so that's the plan. I have a feeling as soon as we start setting up all the puppy things it will start to get even more real and I will have a thousand ore questions.
5. Will he like me right away or will it take time?
I grew up with cats. Sometimes cats like you, sometimes they don't. Really, it was up to them. And whenever I was around a dog it was someone else's. I've never been the owner. I've never had a dog. I'm really excited and nervous about how this will actually go.
I hope if there are any other first time puppy owners out there that this was semi relatable! Or maybe I'm just a crazy almost new puppy mom that is worrying about nothing. None-the-less, it was fun writing about my puppy excitement and I hope I get to write about my new puppy experience in the future!
