There is hope: I overcame puppy blues

Hi there! I wanted to share good news since I posted with fears about getting a puppy after failing at it a year earlier. 2 summers ago, I adopted a little guy and totally freaked out. I thought I was going to die from puppy blues because the degree to which work and kids had me stretched became more apparent than it had been before with the added demands of a puppy. A few weeks in, I found new adopter who was fully ready. It was a terrible experience, but it was the best I could do at the time and the puppy got a great home.

A bit over a year later, i had not stopped thinking about having a family pet. I regretted not sticking it out, tho I truly was not well at the time, and I wanted to try again. The year in between, I volunteered at shelters and dog sat the neighbor’s dog. I researched the crap out of dog breeds and training methods. I slowly made a list of things I’d need to make puppy time more manageable. I noticed my kids had matured and were a bit less needy, and that work was in a bit of a lull. And then I took the plunge, even though I was shaking and almost puking the morning I went to get her.

The first two days were hard, but then everything smoothed out. No puppy blues, no big crisis. I want to share this because I posted here looking for second-time success stories after my disaster and had a hard time finding any. I know un-adopting a dog is not admirable, but for anyone who really wants to try again and has learned from their mistakes and put in the work in the meantime, it can work out.