I spent months reading everyone else’s puppy blues posts, then got a standard poodle puppy last weekend. I’ve been on PTO this week watching him around the clock. I am tired. There is piss on the floor. The biting has picked up. I feel like he’s heard no so many times it’s lost its meaning. And to top it all off, my 9 year old stepson is allergic to him. Like puffy eyes and incredibly stuffy while on allergy meds allergic. He was somewhat scared of dogs but also likes them. He has nervous energy, which hypes the dog up, which freaks him out, repeat. Not only that, he loves the dog and can’t seem to quit squeaking toys at him on the occasion that the dog IS calm.
This puppy is so smart and so good for his age and if I manage to not fuck him up he’ll be a great dog but I feel like as soon as I’m getting the hang of things I fuck it all up. I’ve been trying to get him into the routine that he’ll be in when I go back to work next week (half day WFH) with going out, breakfast, short walk, then day pen with his toys. Sometimes he’s good, sometimes he’s demand barking forever. This morning he freaked out and peed in the pen.
He has so much potential. He hasn’t peed the kennel overnight in 2 days, and can go about 4 hours during the night. This is so hard and I feel like I’m failing him and everyone else. And I know I haven’t been the only one who feels this way but I can’t figure out how everyone does it and all of the info online either hasn’t worked or directly contradicts other info online. And I can’t even complain because I was the one who wanted the dog most and am the only one with the availability to care for him right now. Some moments I feel fine, some moments I feel like I’m drowning. I think I’ve cried at least once every day we’ve had him. Just needed to yell into the internet void.
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