Things I’ve learned in puppy ownership in the first month
Hey guys I hope this could be helpful to any new puppy owners, specifically those in the teenage months. I got my lab retriever from a shelter at 6 months and she is still the sweetest and weirdest pup ever. I’ve had her for a month and I figured I’d share.
The third day we had her, she started throwing up white foam every time she would get up. She could nap, but the second she would get up it would start again. She would gag and then do the downward dog pose and I genuinely thought she had an obstruction. Vet visit the next day… kennel cough. The rescue said she didn’t have kennel cough, but according to the vet the symptoms often progress in a new environment. Something to be mindful of, but not freak out over, if you have a dog from a rescue who “does not have kennel cough”
If she is antsy and can’t settle, it probably means she is hungry, thirsty, or has to potty.
- take them out to potty after playing, eating, or sleeping.The land shark days have not ended LOL. We are attempting to remove attention like turning around or removing hands when she play bites, but it’s slow going.
Admittedly, we only put her in the crate when we are both out of the house and she probably barks the whole time. We’ve only left her alone for a max of 4 hours, but she is by no means crate trained. Her first night she hated the crate and we let her sleep on her bed next to our bed. We’re weak and we’re okay with it.
My best advice if you are prone to anxiety or reassurance seeking, delete Reddit ASAP and only take advice from a trainer, your vet, or basic Google searches.
Taking her to the groomers is a lot less simple than I thought. She is a nervous girl, but not aggressive or reactive. They refused to take her back if they couldn’t touch her. Both women who tried to touch her were over 350 pounds and very tall, which doesn’t help! She’s such a friendly dog when we take her to the vet and out to grab drinks at a dog friendly bar, so it was a surprise.
Be on the same page about training, schedules, and expectations if you are getting a dog with your partner. My partner and I agree on almost everything, but our dog ownership upbringings were very different as children. Expect some conflict and disagreements that you didn’t anticipate.
Lastly: a tired puppy is a happy puppy. I’m sorry it’s true. Long walks, playing, engaging toys and slow feeders help a TON. Although, I’m pretty sure she’ll have puppy brain until she’s 10 and that’s okay hehe.
I say all this to give advice to those who have a rescue pup. Maybe I got lucky with mine, but hopefully this helps someone.