u/Mindless_Basis5836

My boyfriend and I picked up a puppy a few days ago. She’s very sweet and a mutt with what we think is golden and maybe some sort of shepherd. We loved the look of her because she was a great size, seemingly loves cats, is crate trained, and can play independently.

It was my idea to get a dog and my boyfriend was on board but I didn’t think it would happen this fast. We met her on monday and initially I said no as I didn’t feel a connection with her and she was super mouthy and didn’t give us much attention. Well we went back to see her again the next day (my idea again) and walked her and found her much more like the dog we expect her to be in the next few months as she grows up. So we took her home.

She slept well in the crate but cries for 20 minutes and doesn’t like to get back in it during the day even through treats and everything, special pupsicles in there etc. She’s also lunging at our two cats and I can tell it’s really stressing the both of them out. All the attention she needs we knew about but having it actually take over our day is getting to me.

I’m really struggling with the day to day of her. I know she will be a good dog one day but I don’t know if I have it in me to push through. My boyfriend loves her and I feel bad because I still feel like I haven’t connected or fully gotten through to her. The house is in disarray because we are always near her, playing, walking or her being in her crate asleep.

I feel like I walked into this too early and didn’t have enough time to consider if it’s really time for us to do this together. We both enjoy going out and independence and sleeping in etc. My question is even when she’s grown up will we still have this? I don’t know if I personally feel like she is worth the effort it will take and if I even will want her when she’s a perfectly good dog given that I don’t feel connected to her. I also worry we disturbed our cats needlessly.

We can bring her back by Tuesday to get money back and I feel like I need to make a decision by then for my boyfriends sake so he doesn’t get more attached. And for hers of course. But the thought of dropping her off also makes me tear up. I don’t know what the best thing to do is for all of us. And I especially don’t know how to figure it out.

Hello! My boyfriend and I are hoping to adopt a medium sized mixed dog, the specific one I’m looking at is a golden retriever mix who is about five months old. It will be my first dog that is not a family dog, as well as my first girl dog. We are currently living in a condo that has a lot of green around but no fenced in yard.

We had previously gotten our dogs around that age (a german shepherd lab mix and a pitty lab mix) but none of us were very good or consistent with training so our current family dog (the pitty lab mix) isn’t very well socialized or really listens beyond what he feels like doing (especially walking, being with other dogs comfortably, and recall)

I’d like to avoid that with this one. I’d love to be able to take her out in the world, have her and my family dog be friends, and in general have independence and be a happy girl. Her adoption card says she comfortable sleeping in a crate overnight and can play independently. What should I be doing those first few nights/couple of weeks to ensure this behavior continues, especially given her current age? What training should I start the first couple days to keep her comfortable and start acclimatizing herself to us? Then, when can I start introducing her to my family and hopefully my family dog?

We also have two kitties that have lived with a dog before and luckily her adoption card says that she absolutely loves cats. How should we handle that initial interaction as well?