r/Puppyblues

I got my yellow lab only 5 days a go. I know it's a short time. He is 4 months old. We're trying to potty train because where we got him from he had a toilet pad.

We're getting their slowly, but its slow going. He is starting to performance pee *just a little pee if we take him outside it seems to just get the reward. But he still has some incidents inside. This morning after breakfast he was playing then did a poo inside before I realized.

But the issue I'm having is biting. I understand nibing is ok. I understand he is teething and it uncomfortable for him. I've tried frozen vegetables, towels, rubber chew toys, introduction as he goes to bite. But yesterday his teeth scratch my skin and broke it 4 times. He is getting over excited. I've heard in thst instance he is probably over tired. But people are saying not to put him in the crate as it will seem like punishment. And he is responding with barks and leaping up.

But seriously its only 5 days and I'm regretting it, I know it takes time to adjust things and the teething probably doesnt help but I feel like I shouldn't be doing this. I expected small marks on my hands but to get 4 actual bites in one day and another this morning is making it really difficult to want to bond with him because he just takes any play time as biting time.

I want to love him, he's a handsome little boy. But any cuddles any strokes end in bites and I feel like he doesnt like me...

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.

I just adopted a 3 month old puppy a week ago and I never imagined having these emotions and struggles getting a new fur baby but here I am, going through it: crying almost everyday, lack of sleep, stress, you name it.

The first few days I was so happy, I didn't feel this way in the slightest, but 3 days in the puppy blues struck, and it struck hard.

I try to keep positive by saying she's only going to be little for so long and it's going to go by so quickly and it's going to be worth it but I can't help but feel these overwhelming emotions. My husband on the other hand hasn't experienced this at all and it makes me feel worse because I'm in a slump. This community has been one of the things that have helped the past few days knowing I'm not going through this struggle alone.

What were some of the things that helped you/are currently helping you get through the trenches? Anything helps 🤍

Adopted a 9 month old husky puppy five days ago. The blues hit HARD today when last night, puppy had explosive diarrhea four times from 11 pm - 4 AM. Luckily not inside, she whimpered before each episode and I woke up and took her out - in the pouring rain. Vet has been called and stool sample taken over - the dog is terrified of the car and doesn’t trust me enough to get in otherwise I would have brought her to the vet. That was my personal breaking point and have been in tears all day since.

I’m worried I made a huge mistake that we just keep investing more into. From the vet bills, adoption fee, and all of her supplies we’ve spent close to $1000 in short order. My wife just started working really long hours (medical field, like 12-15 hour days) so I have no support at home. I thought it would be great to have a furry companion to share the house with. But instead she gives me so much stress and sadness. She destroys everything, my couch pillows and plants. This morning I got a short leash and tied it to the leg of the couch so she can only get on one cushion and into her crate and water bowl.

I have plenty of toys for her. Her attention span is so so small. She chews on something for 1 second then gets up and tries to start circling the house again and get into something bad. That’s why I had to leash her indoors. She won’t settle. When we crate her, she takes 10-30 mins to settle and then falls into a light nap, light enough that I can’t do anything at home other than hide in my bedroom or she hears me and starts whining again. We leave her in the crate for two hours in, one hour out. Trying to get her time up in there to about 4-5 hours so I can start my own job in a week.

I have so much anxiety and sadness. I’m spiraling. This is so hard and I don’t see any end in sight. If I give her back to the shelter I would feel so terrible but if I keep her at home I have to cage her up for my sanity and still feel guilty anyway. This whole situation is fucked up tbh, why did I make this decision?

I'm really struggling. My husband and I bought our first house in April of this year. Our main goal in buying a house was so that we had the freedom to garden and have a dog finally, something we have each wanted for a long time. We had discussed wanting to adopt an adult dog because we didn't think we had puppy life in us.

Then I saw the puppy we ended up adopting. He was described as having a perfect temperament for our lifestyle and good with cats, and so we decided to apply and see what happens. We did and we were approved that same weekend. We made arrangements to meet him and bought things to prepare. We met him and fell in love and took him home.

He slept through the night, handled being crated well, and is a total sweetheart. He is just a baby so taking walks is challenging and he takes forever to go to the bathroom and sometimes pees inside. He is a really good dog but the constant need to make sure hes not chewing something dangerous and that hes getting outside at regular predictable times to potty is taking a harder toll than we expected.

Last weekend I had to go out of state and left my husband home with the dog, and he threw up a bunch of times and peed inside. My husband was trying so hard to keep up with him and was so burnt out and anxious he didnt shower while I was gone bc he didnt want to leave the dog alone to make a mess.

He doesnt come when he's called and while he understands sit, come, stay, he gets stubborn when we take him out and wont come down the deck stairs. I end up carrying him bc otherwise he just tries to go back inside even if he has to pee. He doesnt have trouble navigating the stairs when he wants to, theres just some mental block when I have the leash and am asking him to.

My husband has a very stressful job and we are back to work on Monday after a zero rest weekend and Im finding myself wondering if this is right for us. I feel so guilty and he is a really cool dog and I really do like him and want him to succeed, and he seems happy! But we are child free for a reason and I feel like I just locked us into a lifestyle we werent ready for, even though we really thought we were. I emphasize what a good dog he is because I think he'd get adopted quickly if we rehome him but I feel like such a dick for putting him through another transition. But it almost feels like sooner is better than later.

I have reached out to doggy day care and an obedience class, since that was always part of our plan, but now Im trying to decide if we should rehome him before investing even more money because I have an enormous car repair that just came up and Im so stressed about how I've kneecapped our ability to save money with this choice. I keep saying I, but we did make the decision together. I just feel so stupid for diving into this right now. I am also just nauseous at the idea of the judgment ill get no matter what at this point. I feel like I want to do right by him but my freedom is so valuable to me and idk why the fuck I gave it up like this.

I feel like i want to reassess long term goals and decide when having a dog would make more sense and get an adult dog at that point. But at the same time I really do love the little guy and I know surviving puppy phase makes the bond so much stronger. But im also not getting much if any quality time with my husband as a result of this, and my cat who I love so much never hangs out downstairs with us because shes scared of the dog! shes gaining weight bc she hides all day.

I just needed to vent to people who get it.

In the early weeks, it can feel like your entire identity gets swallowed by the puppy. Your schedule, your sleep, your conversations, your energy, all of it reorganizes around this one small animal.

That's real. And it's disorienting.

You are still the person you were before. The things you care about, the things that make you you, they haven't gone anywhere. They're just on hold right now while you survive the hardest part.

This season is temporary. You are not.

What's one part of yourself you're looking forward to getting back to? 💭

HELP PLEASE! We adore our seven-month-old female Papillon, but we are reaching a point where we genuinely do not know whether we can manage her needs.

We brought her home from an (edit: apparently well known and reputable) breeder at 12 weeks because she was so small. The breeder said she had been tested and was healthy, so our vet initially skipped the Giardia test. After about ten days of severe diarrhea, despite her never having been outside, we requested testing, and she was positive. We've had to stagger her immunizations because she was so tiny, but she's been good to go outside for about 2.5 months now.

She has now completed four rounds of treatment and is still testing positive. Although the diarrhea has resolved, the ongoing infection has prevented her from attending puppy classes or most in-person training. We have spent a significant amount on private online training, but progress has been inconsistent.

Our main problems are:

• Severe separation distress. She cries and barks continuously if either of us leaves, even if we are only in another room and she can still hear us. Camera footage shows that she is genuinely distressed rather than simply protesting. She has never been alone for more than 30 minutes.
• Potty training. We take her out approximately every two hours, but she does not signal before eliminating. She will pee in her crate, on her bed, and sometimes while eating. She does not appear particularly bothered by standing in urine.
• Crate regression. She initially slept well in her crate, but she has recently begun crying for extended periods at bedtime. Last night, she cried continuously for more three hours. This is less distress crying and more protestation, but we need to sleep. We ditched the create when she was sick, but she will totally relax in her carrier when we're out during the day (ie in a restaurant).
• Limited sleep. She currently sleeps for only about six hours overnight. The resulting sleep deprivation is now affecting our work.
• Training difficulties. She learns some things quickly, but despite daily practice, she still does not respond to her name and can be difficult to engage during training. She doesn't settle near me at all, and I mostly looked after her when she was sick.

We have tried strict schedules, 1 up 2 down, frequent potty trips, crate training, gradual separation work starting with seconds at a time, and professional training. Her early illness made consistency extremely difficult at first, but the diarrhea has resolved now, and it feels as though every improvement is followed by a major regression.

We live in an apartment, which makes the barking, potty training, and separation work harder. We have had dogs before and have never experienced problems at this level.

We are now wondering whether we need to consider returning her to the breeder or carefully rehoming her. We would never surrender her to a shelter, but we are exhausted and worried that we may not be equipped to give her what she needs.

Has anyone dealt with persistent Giardia alongside severe separation anxiety and potty-training regression? Is this realistically fixable at seven months, and what type of professional should we be looking for? I am not open to e-collars or any type of force methods obviously.

Breed: Bernedoodle
Age: 8 months

Hello all!

I need some additional advice. My pup refused his crate in the room around 6 months old. Tried swapping him to his playpen in the living room. He did okay and then refused to sleep in there.

A point where he would only want to sleep around the living room floor or couch. I would have to sleep on the couch to watch him so I could ensure he was okay. He is a BIG chewer.

I got tired and found it was hurting my boyfriend and I’s relationship and I wouldn’t sleep in bed.

We decided to transition him to our bed. He sleeps, then he hops off, sniffs the room and then I have to make sure he isn’t chewing. Then it’s like a routine where he hops off then scratches the bedroom door to sniff the living room or go on the couch This disturbs my sleep but I sacrifice it to ensure he’s okay.

He just turned 8 months (and yes hormones are raging)

For about 3 days, he was sleeping better. Would rest long on the bed and wouldn’t bother with anything in the room. Then last night, he began chewing our wall excessively.

My boyfriend is highly anxious and concerned, as am I , how this behavior is going. My boyfriend also has a chronic illness which requires him to have a peaceful sleep.

This morning I decided to have him in his crate as I washed dishes so he gets use to it again but my hopes aren’t high as he whines.

Any advice? I don’t want our puppy ruling our lives 24/7 and the biggest thing is I want him to be safe.

Thank you all!

For years I have dreamed of getting a dog, and after I went through a breakup earlier this year and turned 30 I decided to look into adopting a puppy. I ended up adopting a chihuahua mix a couple days ago and I hate to admit this but I am having severe puppy blues.

To the point that I am experiencing anxiety worse than I ever imagined and I cannot eat or sleep. I’ve never weighed this little. My puppy is so cute and sweet and is honestly a good dog and just acting like an 8 week old puppy - I just didn’t imagine I would have such an intense physical and emotional reaction to the change in my life. I’m doing it all by myself and I’m so ashamed to admit that maybe I wasn’t ready.

I feel like I can’t leave the house because I live in an apartment building and she barks and whines so loud any time I leave the room. She naps/sleeps in the crate but I’m really overwhelmed that I can’t leave my house. I also live in a city where I can’t walk her until she gets all of her shots, I didn’t realize this until after I was approved for her, which means we are essentially cooped up for the next 2 months.

I feel a lot of shame and guilt but I am seriously considering rehoming her while she’s still young and not so attached so that she can have a better life. I do not feel connected to her and truly feel like it would be what’s best for me and her. I now think about my life with dread and just wish I never put this puppy in this position. I don’t think I’m a dog person like I thought I was.

I was thinking about reaching out to the shelter and offering to foster her until we can find her a new home, it’s a popular rescue and I would imagine they had other potential adopters interested so I feel like if I act now I could try and remedy the situation. Does anyone have advice or words of wisdom

I've never posted here before, but I read these subreddits all the time. I don't even know what I'm looking for by posting.. advice? reassurance? hearing I'm not alone? I honestly don't know anymore. I'm just at my wits' end and averaging about three mental breakdowns a week.

I have a 5 month old Jack Russell puppy, and some(most) days I hate her. Then I immediately hate myself for feeling that way.

This is my third Jack Russell, so I knew exactly what I was signing up for. I love the breed (as adults apparently), and I expected alot But holy hell... my other two were nothing like this. They all came from different breeders, but I don't think that's the issue.

I know the biggest difference this time is that I'm doing it completely alone. With my previous puppies I had support; living with family for one and a boyfriend for the other. This time it's just me and my 10.5 year-old dog, and honestly, we're both losing our gd minds.

She's incredibly smart. I can teach her a new trick in an hour, and she'll remember it forever. But she absolutely will not pee or poop outside consistently. She has no concept of asking to go out or going to the door.

I've read every house training guide, forum, and Reddit thread I can find, and the advice always boils down to "you're doing something wrong." And sure maybe I am, but that doesn't actually help me figure out what to do differently?

My routine is consistent. After she eats, she goes outside immediately, then again 15–30 minutes later, then again 45–60 minutes later. When she wakes up? Outside. After she's been playing? Outside. If she starts wandering around? Outside. Honestly, she's outside more than she's inside.

I've literally timed it. We've spent over two hours outside before, and she'll sniff, play, eat grass, chase bugs, chew sticks... everything except pee or poop.

We've made some progress with peeing. She'll usually pee when she first wakes up or comes out of her crate. But pooping? Absolutely no improvement.

My older dog walks to the door, goes outside, immediately does his business, and comes back in. I thought that would help demonstrate what she's supposed to do. She couldn't care less.

To make matters worse, she wants to eat everything sticks, rocks, leaves, bugs, garbage, plastic, things I have NO idea where she even finds them... but her personal favourite is poop. The second either dog poops, I have to grab it immediately. Sometimes she'll poop inside and eat it so fast that I can't even confirm it happened, and I'm actively watching her. It's unbelievably quick.

I've worked hard on "leave it," and she's probably 80% reliable with it when she has or is doing anything else she isn't supposed to. But poop? It's like the command doesn't exist.

I've talked to my vet and a trainer. We've increased the value of treats, tried squeaky toys, and offered rewards she'd normally go absolutely feral for. None of it outweighs poop. We discussed using "forbid" as a deterrent, however my older dog has some health issues it could potentially effect, so this would be a last ditch option.

I'm also considering bells to demonstrate going to the door because it's one of the few things I haven't tried, but I'm convinced she'll just learn that bells = outside = unlimited access to sticks, rocks, grass, bugs, leaves, and poop.

The part I'm struggling with most is me.

I've read all the advice about staying calm, not punishing accidents, and how yelling damages your bond and doesn't teach them anything. and I know all of that intellectually. But when she pees or poops in the house, my immediate reaction is just.... rage.

I try SO hard not to react. I pick her up to take her outside, which usually just results in a trail of pee or poop through my house because, of course, she doesn't stop once I pick her up.

Then I feel overwhelmingly guilty.

I wonder if I just don't have the patience to own a puppy anymore. I spiral into feeling angry, frustrated, sad, guilty, and like I'm failing both dogs. I almost wish she showed some sign that she understood she'd done something wrong, not because I want to punish her, but because it feels like she genuinely doesn't care.

I'm terrified I'm ruining any chance of bonding with her because right now... I honestly don't like her.

That's the part I feel the worst about.

I don't remember feeling this way with my other puppies. I had such an immediate connection with my older dog that I can't help comparing them, even though I know it's unfair.

My family thought getting another puppy was a bad idea (my dad actually refused to speak to me after I got her) so I cannot ask them for help. My friends have puppies that are even younger, and somehow they're already staying out of the crate home alone without having accidents. It makes me feel like I'm a terrible owner.

I keep reminding myself that I chose a working breed that needs a ton of mental and physical stimulation. I'm providing that. She's exercised, trained, enriched, and has my other dog whom she loves to play with.

And yet... nothing seems to be getting better.

Has anyone else had a puppy that just seemed impossible? Did it eventually click? Or am I genuinely missing something?

Oh and I've reached out to my therapist because I know I need to work on my own reactions and feelings around all of this. Unfortunately, she's away right now, which is just really bad timing.

She is crate trained (understands that "home" means go in the crate). I do work full time Monday-Friday so she is in the crate from 830-1230, then again 130-4. She also sleeps in her crate during the night. That said I do feel she is getting the appropriate amount of sleep for a puppy.

I'm trying so hard to separate my feelings toward her from the fact that my house feels like a chaotic, disorganized, pee-smelling mess and that I constantly feel overwhelmed but right now I'm struggling to do so. ugh.

A post for hope! We thought our puppy was just not into cuddles much. The puppy biting was so difficult we were planning to wait a few more months to attempt sleeping in our bed with us. But at 5 months old, our girl (let's call her a medium Heinz 57 Pitsky mix) is able to sleep in bed with us at night, and cuddle on the couch with us too! AT NIGHT!

Just a month ago, the sun would go down, and she would be a total terror. We got very strict with her nap time routine - 60 minutes awake, nap time, repeat. Now she puts herself to sleep for a nap! Sometimes in her crate, sometimes in her many beds or the couch. Its amazing!

She loves the cuddles and snuggles and I get to wake up to her super adorable sleeping face all curled up next to me. Stick with it, friends!

I expected chewing, potty accidents, barking... our 12 week old basset is a biting terror. Growing up, our family dog would mouth but never bite hard or chomp on me. I was not prepared for this. He jumps and bites at me all the time. When he can't get to me to bite, he barks at me. My husband adores him and thinks it is all normal puppy behavior but when he "play growls" and nips it makes me jump. He is very noisy/vocal when playing. We can't give him rawhide or smelly chews or he resource guards (just growling, but no doubt he would bite eventually). Thank God he has not resource guarded his kibble or toys yet. Breeder was little to no help (bad advice like to swat him) so we have a consult with a trainer Thursday. Maybe a couple hours out the day he is so sweet. He rolls over and shows his belly and gives kisses. He is also so adorable.

But it has gotten to where I am scared of him sometimes. I am terrified if I were to rehome, I'd regret it forever and wouldn't be able to get him back. When I think about rehoming I cry and cry for hours. I want to think maybe this crazy biting and puppy attacks will get better but I worry it's a sign he has bad temperament. He is so wonderful and friendly with strangers. I just don't get it. Has anyone dealt with this kind of thing? It almost feels like we got scammed because everything I was told about his breed was that they were docile and gentle. I have cried more the past few days than I have in years. Worrying shelling out money for a trainer is just a waste because he is a mean bad dog.

Don’t let your pup eat corn cobs 🙃.
To preface this I didn’t know my 6.5 month golden retriever ate one, he must have found it at my dad’s place because we never eat corn at our house. He was fine until he wasn’t.
I thought he caught a stomach bug and took him to the vet to find out he actually had an intestinal blockage and needed emergent surgery. I had to drive from one emergency vet to an animal hospital. He waited all night for surgery because he was more stable than the other pets, and just before he was supposed to have surgery he shockingly passed the corn cobs himself in his stool. They kept him another night for monitoring and he’s doing amazing. I’m just about to go pick him up to bring him home. I can’t believe this whole ordeal. This is my first golden and my border collies never tried to eat weird things so I never even would have guessed that corn cobs are so dangerous:

Long story short they are completely indigestable and even if chewed up they can still cause a blockage and be deadly. Please be so careful. Happy pup parenting yall!

I adopted a puppy on 7/11 (born 5/7/26) so she is now a little over 10 weeks and has been home with me for a little over a week. She is a long haired mini dachshund.

Growing up, I have never been allowed to have a pet. I thought I had experience dogsitting for people (puppies and adults). I have wanted one since playing with my neighbors dachshund as a young girl, and since living with a mixed doxie breed from 2021 through 2023. I find them absolutely adorable and have so many dachshund-themed items. I thought I performed sufficient research on their behaviors, preferences, potential health issues, etc. I have spent a significant amount of money on anything I possibly could to help her adjust and be happy.

Things I did not realize when I got my puppy:

1. The adjustment of being a “mom” when I’ve never had to be the primary caretaker of another living being
2. Loss of moments between just my fiance and I, feeling like I ruined what was a perfect dynamic
3. The fact that she cannot be left alone for small stretches of time and our training does not seem to help her adjust. High value treats do not distract her until we return.
4. Needing to go back to work in person soon after adoption; I have already spent so much money, and now I have to get sitters, daycare, training classes, etc
5. That puppies can easily pick up parasites (mine caught giardia immediately which has further reduced the places we can go with her)
6. That she won’t be fully vaccinated until 15 ish weeks
7. Mental health impact (expanded on below)

Additionally, she will not poop outside on walks. She only will if we are outside for a really long stretch (like 1-3 hours). She waits til we come back inside.

All of that being said, I want to focus on #7 now. I have a history of depression and anxiety but am on a pretty low dose of medication which has made me feel pretty stable. I was feeling very good about my life, my mental health, work, and everything else. On day 2 of having her, I began to have panic attacks, uncontrollable crying, terrible anxiety, loss of appetite, etc. I feel incredibly disconnected from her because of the way she makes me feel. I’ve already upped my medication and even gotten a sedative prescribed and I had my first therapy session.

I’m her primary caretaker. My fiance didn’t really care to get a dog but supported me getting one since he knew how badly I’ve wanted one throughout our relationship. What we both didn’t expect was my terribly negative reaction I’ve had to all of these changes. I’ve read a lot of posts/comments on this sub that say it gets better with time. I want the dog to eventually fit into our life, our dynamic; not the other way around. I still want to be able to go out to dinners and enjoy some evenings out, not feeling confined to my 1 bedroom apartment.

I just feel absolutely miserable. She is objectively adorable and everybody stops us on the street to ask about her, compliment her, pet her, etc. I just don’t feel a connection when I look at her. She has made me lose so much zest for living in such a short amount of time. My fiance says he hasn’t seen me like this throughout our 5 years together, and we’ve supported each other through some pretty tough times. I don’t know a path forward. Advice please.

It's Monday. Maybe you didn't sleep. Maybe your puppy lost their mind at 3am. Maybe you're just tired in a way that's hard to explain to people who don't have a puppy.

This is your space to let it out.

No advice unless you ask for it. No silver linings required. Just drop what's been hard and know that someone here gets it.

We're listening. 💙

Excuse the title, I wasnt really sure what to put. First time even ever posting on reddit, but I really dont know what to do. I have a not even 4 month old lab puppy(Likely another breed or two mixed in), that I feel like I'm failing...

I've grown up with dogs before, but this is the first puppy me and my husband have had ourselves, together. I'm trying to do what I think is right for training, what I thought was right... But just yesterday, he started growling when we fed him and growling when I pet him for a treat/toy(Pupsickle ball). My roommate/friend ended up getting hurt, which I think was a accident, the pups teeth scrapped his hand. But my friend was forcing the toy away, which I yelled at him for, since I'm sure that did not help... Still, I rather my pup not get so aggressive either way..

I'm just unsure how to handle this... My husband keeps telling me we just need to do things differently, to feed him in his kennel with no one else around and teach him its okay for us to be there. But... Did we cause this? Did we mess up and cause him to feel he needs to be aggressive about his food?

Not just that, I'm unsure if I'm doing anything right... I keep talking to other people, and they tell me how their pups didnt do this or that, but he does.. Hes very bull headed, and gets distracted easily. I mean, he listens, he knows the tricks, its just getting him to focus... Then his nipping, it hurts, and I'm unsure if I'm handling it right. I've tried the holding mouth shut, the holding his lips over his teeth, the giving him a chew toy instead, but I cant tell if any of it is working...

A bit of rambling, I am sorry, this is just getting to me. I dont want to fail him, I want to do right... But I dont know if I am is all. If anyone has any advice or places I can get advice, please, do tell...

Sorry for the really long post:

Two months ago my husband and I got a pembroke corgi puppy from (what we thought was) a reputable breeder in our area. He is 4 months old now. The first two weeks were actually really good and he seemed very sweet and even caught on to potty training fairly quickly, ringing the bell at our back door to go out. I thought wow this isn’t so bad! Then it all went to hell. 

He constantly will snarl and snap at us randomly. He has already bitten our child pretty bad (he’s an older kid so past the really crazy toddler phase). We were all sitting together watching a movie and our son was petting him and the puppy was totally fine, then just chomped his hand really hard and growled. He draws blood several times with his bites when we aren’t expecting it. We’ve since kept our son and puppy separated.

Potty training…. I’ve had quite a few puppies before and have had great success with training them. It wasn’t easy and of course there were accidents but it worked slowly but surely. With this one it’s just a freaking mess. He constantly pees all over himself, even after having just gone outside. Same with pooping. Goes in the crate, goes anywhere and everywhere inside, goes outside, goes in his sleep…. He sometimes will show signs he has to go in which case we take him out and reward him when he goes, but other times he literally shows no signs whatsoever. We do the usual things we’ve done with other puppies: tethered to us with a leash, playpen, crating, taking him out frequently, no punishment just positive reinforcement, high value treats, etc etc. We use enzymatic cleaners and even tried just confining him to a playpen at night so he wouldn’t just lay in his poop all night, but he STILL DOES IT. He smears it everywhere and has gotten conjunctivitis a few times because of it.

I’m so over this dog. I loved him at first but honestly I just really can’t stand him anymore. Every single day I spend hours having to clean and do laundry and wash him, just for him to immediately do this all over again. Not to mention the attitude problem he has. I’ve reached out to the breeder many times about returning him to her as I just don’t think he’s a good fit for us, and she doesn’t want to take him back. Problem is nobody we know wants him and I just don’t know what to do with him. I don’t want to take him to a shelter, rescues in my area aren’t accepting any dogs right now, and I genuinely hate the thought of paying so much for him to just give him away for practically nothing (this might sound harsh but it’s the truth). At this point though I’d be willing to do so just to get rid of him, but anyone mildly interested changes their mind after seeing him for a bit and how he acts.

Vets have ruled out any health or medical issues for the pottying constantly and the aggression; they said he might just legitimately have some behavioral issues that were not disclosed to us by the breeder, which would also explain why the breeder doesn’t have any interest in him nor want him back.

We paid a good amount of money for him and I feel like such an idiot for doing so. I’ve had other corgis from other breeders and they were wonderful, but this one is just the bane of my existence right now. I’m not even sure what advice I’m looking for with this post; I just feel so angry and tired of dealing with this 😪

TLDR: bought puppy from a breeder and he has shown some behavioral issues and is making life a living hell, but breeder doesn’t want him and won’t help so I’m at a loss of what to do. Is it behavioral issues, or me, or…? I don’t even know.

We have a 14-week-old English Cocker Spaniel (our first dog) who’s been with us for 5 weeks. He also came to us with serious eye problems, so the whole start has been incredibly stressful.

I’m just… exhausted.

He bites me from the second I get out of bed until he falls asleep. Hands, arms, feet, legs. I can’t even walk through my apartment without being attacked. I’m covered in bruises and scratches.

The only time I actually enjoy him is when he’s asleep, and then I just feel guilty for thinking that.

I work from home but can barely move because he wakes up and immediately starts biting again.
People keep saying “it’s just puppy biting,” but this feels so much more intense. We were told cocker spaniels are great family dogs and easy to train but this one is just a living nightmare. I’m honestly questioning if I’m cut out for this and whether I’ll ever have a normal life again.

Please tell me it gets better. I could really use some hope right now. 💔

Recently got a puppy, he's sweet, everyone loves him, probably better behaved than any I've had before and I can't open up to him. I've played with him and sometimes cuddle him but it always just ends in a feeling of "that's enough"

I am dealing with sleep deprivation which will hopefully ease up soon with my new schedule but obviously the puppy is throwing a wrench in that too. I can't tell if I'm just temporarily depressed or if I've changed. I had dogs my whole life, they were often my reason for living, but after two years without one since the last one passed away I think I've become someone who enjoys the peace of being alone. Everyone says it'll pass, but I just can't shake the dreadful thought I've tied myself down for another 15 years.

for those of you in the depth of the puppy blues i’m just going to say, it gets so much better. after a month i love my puppy, we have a bond, i can’t imagine life without him.
he gets fixed tmrw and im going to be lost without him all day. he’s my rock and im telling you the tears stop, wanting to rehome goes away. you got this.