How much work is a new puppy?

[Anonymous]

We got ours closer to 4 months. He was very easily crate trained and house broken.

That said it's still a lot of work getting your dog to behave like you want. It was months of him wearing a leash in the house so we could teach him all the things he can and can't do and limiting access to certain rooms. We've completed 12 weeks of training. We are an active family so making sure he gets enough exercise hasn't been an issue. He tags along with whatever we were already going to do.

It is a lot of work and expensive but, at least starting at 4 months, not even closely comparable to a newborn. You can't crate a newborn and leave the house. But if you don't have an active lifestyle and aren't home alot, I wouldn't get a puppy. It won't be enjoyable for either of you.

[Anonymous]

We have a 10 week old puppy, got her 2 weeks ago. She is adorable AND a lot of work. She really can't go more than a couple hours without a potty break unless she is in a crate. And she chews ALL.THE.THINGS. but she is learning quickly, already has sit and down in her repertoire. I work from home so I am able to spend a lot of time with her. I wouldn't get a puppy unless you can be there a lot to put the training in. Get a 1 year old dog.

[Anonymous]

I've adopted dogs at 8 weeks, 14 weeks and 6 months. By far the best behaved dog in adulthood was the one I adopted as a stray at 6 months, so it's not necessarily true that bonding and obedience training needs to happen in the earliest time period. But the dog adopted at 6 months was as hard to deal with originally as the 8 week old, having a lot of anxiety, never having been in a home/car, etc. So I'd say it really just depends on the dog's own history, whether he has lived in a home, had traumatic experiences etc. The puppy at 14 weeks was much easier than the puppy at 8 weeks - the older puppy was crate trained, was already starting to control his nipping and could already sleep through the night/hold his bladder. My advice if you re getting a puppy is to get an older one - for example, pay extra for him to reside at the breeder's as long as you can if you are going the breeder route.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not that bad. We got our eight week old puppy in June and she is now four months old. I also have a four-year-old child and an eight-year-old child. It hasn’t been the most relaxing summer but it’s not at all impossible. I do not work outside the home, so I i’ve pretty much been at the beck and call of the puppy.

You have pretty much an ideal situation, that’s why it’s not so hard. You are a SAHM and your kids are not babies.

HAHAHA! I laugh at your ignorance. Having a 4 year old is like having another puppy in the house. It means CONSTANT supervision of every moment of his interaction with the puppy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not that bad. We got our eight week old puppy in June and she is now four months old. I also have a four-year-old child and an eight-year-old child. It hasn’t been the most relaxing summer but it’s not at all impossible. I do not work outside the home, so I i’ve pretty much been at the beck and call of the puppy.

You have pretty much an ideal situation, that’s why it’s not so hard. You are a SAHM and your kids are not babies.

HAHAHA! I laugh at your ignorance. Having a 4 year old is like having another puppy in the house. It means CONSTANT supervision of every moment of his interaction with the puppy.

Trust me. I’m not ignorant of kids or dogs. I have enough kids that people ask me if I’m Mormon and we foster puppies.
A 4 year old needs to be supervised with a puppy (as do kids of all ages) but they also have more independence than a two year old or baby. They can use the bathroom on their own, dress themselves and are generally more self sufficient.

[Anonymous]

So. Much. Work. You will get up in the middle of the night and you will need to deal with whining in the wee hours. You will have to clean up puke, poo and pee in the house and you will need to face the reality that nothing that can be chewed on is safe, including shoes, toys, wood door frames. You will need to monitor closely so Pup doesn’t eat anything detrimental or choke on small items. Yeah it’s like a kid somewhat but also like a kid, so much love and fun so all of the work is worth it.

[Anonymous]

We just got a puppy. 10 week old female. I go to bed early, so she wakes my up at 11 to go out, then sleeps until 5. I’m up by 530, so this doesn’t bother me. We’ve had no pee accidents and two poop accidents on the first 24 hours because we weren’t tuned into her daily schedule or signs. Now we are much better.

First few minutes of crate training- like 20-30 mins- there was whimpering, but on day 2 she loved it. Goes right in, funds her comfy spot and is asleep.

We start puppy training next week.

So far, it’s not as bad as I was fearing.

[Anonymous]

It's honestly soooooooo much easier than people, books, trainers make you fear it's going to be. I am shocked how quickly our 8 week old acclimated. She hasn't has an accident since week two of her being in our home. Just PAY ATTENTION to the puppy and all will be well. If you want the fun stuff without the commitment of the daily grind of caregiving, please foster first to see how you can handle it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not that bad. We got our eight week old puppy in June and she is now four months old. I also have a four-year-old child and an eight-year-old child. It hasn’t been the most relaxing summer but it’s not at all impossible. I do not work outside the home, so I i’ve pretty much been at the beck and call of the puppy.

You have pretty much an ideal situation, that’s why it’s not so hard. You are a SAHM and your kids are not babies.

HAHAHA! I laugh at your ignorance. Having a 4 year old is like having another puppy in the house. It means CONSTANT supervision of every moment of his interaction with the puppy.

Trust me. I’m not ignorant of kids or dogs. I have enough kids that people ask me if I’m Mormon and we foster puppies.
A 4 year old needs to be supervised with a puppy (as do kids of all ages) but they also have more independence than a two year old or baby. They can use the bathroom on their own, dress themselves and are generally more self sufficient.

Believe me, it would be "easier" for all, especially for the puppy, if I worked outside the home and it had to go to puppy "daycare" all day and then only had a few hours of time at home before going to bed. It's INFINITELY harder to be the sole caretaker every moment of a puppy's early months in home where there are countless things to be destroyed, peed on, ransacked, and children to constantly have interaction with. Outsourcing that job is lazy and I would NEVER have gotten a puppy if I wasn't home full-time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not that bad. We got our eight week old puppy in June and she is now four months old. I also have a four-year-old child and an eight-year-old child. It hasn’t been the most relaxing summer but it’s not at all impossible. I do not work outside the home, so I i’ve pretty much been at the beck and call of the puppy.

You have pretty much an ideal situation, that’s why it’s not so hard. You are a SAHM and your kids are not babies.

HAHAHA! I laugh at your ignorance. Having a 4 year old is like having another puppy in the house. It means CONSTANT supervision of every moment of his interaction with the puppy.

Trust me. I’m not ignorant of kids or dogs. I have enough kids that people ask me if I’m Mormon and we foster puppies.
A 4 year old needs to be supervised with a puppy (as do kids of all ages) but they also have more independence than a two year old or baby. They can use the bathroom on their own, dress themselves and are generally more self sufficient.

Believe me, it would be "easier" for all, especially for the puppy, if I worked outside the home and it had to go to puppy "daycare" all day and then only had a few hours of time at home before going to bed. It's INFINITELY harder to be the sole caretaker every moment of a puppy's early months in home where there are countless things to be destroyed, peed on, ransacked, and children to constantly have interaction with. Outsourcing that job is lazy and I would NEVER have gotten a puppy if I wasn't home full-time.

You are drama. First you said “it’s not that bad”, then “hahaha I laugh at your ignorance” as if you’re the only person whose ever had puppies and kids, and then you are a saint for being a full time puppy mom and threw jabs at people who work and outsource things. Which is it? Not so bad or so much work? I can’t tell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's honestly soooooooo much easier than people, books, trainers make you fear it's going to be. I am shocked how quickly our 8 week old acclimated. She hasn't has an accident since week two of her being in our home. Just PAY ATTENTION to the puppy and all will be well. If you want the fun stuff without the commitment of the daily grind of caregiving, please foster first to see how you can handle it.

Puppies are just like kids. Some are a lot easier than others.

[Anonymous]

Having a puppy is near impossible if someone can't be around to take the puppy out all the time.
It's much easier if someone works from home or is a SAHparent. We took our 8 week old out every hour during the day and twice at night. She trained very quickly.
Read about clicker training and be religious about it and your life will be pleasant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not that bad. We got our eight week old puppy in June and she is now four months old. I also have a four-year-old child and an eight-year-old child. It hasn’t been the most relaxing summer but it’s not at all impossible. I do not work outside the home, so I i’ve pretty much been at the beck and call of the puppy.

You have pretty much an ideal situation, that’s why it’s not so hard. You are a SAHM and your kids are not babies.

HAHAHA! I laugh at your ignorance. Having a 4 year old is like having another puppy in the house. It means CONSTANT supervision of every moment of his interaction with the puppy.

Trust me. I’m not ignorant of kids or dogs. I have enough kids that people ask me if I’m Mormon and we foster puppies.
A 4 year old needs to be supervised with a puppy (as do kids of all ages) but they also have more independence than a two year old or baby. They can use the bathroom on their own, dress themselves and are generally more self sufficient.

Believe me, it would be "easier" for all, especially for the puppy, if I worked outside the home and it had to go to puppy "daycare" all day and then only had a few hours of time at home before going to bed. It's INFINITELY harder to be the sole caretaker every moment of a puppy's early months in home where there are countless things to be destroyed, peed on, ransacked, and children to constantly have interaction with. Outsourcing that job is lazy and I would NEVER have gotten a puppy if I wasn't home full-time.

I think the puppy has gotten to you.

[Anonymous]

We adopted an older puppy, 5 months old. It was so so easy. She was already crate trained, slept through the night, figured out asking to be let out right away, only needed to be told once what not to chew on. But she is very smart and easy going in general. Was so much easier than we could have ever expected. I imagine, it would be much more work with a young puppy. We initially aimed to adopt an older dog but this worked out so well. We got to enjoy the puppy stage without any of the hard work.

[Anonymous]

It is major work, and you will lose furniture, shoes, etc. You have to baby proof everything for them and for you. It is worth the work overall, but, and I can't stress this enough:

Adopt- Don't Shop.