Anonymous
03/04/2025 20:50
Subject: I was an idiot to get a puppy.
+1 the puppy blues are realAnonymous wrote:I understand. I definitely had PPD for a few months with my puppy.
Anonymous
03/04/2025 20:48
Subject: I was an idiot to get a puppy.
I understand. I definitely had PPD for a few months with my puppy.
Anonymous
03/04/2025 20:45
Subject: I was an idiot to get a puppy.
How old is your puppy? Can you afford something like this? https://pawmora.com/puppy-academy
At least you’d get a break during the day.
At least you’d get a break during the day.
Anonymous
03/04/2025 20:45
Subject: I was an idiot to get a puppy.
Anonymous wrote:Give it time. Ours took 6 months to pt. And two years to calm down.
No. Don't give anymore time. Give this puppy an opportunity to find a forever home. Puppies are more readily adopted so get this dog back to the shelter pronto. Cut your losses, regain your sanity and know that you learned a lesson. You are not happy and clearly at the end of your rope, and I frankly worry about the safety of the dog.
Anonymous
03/04/2025 20:41
Subject: I was an idiot to get a puppy.
Anonymous wrote:1. You're not reading her cues when she's in the house. You need eyes on her at all times. Yell at her (not hit) when you catch her in the act of peeing or pooping inside. And then take her out by the scruff of the neck and go outside, even though you know she might have finished, just to impress your displeasure upon her and get her to understand that she needs to pee and poo outside. When she does her business outside, you need to give her a high-value treat immediately, and pet and coo at her.
2. Your carpet might have too much scent on it by now and she thinks that's where she's supposed to go. If you can roll away your carpets to have them cleaned, that would be ideal. If not, all the spots she's dumped and peed on need serious soaking in one of those dog enzyme cleaners. Don't even mop it up. Let it soak for days.
3. Finally, crate. It's normal for her to whine and scream. NEVER TAKE OUT A WHINY DOG OUT OF THEIR CRATE. They're training you, not the other way around. The longer you've been obeying their "let me out!" screams, the longer it takes to train them out of it. Put on noise-canceling headphones, and earplugs at night. Put on music while in the shower. Do not cave.
You let her out when she's exhausted herself and isn't making any noise in her crate.
4. She sounds extremely anxious. You can ask your vet for anxiety meds, and you can buy a bark collar for when you leave her alone in the house. Make sure she has a high-value treat when you leave (but I know that alone doesn't cut it for anxious dogs). Even if the neighbors aren't bothered by her barking while you're out, she's hurting herself. Dogs bark naturally at various things, including wildlife and mailmen, but the boredom or separation anxiety bark is mentally unhealthy for them. My dog only barked twice with his bark collar and learned the zap wasn't what he wanted. Don't let yourself be lulled by positive-only trainers, OP. Certain dogs need aversive tools, used wisely and sparingly. I tested the zap on myself first. Always do that.
Thank you for the advice. I did entirely remove the carpet, I will treat it and sent it to a laundromat but it won't be put back until when/if she is house trained. She does settle eventually in the crate and I never let her out while whining.
For the house training - I am struggling to have eyes on her all the time. I need to shower / leave the room sometimes.
Anonymous
03/04/2025 20:40
Subject: I was an idiot to get a puppy.
Anonymous wrote:Where did you get the puppy from? A breeder? If so you signed paperwork saying you will return the dog to the breeder. You probably won't get your money back but you will get your life back which is priceless.
No, a rescue, but same policy.
Anonymous
03/04/2025 20:33
Subject: I was an idiot to get a puppy.
Where did you get the puppy from? A breeder? If so you signed paperwork saying you will return the dog to the breeder. You probably won't get your money back but you will get your life back which is priceless.
Anonymous
03/04/2025 20:30
Subject: I was an idiot to get a puppy.
Give it time. Ours took 6 months to pt. And two years to calm down.
Anonymous
03/04/2025 20:21
Subject: I was an idiot to get a puppy.
1. You're not reading her cues when she's in the house. You need eyes on her at all times. Yell at her (not hit) when you catch her in the act of peeing or pooping inside. And then take her out by the scruff of the neck and go outside, even though you know she might have finished, just to impress your displeasure upon her and get her to understand that she needs to pee and poo outside. When she does her business outside, you need to give her a high-value treat immediately, and pet and coo at her.
2. Your carpet might have too much scent on it by now and she thinks that's where she's supposed to go. If you can roll away your carpets to have them cleaned, that would be ideal. If not, all the spots she's dumped and peed on need serious soaking in one of those dog enzyme cleaners. Don't even mop it up. Let it soak for days.
3. Finally, crate. It's normal for her to whine and scream. NEVER TAKE OUT A WHINY DOG OUT OF THEIR CRATE. They're training you, not the other way around. The longer you've been obeying their "let me out!" screams, the longer it takes to train them out of it. Put on noise-canceling headphones, and earplugs at night. Put on music while in the shower. Do not cave.
You let her out when she's exhausted herself and isn't making any noise in her crate.
4. She sounds extremely anxious. You can ask your vet for anxiety meds, and you can buy a bark collar for when you leave her alone in the house. Make sure she has a high-value treat when you leave (but I know that alone doesn't cut it for anxious dogs). Even if the neighbors aren't bothered by her barking while you're out, she's hurting herself. Dogs bark naturally at various things, including wildlife and mailmen, but the boredom or separation anxiety bark is mentally unhealthy for them. My dog only barked twice with his bark collar and learned the zap wasn't what he wanted. Don't let yourself be lulled by positive-only trainers, OP. Certain dogs need aversive tools, used wisely and sparingly. I tested the zap on myself first. Always do that.
2. Your carpet might have too much scent on it by now and she thinks that's where she's supposed to go. If you can roll away your carpets to have them cleaned, that would be ideal. If not, all the spots she's dumped and peed on need serious soaking in one of those dog enzyme cleaners. Don't even mop it up. Let it soak for days.
3. Finally, crate. It's normal for her to whine and scream. NEVER TAKE OUT A WHINY DOG OUT OF THEIR CRATE. They're training you, not the other way around. The longer you've been obeying their "let me out!" screams, the longer it takes to train them out of it. Put on noise-canceling headphones, and earplugs at night. Put on music while in the shower. Do not cave.
You let her out when she's exhausted herself and isn't making any noise in her crate.
4. She sounds extremely anxious. You can ask your vet for anxiety meds, and you can buy a bark collar for when you leave her alone in the house. Make sure she has a high-value treat when you leave (but I know that alone doesn't cut it for anxious dogs). Even if the neighbors aren't bothered by her barking while you're out, she's hurting herself. Dogs bark naturally at various things, including wildlife and mailmen, but the boredom or separation anxiety bark is mentally unhealthy for them. My dog only barked twice with his bark collar and learned the zap wasn't what he wanted. Don't let yourself be lulled by positive-only trainers, OP. Certain dogs need aversive tools, used wisely and sparingly. I tested the zap on myself first. Always do that.
Anonymous
03/04/2025 20:19
Subject: I was an idiot to get a puppy.
Just take it back. Some of this is unusually tough behavior from a puppy, but either way if you're miserable, it's not working. A puppy will get adopted.
Anonymous
03/04/2025 20:16
Subject: I was an idiot to get a puppy.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:You will absolutely get flamed here but return the puppy to the shelter sooner rather than later so it can find a new family. And don’t adopt another pet.
I feel like I am trying everything and failing. I don't know how anyone does this. We have an older dog but she is much easier.
I don’t know either. I could not be a dog parent at all.
Anonymous
03/04/2025 20:15
Subject: I was an idiot to get a puppy.
Anonymous wrote:You will absolutely get flamed here but return the puppy to the shelter sooner rather than later so it can find a new family. And don’t adopt another pet.
I feel like I am trying everything and failing. I don't know how anyone does this. We have an older dog but she is much easier.
Anonymous
03/04/2025 20:15
Subject: I was an idiot to get a puppy.
You will absolutely get flamed here but return the puppy to the shelter sooner rather than later so it can find a new family. And don’t adopt another pet.
Anonymous
03/04/2025 20:09
Subject: I was an idiot to get a puppy.
To add, my husband, who said he would help, is totally unhelpful. I want to take them both back to the shelter and leave them there.
Anonymous
03/04/2025 20:07
Subject: I was an idiot to get a puppy.
I don't think I can take this anymore. I feel like a prisoner in my own home. Before anyone asks, I took two weeks off of work to be at home full time with the dog, we're working with a trainer, and doing crate training exercises, but I can't do it. The dog refuses to house train (I take her out 500x a day, she immediately comes in and takes a dump on the carpet), she will stay in her crate for MAYBE 90 minutes max with the first 30 spent whining, and you can forget leaving the house, she'll bark and howl the entire time.
Tonight I broke down in tears because I am sleep deprived, can't take a damn shower without having to listen to high pitched whining and howling, and I am going to lose my sh!t if I have to clean piss and crap out of my carpet one more f**cking time. I feel like a POS but I don't understand how anyone does this working a full time job outside the home. I am just done.
Tonight I broke down in tears because I am sleep deprived, can't take a damn shower without having to listen to high pitched whining and howling, and I am going to lose my sh!t if I have to clean piss and crap out of my carpet one more f**cking time. I feel like a POS but I don't understand how anyone does this working a full time job outside the home. I am just done.