It is challenging, but I promise you this…

When you look back at puppyhood, you will remember it with fondness. Puppy breath, puppy snuggles, puppy play, and the way they just bounce around are some of the sweetest things in the world.

They will love you unconditionally, too. It’s amazingly wonderful.

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I was incredibly exhausted, but getting our pups was the best thing that ever happened to us. They are 1 now, and I love them so, so much. I can’t imagine life without them - so much kindness and love and hilarity.

Anonymous wrote:I’m getting a puppy soon and am well aware of the challenges I face. I have 3 kids and liken puppy ownership to reverting back to the newborn period, which is not my favorite stage. So please tell me what you loved (or wish you’d stopped to appreciate) about having a puppy. Thanks!

I loved that I could socialize the puppy from the very beginning. Failure to socialize, or inappropriate socialization, can cause issues in older adopted dogs. Not always. It's just a crap shoot.

I loved that my kids got to see the whole "lifecycle" of dog ownership and how that changes over the course of a dog's life.

I loved taking my dog to training classes and building that relationship with him. You can do that at any age, but I particularly liked the puppy kindergarten and puppy first grade classes.

I loved the little puppy breath and puppy belly. They go away too soon.

The cuteness, of course. I wish I had more video of when my dug was a pup..

OP here - thank you all This helps more than you can imagine, and we’re getting excited!

There's lots of helpful videos on youtube. Good luck!

I prefer raising a dog from a puppy because it really, really makes me appreciate the calm dog they become! We have a second dog who is a puppy and what is getting me through it is seeing how awesome my older dog is and how the little one will be this way too.

Other positives are take lots and lots of pictures! It goes by quickly.

The too big feet and ears. The cute expressions. The bouncing. All very sweet.

Puppy breath. So much better than dog breath!

Take lots of photos. Puppies grow SO fast.

I have three kids and a puppy right now. She is so snuggly! She is a bright light in our lives right now. We love watching her personality develop - she started off shy with our older dog and new people, and is now much more assertive and confident.

We got a puppy three years ago. We were first time dog owners (i.e., my husband and I hadn't even had dogs since very early childhood). I was not really a dog person.
And having a puppy was not nearly as hard as I imagined. Much like have a young toddler. Some accidents, some middle-of-the-night potty trips, some destroyed items that were left on the floor. But he brought much more joy and laughter than work. Because he was so little, he bonded with us quickly and we were able to train him before bad habits became ingrained.
The destructive and needy puppy stage passed within a month or two, and now he is the joy of our lives.
My best advice would be to not overthink it. I read some advice, like keeping the dog tethered to you, which sounded exhausting and overly complicated. Just go with the flow, enroll him in a low-key puppy training course, and keep lots of toys around to keep his mind and teeth busy and occupied.

Now, not Joe 🤣

We had a really tough year, not gonna lie 😝 but our puppy is Joe almost two and just an absolute joy. All that work we put in was 100% worth it. And sometimes he gives us a particular look and I can see in his face what he used to look like as a puppy and it’s this wonderful flood of sweet memories of when he was so cute and tiny. Good luck OP, it gets better.

OP here - thank you all. This really helps

She makes us all smile and laugh, which is much needed at times.