This week, we welcome my client and shadow student as a guest blogger. Julia and her dog, Maisy, have overcome many obstacles in their training journey. Read on if you’re feeling like the only person on the planet who is struggling with puppy biting, jumping up, humping, house breaking, pulling on the leash, reactivity, and crate training.
Maisy as a puppy (Photo: Golden Retriever puppy napping on a deck with her face pressed against a wall)
Hello, my name’s Julia. This is Maisy, my 19-month-old Golden Retriever. I’m here to talk about the joys and struggles of raising a puppy!
We often think puppies are little angles and the cutest things on the planet. And although we know there will be some puppy biting, accidents in the house, misbehaviour, and pulling on the leash, most people do not know how long, persistent, and mentally exhausting these behaviours can be on owners! Do you know how many tears I’ve cried because of these behaviours?
Puppy ownership is not all rainbows and butterflies (Photo: a rainbow in a bright blue sky)
Everyone talks about how wonderful puppyhood is and how cute they are, but people rarely talk about the difficulties and struggles of having a puppy. I would never have imagined when I first got Maisy how many tears would be shed, and feelings of failure would be felt because of behaviour and training setbacks.
Many trainers and YouTube videos talk about creating a routine and all the things to do with your puppy to tire them out and train them, but putting these into practice is much harder than it sounds, and getting success is often even more challenging! At this point in their puppy raising journey many owners, including myself, feel like
- Failures
- Feel alone and isolated with their struggles
- Put pressure and unattainable expectations on ourselves and our dogs
- Wonder why everyone else seems to have more success than we do (even though this is not the case and every dog owner struggles)
- Give up on certain routines or training goals because they were too challenging (we actually gave up on crate training for a year!)
Many puppy parents will feel as though they are failing their puppy (Photo: Maisy the Golden Retriever sits in front of a bright coloured wall)
The question is, why is the dog community so secretive about the struggles of dog training and raising a puppy?! Because up until this point that is how it’s always been — but the old way isn’t always the best way. Meaning we need to start speaking up more about the struggles of being a dog parent.
Some ways to help improve this aspect of the dog community and seek advice and acceptance are:
- Talk to your dog trainer on a personal level. If they are not empathetic to your struggles and emotions, it might be time to find a new dog trainer,
- Ask your dog trainer if any of their other clients would like to connect with you, so that both of you have someone to talk about dog struggles with,
- Look at more vlogs and dog owner YouTube videos and channels because they are more likely to show the struggles of dog training, versus dog trainers who generally only show the positives and successes of dog training but don’t always show the process or the steps how,
- Join dog groups on Facebook to connect with other owners in your area,
- Join Instagram (you don’t have to make a dog account) to follow and connect with other dog owners. Many owners, specifically on the Instagram platform, are starting to share more about the struggles of dog training, puppy raising, dog reactivity, and many more issues. It can be a great space to connect and learn.
Soaking up the sun on a snowy day (Photo: Maisy lying down on a boulder in the snow)
Raising a puppy is hard but please understand you are not alone, even if in the moment it might seem like it. Don’t hesitate to reach out and connect with new people. The number of people I have met on Instagram is mind blowing and it has been the best and most eye-opening experience.
If you would like to follow Maisy and I on our dog training journey you can follow us at adventures_with_maisy !!
Hopefully I’ll talk to you guys again and good luck!
Julia
Photos: Julia Pridmore (Golden Retriever puppy napping on a deck with her face pressed against a wall,) Harald Arlander @arlandscape (a rainbow in a bright blue sky,) Julia Pridmore (Maisy the Golden Retriever sits in front of a bright coloured wall,) Julia Pridmore ( Maisy lying down on a boulder in the snow.)