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| Max with his favorite Doodle friend, Layla |
My puppy is 5 months old this week and he is as rambunctious and adorable as ever! Look at the before and after picture. It's amazing how fast they grow! I haven't had a puppy since I was really young, so I didn't realize how much work and effort it takes to train a puppy. The kinds of things I just assumed my dog would know how to do like walk on a leash, turned out to be a huge pain to have to train him in. And the things I never thought I'd have to deal with like chasing him down when he runs off with my socks has been an adjustment too. We couldn't afford to adopt Max, keep him healthy with all of the vaccinations and check ups, AND put him through puppy school, so we decided to train him on our own. And it has been so much harder than I expected.
My mother-in-law once told me that God makes babies (and puppies) really cute because they are so much work and deplete you of all of of your energy and patience, so it would be nearly impossible to tolerate them otherwise. I think she's got a point.
Don't get me wrong, adopting Max has been one of the most joy-filled experiences I've ever had, but much like many good things in life, it's really hard.
Here are some things I've learned and can share about owning and training a puppy...
Puppies Are Unpredictable
I did a lot of research beforehand on training puppies and found all kinds of conflicting advice on everything from discipline to what to feed them. Some of what I found was helpful, but a lot of it didn't work for Max at all. I think it goes to show that each dog is different and responds to things differently. It doesn't really make sense to take one piece of advice and assume that it applies to all dogs across the board.
One place that I did go to often for helpful advice was Cesar Millan's website. There was another Goldendoodle specific site that I used to visit often that's not available anymore unfortunately, but I found Petco employees to be really helpful even when it came to behavior advice. And of course I talked to my vet. You just have to get to know your puppy and figure out what's best for you and what you can manage as an owner.
Puppies Are Inconvenient
I had an idea of what we'd be signing on for when we decided to get a puppy - waking up in the middle of the night, taking him out in the cold rainy weather to go potty, running the risk of having him destroy things in our house - but I didn't realize how inconvenienced I would be until I actually experienced it. Besides the late night potty runs, constant chewing, and all around needy-ness, having a puppy really does limit what you can do.
We decided to crate train, but even so Max has always had a hard time when we leave him alone, and for the first couple of months he couldn't stay home for longer than a couple of hours. It's really important to consider that reality and be ok with it before you get a puppy, because it can feel frustrating at times, especially when you're lacking sleep anyway.
Puppies Need Consistency
One piece of advice I came across in my research about puppy training, and what I was told by several experts, is that puppies need consistency. And it is SO true. It's amazing to see how much Max thrives in a consistent environment and routine. Since we adopted him at 8 weeks we've always put him in his crate at night with the same stuffed toy and told him "go to bed." For the first month he resisted, but since then as soon as we tell him to go to bed he walks straight into the bedroom and into his crate. It's crazy!
As much as we've worked really hard to train Max and be consistent with him there are some things I wish we had (or hadn't) done early on and more consistently so that he would be used to it by now.
Puppies Will Take Over Your Life (If You Let Them)
I had such a difficult time leaving Max at home alone when we first got him. My heart would break when I would hear his little whines when we would leave. At first I tried rearranging my schedule so that I could be home with him as much as possible, but it's important not to let your puppy take over your life! It's so easy to do when you absolutely love your puppy and want to be a good owner, but it's more helpful to the puppy in the end if you don't make him or her the center of your world.
I still struggle with this sometimes. Since I work from home it can be tempting to let Max dictate the day by responding to his every whine and bark, but sometimes I have to revaluate and make sure that I am setting the tone for the day.
Puppies Are Amazing!
Despite all of the challenges and inconveniences of owning a puppy, it really is one of the most fun things you can do (if you like dogs that is). I wouldn't trade even the hard days with Max for anything because the really sweet moments are so worth it.
All in all Max really is a great dog. He has a really sweet temperament and is usually very obedient. He has his stubborn moments, but he's my puppy and I love him to pieces. I can understand now why they call dogs man's best friend.
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