Do you regret getting a puppy, and you’re unsure what to do? There is no escaping the awful truth: puppies are a whole lot of work. Training your puppy to be a great dog is time-consuming and troublesome between housebreaking and teaching them what they can safely chew on.
A few sleepless nights can have you wondering if you even made the right decision. It is common for new puppy owners to regret getting a dog. If this describes you, what should you do?
There is hope for those in the regret stage of purchasing their puppy. This phase is only temporary, even if it feels like it lasts forever right now. Here are a few things you can do to help get over your regret.
Before scrolling down this article, “Regret Getting a Puppy – What Should I Do,” check out these guides from our team at We Love Doodles: Reasons Why My Dog is My Best Friend and Cutest Comments For Dogs.
Seek Professional Help For Your Dog
The best way to get over the puppy blues is to eradicate bad behavior as quickly as possible. Seeking professional help from a qualified dog trainer could be just the ticket you have been searching for. You can find a qualified dog trainer on social media, through your local pet store, or the recommendation of a friend.
No matter where you live, there is undoubtedly a dog trainer somewhere nearby. Professional training works because it teaches your dog what it can and cannot do. More than that, it teaches you a new way of interacting with your dog. If you currently regret having brought it home, then you are likely communicating with it out of a place of frustration.
A trainer can teach you how to communicate more effectively for a dog that listens better. If you want your dog to learn even faster, consider paying for a board and train. This is where the trainer takes your dog into their home or facility for a specific period.
Usually, it will last two weeks to one month. While your dog is there, you don’t have to worry about anything. You will likely have a few lessons with your dog to help you transfer the skills they are learning back to your own home. Keep in mind that this is going to be quite an investment.
A good dog trainer may charge upwards of a thousand dollars for a board and train. However, this is a long-term investment in the relationship you have with your dog. It might be the thing that saves you from having to rehome your puppy.
Related: Negative Reinforcement Dog Training Guide and Best Dog Trainers in Toronto.
Ask Your Family For Help with Your Dog
In many families, one person seems to take on all of the responsibility for the dog. That can make training feel tedious and can lead to many sleepless nights. Puppies have to be let outside multiple times throughout the night to prevent accidents in their kennel.
Sharing the responsibility of the dog with other family members often helps prevent burnout on the primary pet owner. If you haven’t already, you might need to get your spouse or children to help out with the dog from time to time. This gives you a much-needed break.
Are you working on this solo? You can still get a break from your dog from time to time by enlisting the help of a dog walker or a doggy daycare. When all else fails, you could even hire a friend to sit with your puppy and entertain them for a few hours a couple of times a week. This break could be what you need to save your sanity – and your relationship with your puppy!
Crate Train Your Puppy
Sometimes, you have to get other things done around the house, and you can’t supervise your puppy. A young puppy needs near-constant supervision to ensure that they do not chew on things they shouldn’t or go to the bathroom in the house. You can eliminate the need for supervision occasionally by crate training your dog.
Most dogs won’t go to the bathroom in an appropriately-sized crate because they do not want to stand or sit in it. Their crate is their personal space, and many do not want to mess it up. You can keep your dog quiet and teach them to enjoy their crate by giving them access to puzzle toys such as a Kong ball stuffed with frozen peanut butter.
In time, your dog will likely come to enjoy the crate thoroughly. Dogs are den creatures, and they love having a small and safe place to hang out. If you leave the crate door open all the time, you may even find that your dog will curl up in their crate when they need some time alone.
Make sure to keep the crate somewhere nearby you. Please put it in your bedroom at night or in the office while you work. This allows your puppy to stay close to you, which can be reassuring to them. It also ensures that they view this less as a punishment as they are not being sent away to their crate.
Related: Best Dog Crate Alternatives and Can Two Dogs Share a Crate?
Rehoming Your Puppy As a Last Resort
When none of the above solutions work for you, it may be time to consider rehoming your new puppy. You might have a dog who continuously bites your children. You might have a dog who cannot get along with other cats and dogs in the home. In both situations, someone is at risk of getting seriously injured. When the risk is too high, you may have to consider whether the puppy would be better off in a different home.
If you need to rehome your puppy, reach out to the breeder first. They may have a clause in your purchase contract that gives them the right to take the dog back if it or she is not a good fit for your family. Even if the contract does not state this, they might appreciate having the option to take the puppy back to find a more suitable home for it.
Be careful rehoming your dog on your own using popular social media sites or classified ads. Some people will purchase dogs for backyard breeding programs or as bait dogs for fighting. You want to ensure that your puppy goes to a good home if it can no longer stay in yours.
One of the best ways to rehome your puppy is to ask your veterinarian. They may have some ideas about clients searching for a puppy like yours or information about reputable rescue programs. The veterinarian should be your first source of information if you plan to rehome your puppy.
Related: What Does It Mean When a Dog is Barking in its Sleep?
Conclusion For “Regret Getting a Puppy – What Should I Do”
Whether you truly made a mistake or the dog isn’t a good fit for your family, rehoming them might be what is best for the dog. However, there are a lot of steps you can take before going this route if you want to try to salvage your relationship with your new canine.
You can seek out professional help for training, enlist the services of doggy daycare, or crate train your dog so that you have some time to yourself. It will require time and possibly even money, but you might be able to save your puppy from rehoming. Ultimately, you should focus on doing what is suitable for you and your dog.
If you decide to keep your companion, here are some helpful dog guides to assist you on your journey:
- Why Does My Dog Stand on My Chest?
- Why Does My Dog Growl At Me at Night?
- Why Is My Dog Pooping More With New Food?
You can learn more about your companion by watching “What Nobody Tells You About Having a Puppy” down below:
Andy is a full-time animal rescuer and owner of a toy doodle. When he’s not saving dogs, Andy is one of our core writers and editors. He has been writing about dogs for over a decade. Andy joined our team because he believes that words are powerful tools that can change a dog’s life for the better.
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