Why Don’t I Like My Puppy?

Although love at first sight can happen with new puppies, for most of us, this bond is built over the days, weeks and months you spend together. It isn’t usually instant.

And some new puppy parents actually find themselves wondering if they even like their new puppy let alone love them.

This is Really Common

This feeling is not unusual at all, in fact I’d go as far as to say that the majority of new puppy parents I speak to struggle with these emotions to some degree.

We are creatures of habit, and a new arrival that turns your daily routine on its head is always going to be at least a little unsettling.

Bad Puppies

It’s easy to wonder what has gone wrong between you and your puppy, when you don’t feel happy in their presence.

You might consider that you’re not a natural puppy parent, or even wonder whether you’ve got a bad puppy.

Good puppies don’t wake you up at all hours, cry in the crate, poop on the rug or bite your toes, right?

The good news is that very few puppies are bad puppies. In fact, I’d venture to say none are.

Sometimes a breed isn’t the right fit for a particular family, or their background means that they are full of fear when they should be relaxed, but this isn’t inherently bad.

Puppies are a handful, so you need to work out whether your expectations are reasonable. And whether the reality is one that you want to fit your life around.

Reasonable Expectations

Those of us who have brought many puppies into our homes over the years know what to expect, but if you haven’t had one before or it’s been a while, it can be a shock.

Almost all puppies need house training, regardless of whether the breeder told you that they were already clean. They will bite, and this will ramp up before it calms down. Puppies get over excited, under your feet, and often destroy your property.

You won’t be able to leave your items on low surfaces, and you’ll need to set alarms to wake up early if not in the night for quite a while.

It’s a lot.

Puppies require a huge amount of time, focus and energy. If you want a smooth transition, a large amount of your life over those first weeks will be spent sticking to routines, using positive reinforcement to form strong bonds, and trying not to get too upset when things don’t go to plan.

Making Progress

The more proactive you are, the quicker you’ll progress. I highly encourage you to throw yourself into planning potty routines, getting started with training games and puppy proof your house. Knowing when and how you can both have a little space from each other, and keeping your possessions and family members apart, has huge benefits.

The intense feelings that come with life changes will pass, because soon it won’t be different, this will become your new normal. And as your puppy grows you will bond, the love will grow, and they will become increasingly easy to share your space with.

It’s Okay To Not Feel Okay

It’s important to know that it is totally valid to find this time stressful. Most puppy parents do, and most of them grow to love this new life. Especially once those high maintenance puppy days have passed.

But it’s also important to know when you need extra support.

Training groups, puppy socialization classes, online training or forums can all give you help with both the logistics and emotional side of puppy parenting.

Our support group is here.

We’ve all been there, and we will help you to get out the other side to reclaim your calm home and those feelings of love that you dreamed of, and that will build over time.