The Honeymoon Phase

Whether adopting a new dog or a puppy most everyone goes through some sort of honeymoon phase where the dog is wonderful and nothing could ever go wrong.

And then......

For some new owners the honeymoon phase ends in 2-3 weeks and for others it might be more like 6-8 months. Reality sets in. Having a new dog takes work! There might be lack of sleep, some tears and frustration. A shoe or remote control might be lost. You might even find yourself questioning having the dog. Are you the right home? Did you make a bad decision? Sound familiar? You are not alone. This is totally normal! Please stop beating yourself up. This is not your fault. It is not the dog's fault.

Whether you are still in the honeymoon phase or have suddenly fallen hard like Icarus you can start these two important steps:

Putting in good management. This is where you set your stage to make it easy for you and your dog to practice what you want and not rehearse what you do not want (think counter surfing, cat chasing, eating kid's toys, etc). Think about being teacher and theater director. Set up for success.

Next train the behaviors you do want like loose leash walking, hanging out on the dog bed, relaxing in a crate, etc.

This all takes time and none of it will happen overnight. Come up with a plan, take a deep breath and remember why you wanted the dog in the first place. Do something fun together and rekindle some of that magic you felt the day you brought your new dog home.