New puppy and Anxiety???

[braindead]

Thank you all for your kind and helpful responses. I can't say enough how much I appreciate this forum and the lovely souls on here.

I'm feeling a bit better. Yesterday we went to the vet and he did really well. The vet gave us the OK to socialize with dogs that we know for sure are vaccinated and only in controlled areas (no areas where other dogs could be pooping) so in about a week or so we are having a play date with my friend's mini schnauzer. We're also having a "meet Maui" day at the house in a few weeks (waiting for his ears to heal) so that my nieces and nephews can come and play with him. The vet also referred us to a trainer that I will be reaching out to in a few days.

My anxiety is manageable today and right now my concern is that we will be changing routines in 2 weeks because I work in a school and my schedule changes when school starts so we will have to adjust him to that new schedule but I'm sure he will be fine. At the moment we are feeding him three times a day but in two weeks or so we will be working on switching him to two feedings a day. We're trying to feed him three times a day for as long as possible.

what happens to the pup while your at work ??????????

[Pipkin]

All sounds positive. I agree with previous posters about the ears though. What's all that about? I can't see any reasonable justification to do that. Like tail docking. Anyway, it wasn't you who did it and I'm sure you'll look after him well as they heal.

We do two meals a day. Some people do one which is supposed to mimic their behaviour in the wild (hunting). We just find that we can time the two meals with ours (we eat first) and it's easier.

Our dogs go everywhere with us and getting them used to sitting quietly in pubs and restaurants is really important. When you get to that stage, come back and ask for some tips. I tried every trick in the book to distract them when they were pups. Now, they just lie on our feet, only occasionally perking up if food makes an appearance!

Definitely listen to people who know the terrier breeds. I have no experience of them and whilst many things are applicable to all dogs, breed-specific info is great. There are always some good Facebook groups where you can ask questions and also help others.

You're going to be just fine. As I type, we've just got back from a day on the beach with our two hounds. They're exhausted and have gone straight to sleep, snoring loudly. Dogs are a real joy and your beastie will soon be an invaluable member of the family.

Pip x

[DREAMER05]

what happens to the pup while your at work ??????????

We are crate training him until he is trained enough to be loose without someone keeping an eye on him. He hangs out in his doggy den.

According to my camera he basically sleeps most of the day or plays with his toys.

---------- Post added at 15:12 ---------- Previous post was at 15:07 ----------

All sounds positive. I agree with previous posters about the ears though. What's all that about? I can't see any reasonable justification to do that. Like tail docking. Anyway, it wasn't you who did it and I'm sure you'll look after him well as they heal.

We do two meals a day. Some people do one which is supposed to mimic their behaviour in the wild (hunting). We just find that we can time the two meals with ours (we eat first) and it's easier.

Our dogs go everywhere with us and getting them used to sitting quietly in pubs and restaurants is really important. When you get to that stage, come back and ask for some tips. I tried every trick in the book to distract them when they were pups. Now, they just lie on our feet, only occasionally perking up if food makes an appearance!

Definitely listen to people who know the terrier breeds. I have no experience of them and whilst many things are applicable to all dogs, breed-specific info is great. There are always some good Facebook groups where you can ask questions and also help others.

You're going to be just fine. As I type, we've just got back from a day on the beach with our two hounds. They're exhausted and have gone straight to sleep, snoring loudly. Dogs are a real joy and your beastie will soon be an invaluable member of the family.

Pip x

Thank you for your reply Pip! I'm not thrilled about the ears. The breeder had already had it done to the entire litter. If he were in my hands at the time it would have definitely not happened. We hadn't left a deposit yet so we didn't really have a say in the matter until it was too late. At that point I didn't want to not take him because of the breeder. I'm just glad he's with me now so I can care for his ears during recovery. :(

The good thing about the bully is that he is a very good companion dog! They love people and tend to be big babies. They were crossbred so that they could have the aesthetics of the terrier but have a docile temperament. Which I can already see as a small pup.

[Bigboyuk]

It Does sound very positive Pip Sadly the ear thing to me and many other bull breeds and owners is abhorrent Grrr makes me mad. In the Uk it is now banned and is illegal as is tail cropping and rightly so unless it's for medical reasons very sad. Moving on Ahh what was the breeder like did you see both parents of the pup and how old was the pup? 8 weeks old or a bit more is not a problem any younger than that I wouldn't have bought the pup.

As for the trainer fantastic as is the other things you have planned Word of advice and I would say this regarding any breed, any children around always supervise and make sure any children yours or friends respect the dogs space etc don't allow them to annoy the dog etc they are tolerant breed but that doesn't mean they can be pushed either. the bully breeds get a bad enough name as it is they are loyal, loving and obedient too Respect is paramount though they can be very pig headed and strong willed so need firm but fair training a need to know the boundaries too. One good way of training is N.I.L.I.F
(Nothing In Life Is Free) and it means exactly that so a couple of examples are feeding time you provide the food (domesticated dogs don't need to hunt for food any more) Put the bowl on the floor get him to sit he should look at you for a few seconds then say go on or any other command word you choose but before he is told his food is his food you go to the bowl and put your hand in his bowl and pick a bit of food out and pretend to eat it ( it may sound daft but it isn't) then put it back in the bowl then it's his this will prevent any food guarding which you don't want and keep this up day after day he will associate you are bearer of good things I still does this with dog who is over years old and she has never growled at me as I am her leader. I have been to other peoples houses and you only have to walk past their dogs and you get growled out it's called resource guarding and is NOT to be tolerated atall so it's preventable by what I have said

Another example is getting on the furniture even if it is allowed its again on your terms again using the N.I.L.I.F method. Type in Google dogs+nilf there's a whole host of things it will cover And it a kind way and fair way to teach your new pup Edit: Actually wether it's a mixed bully or full bully (like mine is) many are bred for a good tempremant Good luck Cheers

[Bigboyuk]

Hi DREAMER05 How are you getting along with your pup? Are things still going great? A update would be nice too Cheers

[trung2012]

Hi everyone,

I don't know if this message will reach anyone but I just want to say thank you all so much for having this thread. I got a new puppy 1.5 months ago and for the first 3 weeks I was so depressed and anxious all the time. I thought I was going crazy and was gonna return the puppy to the breeder until I googled and found many people with the same problem.

I found this thread and read it every single day and all the nice comments filled with encouragement, as well as the updates, have helped me tremendously. It got a lot better for me and I am stress-free now. Still feeling overwhelmed but now I know I can do this.

Again, I want to thank everyone on here for sharing your stories and giving your support. You all are wonderful.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Hi everyone,

I don't know if this message will reach anyone but I just want to say thank you all so much for having this thread. I got a new puppy 1.5 months ago and for the first 3 weeks I was so depressed and anxious all the time. I thought I was going crazy and was gonna return the puppy to the breeder until I googled and found many people with the same problem.

I found this thread and read it every single day and all the nice comments filled with encouragement, as well as the updates, have helped me tremendously. It got a lot better for me and I am stress-free now. Still feeling overwhelmed but now I know I can do this.

Again, I want to thank everyone on here for sharing your stories and giving your support. You all are wonderful.

That's good to here!

Enjoy your loving pet. They are great help with mental health conditions so now you are getting through the initial problems from the anxiety that will start for you.

[NoraB]

Resurrecting this thread because I am experiencing a surge in anxiety even though, as puppies go, my girlie is really good.

I think there are numerous factors here. One being that although we had the, 'this has to be a team effort' talk before we got her, but it's only me who is doing the work. So, this morning I had a little moment where I threatened Batty Boy with divorce if he doesn't pull his finger out..

Another issue, I think, is that I have had rescue dogs with really bad separation anxiety. (I'm talking holes in doors, and she was only small terrier!) and I think I am scared of something going wrong, or my pooch picking up on this anxiety.

I've only had one puppy before, and I had help with her because I lived with my in-laws. And that was 36 years ago. Reading through some of these posts, it seems to be a common occurrence of an increase in anxiety.

Girlie is having her first shots today and being chipped so Batty Boy can hold her through that (as penance), but the vets have just left a message to say that my recently deceased Girlie's ashes are ready for collection today. I'd say something about it being the easiest car ride regards my lurcher (she wasn't happy in the car, ever) but it's probably too soon..

Aside the anxiety, there are moments where Pup Girlie nuzzles into me or falls asleep in my lap, and I can see the friend she will become and how, in time, she will help me with my MH issues. I know the next few months will be tough going, but this pooch has a clean slate and it's down to us to put the work in, so I'm happy to stand out in the rain at 5am while she takes a dump, and I am committed. I just need to try and relax into it a bit more and stop thinking that things will go wrong all the time..

Any advice will be most welcome.

Meanwhile, here she is. (Hopefully I've done this right and you can see her)

Cop a load of this cuteness! (And no, you can't have her!)

[pulisa]

She's going to be your "project" at the end of the day..despite the team effort pledge but you are a committed and knowledgeable dog owner and this little girlie is going to be well worth the initial hard work because she will reward you once the "new baby" days have passed and she is an established member of the Batty household..

Have confidence in yourself despite the "what have I done?" intrusive thoughts? Take things slowly and steadily and don't expect too much from her..It's very early days and she's going to have accidents and mishaps.You'll forget about them.

She's absolutely adorable and lucky to have found you..It's going to be ok. Your much missed pooch would approve...

[NoraB]

Have confidence in yourself despite the "what have I done?" intrusive thoughts? Take things slowly and steadily and don't expect too much from her..It's very early days and she's going to have accidents and mishaps.You'll forget about them.

Accidents don't bother me, P. (My first girlie never managed to be completely clean in the house due to her separation anxiety).

Whippet Girlie had a few accidents on the day we brought her home, and that's it. Since then, she's performed outside or on the training pads. Mind you, I literally take her out after every drink, meal, sleep and play - regardless of the weather..

No jabs today. Mr Batty has let me down and it's next week now. I couldn't take her by myself because I've nothing to transport her in. I don't want to use the crate because I don't want her to have any bad associations with it as it's where she sleeps. (Frustrating because it pushed everything back by a week).

Tried the collar on her first time today. She wasn't much at first but a few treats later and she didn't mind it. (A few more days of this, then I'll introduce the lead).

A funny thing happened the other day..

I'd been trying to find a tuft of the lurcher's undercoat. She used to leave them everywhere. They were beautiful and soft. I couldn't find one, despite getting down on my hands and knees. But Whippet Girlie found one and dropped it by my feet!!

Your much missed pooch would approve...

I think she would too, P.