A man’s best friend. A life companion. The best listener. All of those sayings are true, yes. But men oh men, no one ever tells you about the messes, the chewing, the barking, the potty training, the sleepless nights and the list goes on. Many don’t realize that getting a puppy is as hard as having a newborn baby at home. When you choose to get a puppy you need to commit 100% of your time to that new dog. Some want a puppy because it’s so darn cute, but then when they realize all the hard work that it involves, they give away the dog.
I must admit that the last few weeks have been hard but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I love my sweet Bailey and I believe that we are doing a great job raising her. The first few days consisted of getting familiarized with the puppy, making sure that she can feel comfortable with us and in the house. I must emphasize that crate training is CRUCIAL! Your puppy needs to feel welcome in his crate rather than being scared of it. I worked hard for Bailey to feel safe in her crate. We can now leave for work without the fear of her eating everything in the house (yes, we did forget a few times to put her in her crate and she may have eaten what was in the upstairs bathroom’s garbage can).
Potty training is so hard! BUT you can’t give up. Yes, it does take some time, but stay patient. Your puppy will eventually get it. Ours is starting to ask for the door. I get so happy every time I see her waiting by the door. If your puppy has an accident in the house, make sure not to put your puppy’s nose in it. In my opinion if you do so, he might get scared or shy of peeing in front of you, which can be an issue when you’re on a walk or outside with him.
So, we got Bailey when she was 8 weeks young. I would say that within 2 weeks, she was sleeping her nights, which was great! She sleeps on our bedroom floor. We did get her a dog bed, but for some reason, she prefers my boyfriend’s dirty clothes. She doesn’t like sleeping in the crate at night, but so far she hasn’t made any messes at night and sleeps all the way through.
Coming home is the best part of my day. I’ve NEVER seen anyone so happy to see me before. As soon as I turn my key in the lock, I can hear Bailey get all excited. She loves to see us, and give kisses. I love bringing her on walks so she can get used to the leash. So far, so good! She sits and gives the paw (which, I must admit, is the cutest thing).
Getting a puppy was one of the best decisions in my life thus far. I have a new best friend, one that will love me unconditionally.
Go follow Bailey on Instagram @bailey_the_g ! She’s a real model ;).
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