# How long until the overwhelming feeling of raising your first puppy subsides?



## Rachell2313 (Feb 6, 2013)

It's been three longgggg mainly sleepless weeks and it is SO much harder than I thought. I've had two GSD before but I was young and took no part in raising them. This is the first time the care and training is mainly in my hands. Although I wasn't expecting an easy ride , the reality of having a puppy hit me the first night I heard that blood curdling yelp from the cage and even gave me my first ever anxiety attack! 

Things have gotten better, she's 11 weeks and already refuses to go on the puppy pad in her crate at night and holds it until she can wake me up. She poops outside 99.9% of the time but sometimes I still wonder if I should have got her. I socialize her at friends houses with their pets bc I am awaiting her last shots before puppy class. And it seems like every time she's just so hyper and loud and annoying over the fact that she's at a new place that I leave embarrassed and everyone else annoyed. I know that the only thing that could surpass this overwhelmed and sleep deprived feeling would be the feeling of regret after giving her up, so it's not an option. 

How long until I can feel content with her being home for a little by herself (without screaming and waking up my brother who works midnights) . Not being too hyper to take to friends houses etc and basically just not feel STRESSED all the time 


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

As hard as it is to believe after you see what your dog turns into...you'll want to do it again. Well at least thats how it happened with me:crazy:


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Be careful about being stressed. Your dog senses it and feeds off those feelings, and it only makes the situation worse.
I don't know where the idea to put a puppy pad in the crate came from, but it is not a good one. A dog does not want to go where it sleeps. For the first few weeks, you will need to wake up three or four times a night because those little baby bladders can't hold it.
At this time, you need to bond with the dog. This means spending a lot of time with it, good, quality time that will forge a connection for the rest of the dog's life.
Use your time wisely. Play with the dog, train the dog to sit, come, and stay.
Also, if your dog is screaming when left alone, it needs to be left alone some more. The only cure for separation anxiety is more separation.
In my experience, things got really good after he turned 6 months.
I hope you enjoy your German Shepherd puppy. When well-trained, and bonded to their owners, there is no better dog.


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## Zeeva (Aug 10, 2010)

For us...it's been 3 years. BUT to watch her grow and progress is amaizing c:


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## GoSailGo (Sep 15, 2012)

Things have started to get easier with mine (16 weeks old), but every once in a while I have that, _You know, if I didn't have him I could have slept for 2 more hours..._ thought. I have those days when I have NO idea if I'm doing anything right. From what people say on here, I think thats normal unless you're an expert puppy raiser. It'll get easier. Puppy raising is a long harder than it looks!


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## 1sttimeforgsd (Jul 29, 2010)

She is 11 wks, that is still a baby. I never had to experience the crate crying because mine was never in one at night. Could you possibly take her somewhere to wear her out playing before you go for a visit anywhere, she is just happy and vocal and maybe if she were a little tired she would be a little calmer.


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## Rachell2313 (Feb 6, 2013)

Sunflowers said:


> I don't know where the idea to put a puppy pad in the crate came from, but it is not a good one. A dog does not want to go where it sleeps. For the first few weeks, you will need to wake up three or four times a night because those little baby bladders can't hold it.


Her crate is massive and she has her bed in one corner and her pad in the front. It worked out amazing bc she peed on it the first week (even with me taking her out twice a night) and now she holds it and goes out once a night and it has taught her how to hold her pee since she likes sleeping on her clean puppy pad better than her bed. 



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## Cheyanna (Aug 18, 2012)

Fiona is my first puppy and dog. She is 9 months old today and I still feel overwhelmed sometimes. It does lessen. 


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## Rachell2313 (Feb 6, 2013)

1sttimeforgsd said:


> She is 11 wks, that is still a baby. I never had to experience the crate crying because mine was never in one at night. Could you possibly take her somewhere to wear her out playing before you go for a visit anywhere, she is just happy and vocal and maybe if she were a little tired she would be a little calmer.


Strangely enough, she tries to get to bed at nine every night. I wake her up and pull her 
Out of bed and bring her to a friends, and she is a complete maniac for three hours straight and still won't sleep well after, never mind act calm while out 


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Rachell2313 said:


> How long until I can feel content with her being home for a little by herself (without screaming and waking up my brother who works midnights) . Not being too hyper to take to friends houses etc and basically just not feel STRESSED all the time.


It really depends on the puppy. I've had one (Dena), who only had to go out during the night 3 times from when we got her at 9 weeks old. She only fussed in the crate for the first few nights, and after that she was fine, and would sleep through the night. She took about a month to completely housebreak, and by the time she was 3 months old my husband was leaving his shoes on the floor and she never chewed a single one. She was the easiest and least destructive dog we've ever had. I wouldn't leave her alone in the house when we left (I have 2 cats), but I didn't need to watch her every second either. If she wasn't right there with us, I'd go looking for her and she'd be happily chewing a bone in another room, even from a very young age. She was the exception!

Keefer fussed in his crate a lot more, I had to get up once or even twice a night for weeks, and he took twice as long to housebreak. He wasn't really a destructive chewer either. Halo is our wild and crazy girl. :wild: She's 4 years old, and STILL looks for stuff to steal and chew. She won't go after shoes or clothes, or anything just laying around, she likes to steal stuff off tables and counters, eats TP off the roll - she is all about the challenge! As smart as she is I thought she'd NEVER be housebroken, it took about 3 months for her. She fussed in her crate a lot longer too. Fortunately, even though she's a drivey little beast she has a good off switch and is capable of hanging out and chilling around the house. 

Keefer and Halo are both great about staying quiet in their crates until I get up, even if I sleep in on the weekend. They also run out to the garage pen where we keep them when we leave the house. I give them a treat, close the door, and no fussing at all. In my experience, (YMMV), by around 6 months old things have started to get easier - they're housebroken so they can have a little more freedom around the house, they have started to understand what's theirs and not theirs, although you should still keep the house as puppy proofed as possible for awhile, they sleep through the night, and the biting is much better. I'm still doing a LOT of training at that point, but just the day to day routine around the house is easier than when the puppy younger.

As long as she's had 2 rounds of shots she should be okay to enroll in puppy class. You can also do a lot of training at home, just do it in very short bursts and keep it fun and positive. At that age I was wearing my treat bag around the house all the time, and marking and rewarding behavior I liked and wanted to encourage. It's the perfect time to teach name recognition, to reward eye contact, to encourage her to come towards you, and reinforce being near you. Everything you do now is the foundation you'll be building on later. Are you doing NILIF with her? 

Nothing in Life is Free

Nothing in Life Is Free (NILIF) Dog Training

Nothing in Life is Free Gaining control of your dog humanely

NILIF Behavioral Shaping For Dogs


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## Rua (Jan 2, 2012)

Rachell2313 said:


> It's been three longgggg mainly sleepless weeks and it is SO much harder than I thought. I've had two GSD before but I was young and took no part in raising them. This is the first time the care and training is mainly in my hands. Although I wasn't expecting an easy ride , the reality of having a puppy hit me the first night I heard that blood curdling yelp from the cage and even gave me my first ever anxiety attack!
> 
> Things have gotten better, she's 11 weeks and already refuses to go on the puppy pad in her crate at night and holds it until she can wake me up. She poops outside 99.9% of the time but sometimes I still wonder if I should have got her. I socialize her at friends houses with their pets bc I am awaiting her last shots before puppy class. And it seems like every time she's just so hyper and loud and annoying over the fact that she's at a new place that I leave embarrassed and everyone else annoyed. I know that the only thing that could surpass this overwhelmed and sleep deprived feeling would be the feeling of regret after giving her up, so it's not an option.
> 
> ...



Oh Honey, I totally understand how you feel! That mad thing is that once things settle and a bit of time passes, you actually really DO contemplate doing it again, as others have said. I know I did.

Right now, my baby boy is coming up to 5 months old and I finally can "breath" again. (I got him when my older GSD was only 14 months old!) Puppies are like newborn babies....the first 3 months are the hardest. Then, once you've gotten a good routine in place and you have begun bonding, the whole thing gets much much easier. 

Hang in there!! x


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## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

Rachell2313 said:


> Strangely enough, she tries to get to bed at nine every night. I wake her up and pull her
> Out of bed and bring her to a friends, and she is a complete maniac for three hours straight and still won't sleep well after, never mind act calm while out


You'd be better off letting her go to bed at nine rather than waking her up and dragging her to a friends house. Go visit your friends for a few hours and let her out to potty when you get home.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Rachell2313 said:


> Strangely enough, she tries to get to bed at nine every night. I wake her up and pull her
> Out of bed and bring her to a friends, and she is a complete maniac for three hours straight and still won't sleep well after, never mind act calm while out
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Because you are not letting her rest.
Puppies are like children: they grow in their sleep and become raging basket cases if they are overtired.
If you want a calm dog, you need to give the dog what it needs and put yourself second for a while.
Take her out, let her go to bed, and go to your friend's house alone. Wake her up for potty when you get back.


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## Rachell2313 (Feb 6, 2013)

Sunflowers said:


> Because you are not letting her rest.
> Puppies are like children: they grow in their sleep and become raging basket cases if they are overtired.
> If you want a calm dog, you need to give the dog what it needs and put yourself second for a while.
> Take her out, let her go to bed, and go to your friend's house alone. Wake her up for potty when you get back.


When I let her go to sleep at night she is wide awake at four and doesn't go back to sleep, when she's up a little longer she still wakes up many times during the night but won't be officially awake until six ish. And I should put myself second? That's funny that you could even allude to the idea that I haven't been.. I don't go to my friends house for myself I go so she can socialize with dogs who I know are healthy and vaccinated and meet new people. I barely even have the energy to leave my house and am happy if I get to shower every other day 


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Rachell2313 said:


> When I let her go to sleep at night she is wide awake at four and doesn't go back to sleep, when she's up a little longer she still wakes up many times during the night but won't be officially awake until six ish. And I should put myself second? That's funny that you could even allude to the idea that I haven't been.. I don't go to my friends house for myself I go so she can socialize with dogs who I know are healthy and vaccinated and meet new people. I barely even have the energy to leave my house and am happy if I get to shower every other day
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App






Good luck with your pup.


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## LauraJav (Nov 29, 2012)

It's hard- much harder than I thought- but Max is 4 months old today and he is starting to be enjoyable. At about 14 weeks he learned quiet and we were taking him out every night at 3ish. I got tired of it and yelled quiet and it worked. Had to tell him quiet the next night and now he sleeps in his crate. 
I also have an empty kong for him to chew on if he wishes.
I think at 4 months he is beginning to understand things and is quiet in his crate- but it took alot of patience and work. Good luck and give it some more time. Also, I would cut back on socializing until he is settled into a routine that works for you.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

"don't complain, train and socialize."


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