So I posted a while ago that we got a new puppy. I felt it was a good time to get a puppy. I really really wanted this puppy. The problem is with me. For some reason I do not understand, being around the puppy causes me to become immensely overwhelmed and stressed. This makes no sense to me. I love dogs, adore dogs. And I don’t just adore dogs I really love training dogs and have always loved it in the past, I view dog training as a fun project and usually get really into it. That has not been the case with this puppy. It’s like viscerally I just want nothing to do with it and I do not understand one bit.
Has anyone else dealt with this? I’m going to bring it up in therapy.
I know with the last puppy I had I went into a depressive episode because of it but that was because I was the only one taking care of it and had minimal help and it was a lot of work for just me. That’s not the case this time though I have my fiance helping me and we divide the care. Maybe it is the life change that is giving me anxiety.
I don’t know why if you “really love training dogs” you are having this reaction to it, but I can say that the training phase will only last so long. Hopefully you can get through it.
My dog takes minimal effort these days. Mostly just taking her outside and giving her a treat now and then and she is good. She mostly just stares out the window when she isn’t outside or waiting for a treat. It will get easier as long as you can make it through this phase.
I think just posting this made me understand. I think it is just my anxious brain being resistant to the change rather than it being specifically about the puppy. I had a similar reaction when we got our cats. But it passed after several months of having them. Probably it will be the same case with the puppy. I just have to figure out how to cope in the meantime.
My brain just doesn’t like any kind of change, anticipated or not, positive or not. Sigh.
When I first got my dog, Shadow, I felt very overwhelmed with the idea that I had to train her, establish a potty schedule, and welcome into my life a creature that may be with me for 15 years. It felt like now I couldn’t just stay in bed all day, I had to commit to getting up and walking her, feeding her, and training her. The first few weeks I felt like I could never do right by her…
Shadow just turned 3, and she’s a blessing for my mental health. Once the training took, I no longer felt so overwhelmed. Be nice to yourself and see how it is in a couple of months with your puppy, I think it’ll get easier for you.