It’s been a few weeks! Becaaaaaause… we got a puppy!! This is Mila and she is an Australian Shepherd and her coloring is called Blue Merle. We are SO obsessed with her! I will say she is quite crazy (like all the time) but her face is just too stinking cute.
John and myself did a bunch of research prior to picking out this breed so we know they are high energy and love to be attached. We really wanted a pup that is obedient, likes to learn and likes to play frisbee… that last one is at John’s request lol. But, once we got her, there was SO much more we needed to learn about puppies in general. So if you have a puppy or are thinking about getting one, here is my advice to you –
5 things we learned after getting a puppy –
- Don’t plan on sleeping
Okay, this seems like whatever but SERIOUSLY I was not prepared for the lack of sleep. The first 2.5 days were exhausting. I would try and get a nap in when the pup slept but I was so nervous that she would wake up and do something so I practically just laid there staring at the inside of my eyelids. I highly suggest taking turns with your significant other and do a few “shifts” so each of you can catch a few hours of sleep. If you’re really sleepy and cranky while trying to train your puppy in those first few days, your life will suck. Not lying here. You will get mad at everything and it will literally make things worse. SO definitely be prepared to function on like 5 hours of sleep.
2. You cannot have enough paper towels
Again, you might chuckle here but we didn’t realize how much these puppies pee in one day. I kid you not probably 20 times. They cannot hold their bladders for more than about an hour, so they’ll literally stop playing suddenly and just go tinkle. No notice, no bark, nothing. So, I highly recommend stocking up on paper towels to clean everything up. After some research we also purchased Natures Miracle, which is an oder remover and cleanup product. It’s amazing and worth it. Highly suggest it. After spraying where the accident was, it takes the smell away so they don’t keep going back to the same spot to go potty. Which in our case is a real miracle. I see where it got it’s name…
3. Don’t make any plans
The first week is critical and tough. You want to teach your pup everything and you just want to lay down and have it cuddle with you. Here’s a reality check, that ain’t happenin! We had our eyes on Mila 24/7. Making sure she didn’t get into this or get into that. Literally running around after her. We barely had time for lunch or dinner (if you know me, that’s like unheard of). We successfully trained her to sit, lay down, and half way roll over in the first week. Success! But now all she does is just sit anytime we are near by lol. We’re working on it. But, I would not make any plans for the first few weeks the puppy is home. You want to spend as much time with them and make sure they are on the right path to training success (and feel comfortable in their new home). Frequently having them in the crate right off the bat might not be the greatest idea.
4. Don’t buy 300 different toys
We made the mistake of having a plethora of toys for Mila to play with! Who doesn’t love toys?! Well, you won’t if you do it wrong. After coming across this article (literally last week) we decided to take away 296 toys and only allow her to have about 4. 2 or 3 for our bedroom/play area and then 1 or 2 that go in our living room. We thought having tons of toys was a great idea but we were totally wrong. Doing it this way, it allows the puppy to know not everything they see is a toy and not everything that moves is a toy. Mila is obsessed with these small Kong tennis balls. They are the perfect size for puppies! We are now just learning how to fetch properly and it’s going great since she is so used to having the one toy! But please keep your fingers crossed on this one.
5. Patience is key
This may go without saying but patience is the most important thing in the first week or 2. I didn’t realize off the bat how patient I needed to be. To start I’m like the worst patient person so this was hard to adjust to. It takes the puppy sometimes 15 mins to go potty outside. Well, when it’s 2 am and 35 degrees and the wind is blowing, my patience is at a -100. But remember – the puppy can’t help it and they rely on you to take them out and make sure they do it right. Rome wasn’t built in a day so don’t rush stuff. I also want to mention being patient with your significant other during this time is critical as well. There will be times you want to freak out on each other or curse one another out!! Just keep calm and know you both are doing the best you can. Freaking out on each other will only make things worse, it’s not worth it. Just be patient with everything, I know it’s easier said then done but you will definitely learn the true meaning of patience a few days in. Kind of like the couples on Amazing Race but a tad different.
I hope that helped! Getting a puppy was definitely an eye opening experience. We learned so much after getting her. I was about 8 when we got Patches, my family dog (and my first love), so my parents were mostly responsible for the stuff mentioned above. I GIVE IT TO THEM. But having Mila is an experience I wouldn’t want to trade anything for. We really looking forward to training her and getting her to play frisbee in the backyard and walk around the block off leash. We are months away from that but we look forward to learning more along the way! Keep checking back for progress on her training and just her growth 
We currently call her the Panda-Cow
