Hello,
Just signed up to the forum as I need some support after I gave away a puppy which I purchased last week. I feel as if I’ve done the wrong thing because I panicked.
Long story short, my girlfriend and I wanted to get a puppy. We live in a city centre with a park across our road. We both work from 8-16:30 with my gf coming home at 12 to have lunch. We were hoping to train the puppy to do her business on our balcony. All I can say is it was pretty eye-opening and overwhelming. I knew full well that I’d be up through the night and that accidents would happen but I just thought I’d be good with it. We live on the top floor of a 4 story block apartments. It was a real pain taking her out but after a while I got used it. Anyway, I quickly realised that it was becoming too much for me and that walking her on a lead was a nightmare. I felt the best thing I could have done at this stage was to send her back. We ended up giving it to a family member who lived in a rural area. When I visited a day after to see her she was roaming their yard and looked so happy. I quickly realised that she needs open space to run free. Anyway, that didn’t work out for other reasons so I brought her back to my apartment to return her to the breeder. The night before she was due to go she had improved in terms of peeing and pooping outside and had also sort-of stopped barking at people and any object that moved (I read on here that this is quite normal and it is usually because she wants to investigate and socialise to say hello). So now I’ve sent her back. I feel awful. I just thought that an apartment life and what I could offer her was just not enough. I know people make apartment living work but I felt that I would always think that she could have had more ever since I saw her having so much fun in a rural setting.
Perhaps some of the details of the dog and breeder had some red flags. Please let me know if any of the following should have been a warning to me.
- the puppy was 4 months old
- she was allowed to roam the breeders outdoor enclosed yard with her siblings, mother and father
- the breeder said she would always ward off people outside of their gate
- the breeder said it would have been better to get her at 2 months old
I’m wondering whether the barking at random people and objects may have been less if we had got her at 2 months and she had not been allowed to bark at anyone passing at their gate. I know they are territorial and perhaps this was just natural.
I have always wanted a dog but I’m not sure if I have the correct set up. Perhaps this is a lesson and that if I am to get another dog I need to persevere.
Best wishes
Just signed up to the forum as I need some support after I gave away a puppy which I purchased last week. I feel as if I’ve done the wrong thing because I panicked.
Long story short, my girlfriend and I wanted to get a puppy. We live in a city centre with a park across our road. We both work from 8-16:30 with my gf coming home at 12 to have lunch. We were hoping to train the puppy to do her business on our balcony. All I can say is it was pretty eye-opening and overwhelming. I knew full well that I’d be up through the night and that accidents would happen but I just thought I’d be good with it. We live on the top floor of a 4 story block apartments. It was a real pain taking her out but after a while I got used it. Anyway, I quickly realised that it was becoming too much for me and that walking her on a lead was a nightmare. I felt the best thing I could have done at this stage was to send her back. We ended up giving it to a family member who lived in a rural area. When I visited a day after to see her she was roaming their yard and looked so happy. I quickly realised that she needs open space to run free. Anyway, that didn’t work out for other reasons so I brought her back to my apartment to return her to the breeder. The night before she was due to go she had improved in terms of peeing and pooping outside and had also sort-of stopped barking at people and any object that moved (I read on here that this is quite normal and it is usually because she wants to investigate and socialise to say hello). So now I’ve sent her back. I feel awful. I just thought that an apartment life and what I could offer her was just not enough. I know people make apartment living work but I felt that I would always think that she could have had more ever since I saw her having so much fun in a rural setting.
Perhaps some of the details of the dog and breeder had some red flags. Please let me know if any of the following should have been a warning to me.
- the puppy was 4 months old
- she was allowed to roam the breeders outdoor enclosed yard with her siblings, mother and father
- the breeder said she would always ward off people outside of their gate
- the breeder said it would have been better to get her at 2 months old
I’m wondering whether the barking at random people and objects may have been less if we had got her at 2 months and she had not been allowed to bark at anyone passing at their gate. I know they are territorial and perhaps this was just natural.
I have always wanted a dog but I’m not sure if I have the correct set up. Perhaps this is a lesson and that if I am to get another dog I need to persevere.
Best wishes