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In this episode of Pandemic Puppy, Kayla and Marissa Martino discuss puppy blues. They cover what it is, why it happens, and what you can do about it!
What are the puppy blues?
- Negative feels about having your puppy
- Sadness, regret, guilt, etc.
Why does this happen?
- Lack of sleep/interrupted sleep
- Lack of schedule
- If you have too high expectations
- Comparing a puppy to a previous dog or a different dog
How can we give ourselves grace?
1. Having the right mindset.
- You will do the best that you can.
- You will not get everything done that you want.
- You will make mistakes.
- This process is not linear.
2. Building in breaks to the schedule.
- When do you have time for yourself?
- How do you know you’re reaching threshold?
- How can you ask for help? In the moment? Ongoing?
3. Notice the projections.
- Everyone has an opinion.
- Come up with a short reply like I’ll look into that…..and then continue on the path that feels right to you.
4. Prioritize.
- Focus on socialization, handling, bonding activities, house training, enrichment, puppy mouthing prevention, and don’t worry about skills just yet (work on SMARTx50 instead)
- Prioritize YOURSELF
5. Choose enrichment that you both love.
How can you ask for help?
- Expand your network with those with similar situations
- It is okay to ask for help
Links Mentioned in the Episode
Pandemic Puppy: Bringing Home Your Puppy with Sarah Dixon
Human-Canine Behavior Connection: A Better Self Through Dog Training
You can support the Pandemic Puppy Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/pandemicpuppy.
Get extra help with your puppy through Journey Dog Training’s Puppy Raising Blueprint Course.
Join the free Pandemic Puppy Raising Support Group on Facebook.
About Marissa:
Marissa runs her behavior consulting business Paws & Reward in Boulder, CO. She is passionate about supporting behavior change and enhancing relationships for dogs, their people and others. When working with clients, Marissa introduces her 6 relationship building principles in order to enhance the training process and the relationship between the dog and the pet parent. Her mission is to cultivate awareness so pet parents can see their active role in their interactions with their dog. And her hope is that this awareness expands to other relationships in their lives. She is the host of the Paws & Reward Podcast and the author of the Human-Canine Behavior Connection: A Better Self Through Dog Training.
Her current collaborative projects include LIMA beings which is an online course and membership site developed with co-founders, Barrie Finger, Dr. Chris Pachel, Kathy Sdao, and Lynn Ungar, dedicated to exploring the application of our canine behavior knowledge into our human relationships. And, The Connection Summit with Sarah Stremming, a series of online conversations where they discuss topics that prioritize the human-canine relationship for successful behavior change. You can find both of her offerings on her site pawsandreward.com, under online programs.
Kayla founded Journey Dog Training in 2013 to provide high-quality and affordable dog behavior advice. She is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant who’s worked with hundreds of private clients, thousands of shelter dogs, and dozens of working detection dogs. Kayla’s dog and cat behavior advice has been featured in NPR, the Chicago Tribune, and Pet MD. She’s an avid adventurer who is currently doing #vanlife on the Pan-American Highway with her two border collies and a cat. Aside from running Journey Dog Training, Kayla also runs the nonprofit K9 Conservationists, where she and the dogs work as conservation detection dog teams. You can get 1:1 advice with a Journey Dog Training team member here.
