Did You Have The Puppy Blues When You First Got Your Dog?
Over A Third Of Dog Owners Feel A Sense of Regret and Doubt After Getting A New Puppy!
Some suggest a newborn would be less demanding than a new puppy! (clearly, these people don’t have kids)
A poll of 2,000 dog owners who got one of their pets as a puppy found 47 percent believed their life changed more than they had expected.
More than half were surprised by how hard it was to look after a young pup, while 71 percent said bringing home a puppy was like having a newborn baby.
The damage the pet made to their house and its behaviour was cited as top reasons for ‘puppy blues’ – a term coined to describe feelings of regret, resentment and doubt some experience after bringing home a new pooch.
It also emerged that although 86 percent love their pet unconditionally, despite the hard times, a staggering 91 percent feel they would have benefitted from expert advice on how to cope.
PUPPY BLUES
The research also found 75 percent of those with puppy blues felt ashamed of their emotions toward their pup.
Almost half (46 percent) even considered giving up or rehousing their pup many times.
For some, having a puppy also created tension within the household due to the additional chores, with 52 percent quarrelling more about their puppy than the washing up.
While 52 percent said getting a puppy caused arguments between themselves and their partner or family
Despite feelings of regret and upset after getting a puppy, thankfully those emotions tended to subside quickly.
Of those who had puppy blues, 96 percent said those feelings either totally or somewhat disappeared over time.
And for 28 percent, the more negative emotions typically went away in less than a week.
