Advice Please

KittyKat65

O.G.
Feb 27, 2007
4,708
3,056
We have had our puppy a week now and we are thinking of taking him back to the breeder. He is sweet and adorable, but since we have never had a dog before we are horrified at how trashed our house is becoming. He pees all over my white carpet within minutes of going outside. He chews my table and chair legs and does other normal puppy stuff. The problem is with us. Especially me. I am very, very meticulous about my house and I am afraid it will be ruined. It is also starting to smell "doggy", which I hate. I bathe him and wipe his coat regularly. The breeder would take him back (I just spoke to her). Do I give it more time? Do I lose my anal attitude? He also takes up way more time than I ever imagined. He is extremely needy and needs to be held constantly. I need space. If I put him down or he is not in his crate, he pisses everywhere. Gaaaaa. What do I do? It's only been a week, but we could take him back now before we are even more attached.

I know this makes me sound horrible, but this is a 15 year commitment that I don't think I am up for.
 
well first of all, the whole 15 years wont be like this. hes a puppy. but if your not up for caring for him then i think its only fair to him to give him back.

personally, i grow so attached to animals i could never even think of it. (i forced the bf to get his frenchie because i fell in love with him just by holding him for 5 mins). i think u should just keep in mind that right now ur focusing on y hes bad, and maybe not realizing how much ud miss the little guy if u actually gave him up
 
I think you shouldn't beat yourself up too much. It sounds like you know in your heart that this pup isn't right for you. Maybe sometime in the future an adult dog will come your way. Don't feel guilty-the breeder will find another home.
 
Is there no room that you could gate the puppy in that you wouldn't have to worry about the carpet or him chewing on stuff? It's not cruel to keep him confined to one area of the house, especially in this puppy stage.

I promise it will start to get better but puppies are definitely a lot of work and honestly there were times when I didn't like my dog very much when she was a puppy. I think you need to make sure you're on a strict potty time schedule and give it another week and see how it goes. Crate the puppy when you're not home and at night so that he can't chew on anything and he'll learn to hold his pee faster that way (just make sure someone can let him out during the day to potty if possible).
 
I'm sorry to ask this, but didn't you know what you were getting into when you decided to get a puppy? If you think you can't raise the dog you should let the breeder find a new home asap. The sooner the better, since it will be hard for the dog already.

Please don't get me wrong. I don't want to hurt your feelings, but this is what puppies do. Here in Germany you will not get a seven week old puppy from a responsible breeder. By the time the puppy is ten or twelve weeks old and moves to his new family, he is almost house trained and learned important things from his mother.
 
Take him back.

If you're not ready to trade in a neat and tidy house for the love and companionship of a dog, you'll do both yourself and the dog a favor by giving him the opportunity to bond with someone who is.

A dog is no small responsibility. How you're so unprepared for it in so many ways, and so unwilling to share your space with it, says you're not ready for one yet.
 
Take him back.

If you're not ready to trade in a neat and tidy house for the love and companionship of a dog, you'll do both yourself and the dog a favor by giving him the opportunity to bond with someone who is.

A dog is no small responsibility. How you're so unprepared for it in so many ways, and so unwilling to share your space with it, says you're not ready for one yet.

Well said.
 
Just curious, what breed is your puppy?

Your puppy should be confined. When you take him out, he goes outside, eats and then goes outside again and then is confined again. Come out to play a little and confined again. Keep him on a routine.
 
We have had our puppy a week now and we are thinking of taking him back to the breeder. He is sweet and adorable, but since we have never had a dog before we are horrified at how trashed our house is becoming. He pees all over my white carpet within minutes of going outside. He chews my table and chair legs and does other normal puppy stuff. The problem is with us. Especially me. I am very, very meticulous about my house and I am afraid it will be ruined. It is also starting to smell "doggy", which I hate. I bathe him and wipe his coat regularly. The breeder would take him back (I just spoke to her). Do I give it more time? Do I lose my anal attitude? He also takes up way more time than I ever imagined. He is extremely needy and needs to be held constantly. I need space. If I put him down or he is not in his crate, he pisses everywhere. Gaaaaa. What do I do? It's only been a week, but we could take him back now before we are even more attached.

I know this makes me sound horrible, but this is a 15 year commitment that I don't think I am up for.

- No you don't sound horrible; it's great that you have a good breeder who will take the pup back.

For someone who has never had a dog before (heck, for those that have!) a puppy can be overwhelming, a LOT of work! I had a litter once and tried to housebreak THREE puppies at the same time! Talk about overwhelming!

Maybe an adult would better suit you, or perhaps you are meticulous enough that having any dog might not suit you.

Owning a dog involves slobber, pee, poop, diarrhea, chewing, barking, dirty carpeting, etc. Not saying one has to give up living in a clean house, but stuff happens. If you think you are too aware of the odor, dirt, etc., maybe a dog is not for you.

OTOH, maybe the breeder can help you with a lot of advice and hand-holding to get you through the puppy stage.

Good luck with whatever you decide!:smile:
 
I agree with everyone else that the pup should be confined. When we first got my Weimeraner, she had a decently sized cage that we kept her in. She hated it at first, but we put our tees and socks in there so she'd know our smell, and eventually that became her "room." She goes in there when she's afraid if there's thunder/lightening/fireworks/etc, and she would never EVER pee in there, she loves it too much.

Dogs are a huge responsibility. You're at the hardest stage. It does sound like you aren't 100% ready though, and I think it's best for both you and the pup that you bring it back to the breeder. There's always time to get another dog, but it's better to look out for the dog for now and make sure he grows up well.
 
Take him back.

If you're not ready to trade in a neat and tidy house for the love and companionship of a dog, you'll do both yourself and the dog a favor by giving him the opportunity to bond with someone who is.

A dog is no small responsibility. How you're so unprepared for it in so many ways, and so unwilling to share your space with it, says you're not ready for one yet.


I agree 100% and want to add that I respect you very much for realizing that being a dog owner just may not be your thing right now and you are willing to bring him back so that he can find his forever home.

Good luck to you both!
 
I was in your position two years ago. My fiance and I both cried after the first week with our adopted puppy because we weren't sure if we could handle him and work. I hated the idea of confining him to a crate or the kitchen. We decided to crate-train the dog and it was the best idea we ever had. We also lined the kitchen floor with newspaper for several weeks and put puppy gates at each entrance. We had so many contraptions during the early weeks so that he was confined to certain areas of the house at certain times. Within one month, he was potty trained. He no longer sleeps in the crate, but on a pad at the foot of our bed. He's our "baby" and the best thing that ever happened to us. I can't believe that I almost gave him away. I have to admit that I didn't even like to touch dogs before mine and now I barely notice if my dresses are covered in dog hair!
 
I agree. Did you do any research before buying this dog? Please take him back so someone who really wants a dog can find him.


Take him back.

If you're not ready to trade in a neat and tidy house for the love and companionship of a dog, you'll do both yourself and the dog a favor by giving him the opportunity to bond with someone who is.

A dog is no small responsibility. How you're so unprepared for it in so many ways, and so unwilling to share your space with it, says you're not ready for one yet.
 
Thanks to those who didn't judge me, but offered sound advice. I didn't come on here to be judged. I came here for advice and maybe a kindred spirit or two. So, thank you to those who understand where I am coming from. If I didn't care, I wouldn't have posted.

Yes, I did research dogs. I am not completely stupid. I understand that they are work. Again, not completely stupid. What I didn't count on was juggling a 4 year old and a puppy and not being able to take more that 20 seconds in a row to myself without tending to someone/something's needs or cleaning up something. My son is is in love with the puppy and so am I, so I was asking advice with a heavy heart. You can see my "My New Baby" thread to see just how excited I was to get Sizzles. Sizzles is in a crate right now and it is lined with a Pee Pad, which he pees on at night, but not during the day. I will get a puppy gate for the entrance into my kitchen.

Anyway, thanks to those of you who cared enough to not make me out to be a completely selfish, moronic A-hole

eckertle, thanks for your post. You summed it up perfectly for me.