My Cagney (yes, that’s my pup’s name) is one of the most hyper, snuggly, friendly, and happy pups I have ever met. Of course from the moment I laid eyes on her I knew I had to adopt her. Those who have me on social media see how obsessed I am with her, but it makes sense, she is the cutest. All her qualities together make her the most perfect ESA a girl could ask for.
Raising a puppy while being a working college student is not the easiest let me tell you. The struggle is real. Keeping up with potty training, medical records, obedience training, and so much more while also working 2 jobs and being a student is not an easy task. Here are some tips and things I have learned in these last few months that might help some future pup parents.
One of the things some might overlook is finding a consistent vet for your pup. I called maybe 10 or 12 vet offices before finding one that is accepting new clients. Even if there is nothing wrong with your pet, establish a vet. You never know when something might happen and you don’t want to be scrambling to find a vet when you notice your little one isn’t acting like themselves. Training might seem like such a mountain to climb when you first start but take it in stages. Victoria Stillwell has some great training videos on youtube and you can work on one video a week. This way you don’t overwhelm yourself or your pup. While we are on the subject, I know disciplining your pup when they do something wrong is something no one ever wants to do, but is a necessary evil. Use what they like to your advantage. If your pup is food motivated, add some treats to your training. If they are praise motivated, be sure to tell them how good they are. If you are like me and want a simple fix for bad dog behavior, try a spray water bottle. Spray your dog with a little water while saying bad dog when they do something like chew your sandals. They get the hint that it’s probably because they are doing something they shouldn’t and isn’t a traumatic experience, like some other forms of obedience training can be, at the same time. Lastly potty training, you can’t rush it, you just need to be patient with your pup. The best bet is to get them on a consistent schedule. For Cagney and I, it is right when we wake up, about 30 minutes after breakfast, 2 other points throughout the day, about 30 minutes after dinner, and before bed. This might seem like a lot of time going outside, but puppies are still learning how to control themselves and this is shown heavily in potty training, but if you keep consistent with when and how many times a day you are letting your pup outside a routine should come soon enough. Raising a puppy is a handful, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.