Whoever claimed that raising a puppy is a walk in the park might have overlooked a few minor details. While I've had previous encounters with dogs, navigating puppyhood as an adult living away from home brought an entirely different perspective. Hats off to my parents who made it look so seamless, despite having children of their own to handle.
The contrast between my approach and my husband's—excitement and a tad of naivety on my end versus Sam's cautious, research-oriented approach—highlighted the varied experiences we had with Archer (and our personality traits).
My initial excitement dwindled when Archer's mischievous puppy behaviours took centre stage. The overwhelming responsibility, sleepless nights, 24/7 care, and the fear of not training a large dog properly took a toll on me. The constant comments and concerns from others regarding the breed's size and temperament added to my stress, but in turn pushed me to prove them wrong and remove the common misconceptions about German Shepherds.
To alleviate my anxiety, we sought guidance from a professional dog trainer. Their advice not only reassured us but also directed us toward the right path. I have to admit, the part that I found most difficult about having a puppy was dealing with the puppy biting phase, particularly with a German Shepherd. I believe the term used to describe them as puppies is 'land sharks', and they were not wrong! His teeth were far from cute - the biting was painful to say the least! I recall switching into my runners after work each day to dodge those toe and ankle nibbles – yikes! However, for the German Shepherd breed, the puppy phase is relatively short, so the biting ended swiftly. This was notably aided by the exceptional guidance from our trainer (more to come in my next blog).
Reflecting on it now, Archer was an amazing puppy, but in the moment, I wish I'd appreciated it more. I definitely learnt a lot about myself while raising a puppy and identified areas where I'd make changes in the future. My overall advice: avoid being naive when getting a puppy; take a cue from Sam's approach.
However, with consistent training from day one, our regular Sunday morning training sessions with the local German Shepherd club, professional guidance, and in-home training, Archer was steadily evolving into a well-mannered house dog. Looking back, I see that our efforts and the support we received set the foundation for his growth and training.
What a wonderful dog we have today, bringing us so much joy! We love you Archer <3
Samuel training Archer at our local German Shepherd club:
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