5 Things I’ve Learned as a New Dog Owner

Throughout my life, I’ve had pets. Growing up, we always had a dog – and since then, they’ve been part of my life. But, this is the first time that I’ve been the dog’s primary owner and the one responsible for all care and decisions.

As a new dog owner, there are things that I learn every single day. But, I think at the core of everything, Robert Wagner’s quote sums it up pretty well:

“A dog will teach you unconditional love. If you can have that in your life, things won’t be too bad.”

I made the decision to rescue my dogs. As mentioned in my intro about Freddy, he came from a pretty rough situation – he was abandoned with his sister and they found him near the airport in Dallas. He was then transported up to Minnesota, and placed with a foster.

When I adopted him, I didn’t realize how much his life had already been impacted by this experience. Like humans, the trauma sits with us and sometimes it manifests in different ways. It took several months before he wouldn’t run from me when I approached him. He’s terrified of certain people, and reacts in different ways because of how his life started.

And for Leela, he did find a family that wanted to adopt him – after spending time in what his vet assumes was a puppy mill. But, the puppy didn’t want him; and even as a dog, I think they can feel when they are unwanted. He has been part of our family for several months, but still has some fear in him and hides when strangers come around; and he is still skittish.

So, both of their unique situations have added to what I’ve learned as a new dog owner. In some cases, it’s not what you would experience if you adopted a dog that had a charmed life from the start.

Puppies are REALLY Hard

OK, I’m not going to sugarcoat it – but puppies are REALLY hard! They like to get into everything and you need to keep them entertained throughout the day. They are adorable and that puppy breath smells so good. But, there are some challenges along the way!

I also underestimated how hard it was going to be to potty train both Freddy and Leela. It reminded me a lot of when my toddler was learning how to sleep – there would be a few good nights, but then it would go downhill before it would get better. There were some days with both Freddy and Leela where I thought we had potty training figured out, and then it would go south again.

Patience is a Virtue

Whoever came up with the saying that patience is a virtue wasn’t wrong – especially when it comes to adopting rescues!

There were times where I was trying to get Freddy inside (both a challenge because of his past but also because of how much the Great Pyrenees loves the outdoors), and I ended up in tears. One day, I will share the pretend walk I went on one day because I was so mad at him – ha!

My patience has been tested (see above with potty training) and it’s taught me that sometimes you just need to take a breath and chill. It makes it tougher that they don’t exactly understand every word we say, and we don’t know what they are barking about, so we’re trying to figure out our communication style along the way. Being able to have grace and patience as a new dog owner was so very important. (It doesn’t mean you can’t get frustrated.)

The Bond Takes Time

I’ve always heard about the incredible bond that dogs have with their owners, and I thought it was something that happened pretty soon into the relationship. Like, a few weeks. I adopted Freddy in November and it wasn’t until April that I felt that bond and connection between us. We both had to let down our guard and see our relationships for what it was before we could meet each other in the middle with a bond.

Since then, I’ve felt our bond grow and shift as he’s gotten older (and learned the rules). For Leela, it didn’t take quite as long – but I didn’t realize how strong my bond with him was until I was visiting my family. I left for a little bit, and my mom said that he was running up and down the driveway looking for me!

You Get What You Put In

Just because you have a dog doesn’t mean that they are going to listen to you and you’re going to have a good relationship. You need to put in the effort and the time to build the relationship.

My schedule is pretty busy and there are days where I can’t play with them as much as I’d like, but I can tell how much happier they are when I take the time to play and spend one-on-one time with them.

So just like any relationship, as a new dog owner, I’ve learned that you have to build your relationship with your dog. It takes time, but aligning with their interests makes it easier. Hey, sounds just like making human friends, too!

There’s Nothing Like a Dog’s Love

All of that to be said, dogs do give us unconditional love. They would do ANYTHING to protect us and make us happy (at least in the way that dogs think they can make us happy). As a new dog owner, I can see this unconditional love first hand.

And, there’s nothing like it. Their loyalty and their desire to make you smile and praise them – it’s unlike anything I’ve experienced before! I love giving my dogs compliments; while they may not know what I’m saying, they can sense in the tone that I am proud of them and they’ve done something positive.

While I did feel like it was a bit much to have two puppies at the same time (maybe another learning as a new dog owner?), I wouldn’t change it! There’s so much you’ll learn as a new dog owner, but these are the things that come to mind right now. I’m sure these responses will change over time, too!

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