Being a new puppy parent can be rough, and it’s probably not what you envisioned when you dreamed of bringing your new puppy home. These are the things that surprise new puppy parents the most.

the first few nights are going to be rough.

There will be a lot of crying and not much sleep. Your puppy is scared and stressed. This is usually when puppy parents start to feel that first pang of regret and panic. It gets better!

your puppy will chew on everything

Nothing is safe. Furniture, carpet, cords, your shoes… if they can reach it, it will go in their mouth and be destroyed. As they get bigger and their reach grows, this only gets more challenging. Soon they’ll be grabbing stuff off the counter!

house training is more work than you think

Probably the least fun part of being a puppy parent is the house training. Especially if you get a puppy in the winter. No one likes standing outside at 1 am in January in your pajamas waiting for your puppy to potty, only he won’t because it’s too cold…

their energy comes in bursts & they alternate between sleeping & acting insane

There is no middle ground. If they’re awake, they’re causing chaos. As they get older, there will be less sleeping and more insane, so be prepared for this.

the older they get, the more energy they’ll have

It will be truly exhausting. Where does all that energy come from?

they probably won’t like being confined in a crate

There might be some dramatic crying. Most puppies don’t mind the crate until the door closes.

you’ll buy a million toys and chewies

Your puppy will either destroy them or ignore them.

puppy biting will happen

Puppies are so, so bitey. They are little land sharks. Also, their teeth are unnecessarily sharp. They might draw blood and rip your clothes. It might feel like you have a rabid hyena puppy. This gets better.

puppies are very needy and time consuming

They are so much work, and this can be surprising to first-time puppy parents. If they’re awake they either want to be with you and have your full attention, or they’re off getting into mischief.

walking a puppy is like walking with a toddler

There will be lots of dawdling, random tantrums, sporadically refusing to walk, zigging and zagging all over the place, and there will be a point they abruptly become exhausted and you'll have to carry them because they simply CAN’T GO ON for one more step.

They’re totally worth all the hassle though! Before you know it, they’ll be old and gray, so enjoy the puppy-ness while you can!