YNP #104: The Puppy Blues are Real!
From Your New Puppy: Dog Training and Dog Behavior Lessons to Help You Turn Your New Puppy into a Well-Behaved Dog by Debbie Cilento: Dog Trainer | Dog Behavior Consultant | Owner of Playtime Paws | Belly Rub Specialist
September 30, 2025 · 12 min · Episode 104
About this episode
This episode discusses the emotional challenges new puppy parents face, known as the puppy blues, and offers strategies to navigate these feelings.
Bringing a puppy home is a joyful time… except sometimes reality hits a bit harder. Welcome to the Puppy Blues . It’s common to underestimate the effect this big life change will have on our emotional well-being.   I’m doing this wrong?Why is this so hard?I feel like a failure.There’s something wrong with this dog.It’s not supposed to be this way. These are all normal things to think and feel when you bring your puppy home.  Feelings of anxiety, frustration, exhaustion, or even guilt are something that nearly every new puppy parent experiences. Yet we don’t seem to talk about it. In this episode, let’s discuss what the puppy blues are, why they happen, and most importantly, how to navigate them without feeling like you’re failing your puppy or yourself. You’ll learn why these feelings are normal, temporary, and something you can plan for, along with practical tips for finding your new rhythm with your puppy. Whether you’re preparing for a puppy or already in the thick of it, this episode will give you reassurance, strategies, and a roadmap to survive (and enjoy!) these early weeks. In this episode, I talk about: What the puppy blues…
People in this episode
Host: Debbie Cilento
Topics covered
- puppy blues
- emotional well-being
- new puppy challenges
- anxiety in puppy parents
- navigating puppy ownership
Keywords
- puppy blues
- new puppy
- emotional challenges
- puppy parenting
- anxiety
- frustration
- puppy training
More episodes of Your New Puppy: Dog Training and Dog Behavior Lessons to Help You Turn Your New Puppy into a Well-Behaved Dog
- YNP #109: Three Things I Wish Every Puppy Parent Knew Week One · February 11, 2026 · 10 min
- YNP #108: What It Means to Prepare for Your New Puppy · January 28, 2026 · 8 min
- YNP #107: Stop Dinnertime Chaos · January 14, 2026 · 11 min
- YNP #106: Three Ways to Upgrade Your Walk · December 31, 2025 · 8 min
- YNP #105: Potty Training Regression · December 10, 2025 · 12 min
- YNP #103: Your Puppy’s First Night Home · June 10, 2025 · 8 min
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