So I thought I would write a little blurb about my first week with Louis. I am a first-time Iggy father and first-time puppy owner. I spent days and days reading every post, every article, and watching every video I could. Here is a bit of a summary of my first week. Before the summary a quick outline of the living situation. I live in a house with a big backyard. I am not crate training however he has his own separate room which he is kept in as a crate.

The Whining

So the first day was a real eye-opener, I could not leave the room without crazy whining. I knew the pup was scared and in shock being alone however even though I read everything and thought I was prepared for this I definitely was not. It was a rough 2 sleepless nights and staying in the room almost all night with him in my lap. Day 3 was at my partner's house where he slept in bed with us. This was adorable as he is an amazing addition to the bed, the way he snuggles up, the warmth he was providing and genuinely slept the whole night through but I was really worried this would cause issues further down the track. Day 4 I went to the pet store and bought a thundershirt, adaptil collar, and a plush toy with a heartbeat. I have to add that was a really active day for him so whether it was him being really tired or the new products he slept great only whining at about 3am to go potty. Days 5,6,7 have been so much easier. He can spend 2 hours in the room alone, play with his Kong toy, go to sleep, and not whine at people walking past. I've been making sure I am following the "A tired dog is a happy dog" so I try and keep him entertained for at least 2 hours with training, walkies, Kong and tug of war.

Toilet Training

Reading all the articles and stuff this was one of my biggest concerns. I honestly must be blessed because we have only had one pee accident on the first day which I attribute to uncontrollable anxiety. I try and follow a schedule and he seems more or less 100% potty trained already! He will let me know when he wants to go and I take him out every 3 hours just in case. Currently, he does 2-3 poos and about 4-5 pees. So for everyone that does the same research as me and reads posts that are 2-3 years old, just be attentive, set a routine, and give lots of positive affirmation!

The Stubbornness

This is killing me and I don't know what to do. Some days he wants to go for walks other days he doesn't want to move, some days he will walk for 10 meters and decide this is as far as I will go. I honestly don't know what to do because I want to make sure he gets as much exercise as possible. I cannot lie, when I was a lot younger I got a German Sheppard and did not give it enough exercise, or stimulation and I never want to do that ever again.

Socializing

He is a little too good, whether it's people, my partner's cats who hate him but he doesn't understand that, or other dogs that can snap him like a twig. The plan is to take him to puppy preschool and hopefully work on how he interacts with others.

Summary

There were times I thought I cannot do this but it gets better and better with attention, training and being committed. I am currently typing this with Louis fast asleep in my lap and I wouldn't have it any other way. I guess I want to say if you are reading do not read everything and start panicking. Every pup is different and have their own quirks. I am so happy with my decision and even though the next 6 months will bring new challenges it is all worth it.