Before we got Goose, our Mini Australian Shepherd puppy, we heard and read about how much work getting a puppy really is, and a year later, we thought we would share what we learned about what it’s really like to take care of a puppy 🐶

First off, having a puppy is such a rewarding and fun experience, but it’s also a responsibility, and as a couple sans kiddos, it can take you away from what you’re used to — freedom. The freedom to go anywhere whenever you want — no matter how far and for how long.

It’s a commitment.

You have to decide as a couple, family and individual if you are willing to sacrifice some things. One of the things we used to love to do is take spontaneous mini road trips. That’s something we can’t really do anymore if we are going to be gone for more than 8 hours. With a puppy, you’ve got to plan out your travel and figure out where your puppy will be while you’re gone. If you don’t have family, friends or neighbors who are willing to watch him then we recommend trying the pet sitting app Rover. We have used it for so many of our vacations and so far had a pleasant experience.

You’ve got to create a routine.

It’s best to get you and your puppy on a schedule because they respond better to routines— that means feeding, pooping, playing, sleeping, etc.

Get ready to get dirty.

While picking up Goose’s poop wasn’t as nasty as we imagined it to be, you still gotta do it. Every. Single. Day. Sometimes multiple times a day, especially when they are young. We have to say picking up their poop is a lot better than cleaning a baby’s diaper, but it’s still poop and gross.

You should also mentally prepare yourselves for many accidents. We crate trained Goose so that he can be in his crate while we are out of the house and during the night. During a puppy’s first couple of months, they need to go multiple times during the day and don’t have the ability to hold it in for long, so accidents happen.

Puppies have fears, too.

Puppies can easily be scared. The vacuum, riding in a car, other animals, strangers are all things your puppy can be scared of. You’ve got to socialize them to people, dogs and sounds early on so they can get used to being in different environments. That’s something we wish we would have done more of with Goose.

Training is more challenging than you think.

It’s not something you can learn to do from one or two YouTube videos like we originally thought. Training is just not something that happens with the snap of your fingers. It can be really frustrating at times for both the puppy and you if you don’t really know how to do it. We signed up Goose for a puppy beginners class when we first got him. He went once a week for a month at Petsmart. He learned the basics like sit, touch, come here, etc. But we figured out later on that that simply wasn’t enough…

We noticed some behavioral issues when we moved to Milwaukee and were desperate to enroll him in a training program with Dog’s Best Friend. Glad to say, we are already seeing some positive changes. Training is not just something you do and that’s it, it should be a constant thing.

You’ve got to be aware of them, always.

You constantly have to watch over puppies, just like a human baby, because they put everything that’s in reach in their mouth and some things can be toxic to them.

Money $

Having a puppy is not free. The daily maintenance of having a puppy is not that much — food, treats, toys. But the vet fees, apartment pet deposits, pet fees and boarding fees can add up. Just be cognizant of how that can impact your finances so there aren’t any surprises along the way.

Show affection to your pup.

We remember reading somewhere that a puppy depends on you 100%, you are its everything, and after almost a year of having Goose, we can now say that’s definitely true. You are their world and you have to be ready for that.

If you’ve made it this far and it seems like a lot, it is, but don’t worry! A lot of the hard work is the first couple of months of having your pup. It gets easier when you don’t have to get up during the night 😉

We love Goose and we’re happy to have him as our fur baby. Puppy parenting has definitely taught us a lot and gave us a glimpse into what human parenting involves. It’s been a good journey thus far.

If you are seriously considering getting a puppy, here’s what we bought before bringing Goose home:

• Crate — make sure you get an appropriate sized one. We made the mistake of overestimating how big Goose was going to be and ended up having to replace it down the line with one that actually fits him perfectly.
• A blanket for inside the crate. We’ve tried dog beds but it didn’t work out with Goose. He would just gnaw at it. A blanket is comfy enough for them to sleep on and if they happen to have an accident on it you could just toss it out and easily replace it.
• Chew toys— Goose loves cow hooves and Kongs. It’s a good idea to get them at least one that they can have in their crate — especially one they like so they can actually enjoy being in there.
• Potty bags — self explanatory 💩
• Leash and collar — this is what we are currently using as we train him.
• Food and water bowls & mat to go under them.
• Brush& spray
• Teething treats