5 Lessons I've Learned During Year One with a Puppy

I can’t believe my little golden boy is a year old! It seems like yesterday that he was a small 20 pound little fur ball and now he is a full size dog. If you’re getting a puppy and nervous about what to expect these tips are for you! Brady has literally done everything you can think of so chances are I have experienced it!

1. Always travel with paper towels.

Over the past year, Brady has made a mess of my car. I mean poop, pee, puke, you name it! Some of those times I didn’t have paper towels or anything to clean it up with. Instead I had to find anything I could to get rid of the mess and that often involved getting my hands dirty. Don’t be left stranded with a hyper puppy and some gross mess to clean up with nothing to clean it up with. Keep a roll of paper towels in your car at all times.

2. Invest in obedience school.

Obedience school can be expensive but it is worth it! When your puppy gets to be about 8 months to a year they are an absolute shit. This is their teenage phase and they really truly suck sometimes. The obedience training is a lifesaver. Imagine walking down the street with your psycho 10 month old puppy who is now stronger than you and he see’s a squirrel. That obedience training can save you from being pulled down the sidewalk if you are able to get him to sit and redirect his attention. Brady took the AKC Star Puppy Class and did awesome. His AKC Good Citizen class was cut short due to him having surgery but we hope to get him back in training post coronavirus.

3. Save all the plastic bags you can

I know at least in South Carolina, you rarely get plastic bags at grocery stores anymore. I’m all about protecting the environment but when you do happen to come across a plastic bag make sure you save it. A lot like the paper towels small plastic bags are a lifesaver. I mean real grocery store plastic bags not the doggie poop bags. When you have a pile of messy paper towels shoving them in a tiny poop bag is not fun. Of course you can use a regular trash bag but I find using a 13 gallon bag for a few paper towels to be wasteful.

4. Pay attention to what they eat

Puppies love to eat anything. Especially if its something they shouldn't. I swear puppies have a sense that tells them, “oh this would be really bad to eat but go ahead and eat it anyway.” Brady is a monster when it comes to eating things he shouldn’t. Hence why we had a couple thousand in vet bills this year to get an object removed from his intestines. They eat things in seconds so be careful. Also, be careful with toys. This did not happen to us but a good friend of ours has a husky who ate three of his toys in minutes and also had to have surgery to get them removed. Don’t be given the false impression that dog toys are completely safe because they are made for dogs. Dogs can tear them apart, ingest them and that can result in a pricey surgery, anxiety and very colorful poop.

5. Document everything!

In a very short time your tiny little puppy becomes an adult and it is heartbreaking. Their baby teeth fall out and they grow up. I am so thankful that Cody and I literally did nothing but take pictures of Brady this past year. We love going back on old videos and crying about how small he was. It’s also funny to see how their actions as little guys follows them to adulthood. Brady still has the same routines as a 8 week old puppy but now they are a little less cute. As a puppy Brady loved to jump on us in the morning and now he still does except he is a good 60 pounds heavier.

I hope this helped you if you’re thinking about getting a puppy or currently have a dog because these tips are really good for dogs of all ages. Let’s be real puppies don’t grow up they just become bigger puppies. If not I hope you at least got a good laugh reading my struggles.