Rise and shine Habibi Bear Tribe!
Some of the challenges that may arise from settling in with a new puppy:
1. Increased work load for the primary puppy parent: This could include washing more puppy laundry, like bedding, towels or rugs as our little Habibi Bear pups are in the process of mastering the lay of the Potty Time Land. Accidents will happen from time to time, and it is a normal part of puppy parenting to experience tiny setbacks from time to time until the age of a year. It is quite easy to get discouraged, but we really encourage you to focus on the potty time victories instead of the few misses. A ratio of 80% potty time success to 20% “oops, mom, sorry’s” is pretty darn awesome when we consider how many moving parts potty training has to it. Puppy needs to learn to recognize the correct brain signal, stop whatever they are doing, focus on where they need to “go” and successfully communicate to YOU that they need a “potty break,” all when their little Habibi Bear puppy brains are still developing! WOW! We are always amazed at the drive, intelligence and desire to please that accomplishing being house-broken entails, all for the love of YOU.
2. Part of the increased workload can also include increased responsibility, ranging from the constant supervision of a new puppy, to the loss of personal downtime that arises due to the needs of the new puppy. Remember, despite their ability to walk, see, and hear, puppy development and the reaching of maturity doesn’t arrive until the twelve to eighteen month marker. This means your puppy is still developing physically, cognitively, and socially when you bring them home, and it is super helpful to remember that we are dealing with doggy BABIES and offer them all the love and support they need to become the little Habibi Pup Heroes we know they can be.
As a result of these challenges, we highly encourage you to take advantage of the many tools you may have at your disposal, such as crating and the use of the potty litter box to help alleviate the roughest patches of puppy parenting, especially around the holidays, where we can be stretched thin and trying to juggle many things in the air. If you haven’t already, check out some of our previous posts (Doggie Condos Dec ‘22, Holiday Madness Dec ‘22) for some tips on crating and meeting the challenges of the Holidays with your sweet Habibi Bear puppy right by your side. If you need help or support, reach out to us by dropping us a line or DM’ng us. Remember, we are always here for you, cheering you on.