My first puppy: Things every first-time dog owner should know before they make the commitment into dog parenthood

I grew up in a household where dogs are always part of the family. However, Nalu was my first dog that was mine and mine alone, from the time he was 11 weeks old. My commitment to the decision to become a dog owner when I was 35 was exciting.

But becoming a dog parent is not one to be taken lightly, and I think a lot of well-intentioned people aren’t fully prepared for what it’s really like to become a dog parent and raise a dog well . Three years into dog mama-hood, here is what I think all new dog parents need to know and consider *before* you get a dog; and some tips you should know if you are the owner of your first puppy.

This is a long-term relationship and commitment that will change your life. A puppy is not like some sort of a living stuffed animal. They will change your life just like having a baby. You can no longer sleep outside of your own home or come home late without thinking twice. It’s a symbiotic relationship where you care for them and they care for you back.

In my case Nalu was my emotional support animal. In committing to this decision was also an inherent agreement and acceptance that I needed some tangible support and therapeutic intervention for both panic attacks and a severe cockroach phobia. (it used to be spiders when I lived in the mainland, and rapidly transferred to cockroaches here. I literally had to shut down a class-from-home teaching gig when a roach made its way into my apartment because I was so terrified; and I proceeded to tear my entire apartment apart hunting for the roach so that I could continue to work from home and sleep in my own apartment that night. You would have thought there was a drug raid. I’m not kidding when I say phobia. I have had worse responses to roaches entering my dwelling; and it makes me feel like I need to call the cops or something it is that bad. So there was that).

While it’s not easy admitting I have anxiety issues, I literally can’t even remember what my life used to be like before I got Nalu. He has become such an integral part of my daily routines, my lifestyle, my joy, and my wellbeing that my life surely must have been very empty before he came into it. He brings life, joy, and love into my reality just like a child or a lover does. But it’s its own special kind of relationship that is honestly more like baby-meets-boyfriend-meets-gremlin. LOL. I love this dog so much even if he is not a 100% perfect angel all the time.

There really is no such thing as a free puppy. Second point: I made a decision to get Nalu remotely, which was risky AF. I had to trust that it was a legitimate transaction and not a total scam. I had to mail a complete stranger a $900 cashier’s check; fly across the ocean, and hope that when I showed up in Los Angeles, this location, breeder, and puppy were real. (Thank God, they all were!). I bravely pulled the trigger on getting one of the cutest puppies of all time. Despite the huge financial shot in the dark and the Hawaiian import process (not to mention the ongoing FAVN process which I’m sure you read about in my last post), every penny I’ve invested in this boy has been 110% worth it.

Here are some other expenses new dog parents may not be aware of…

• All the things they need just for basic care and comfort. You didn’t think that dog bed appeared out of thin air, did you? Pet accoutrements ain’t always cheap! Just for your dog to take a shit costs money.
• monthly flea and tick medication (you can buy the cheapest version of it from Amazon)
• monthly heart worm medication (I get mine from our vet every 6 months).
• unplanned vet visits (Nalu has sprained his wrist, there was a time when he was having reverse sneeze attacks for like, a week, and that one time when he got stung on the eye by a bee or wasp and his eye swelled up like a goldfish.)
• Dog health insurance (yes, you need this. See swollen goldfish eyeball reference).
• dog-proofing your home (maybe you’ll believe me after your dog poops out a condom or chews up your macbook charger cord)
• the myriad of ways it is made possible for you to spoil the heck out of your fur baby. I know people who spend an upwards of $300 a month for weekly dog pack hiking excursions. We aren’t yet in that financial echelon, but I do feed him semi-bougie raw food patties. And I will buy any device that I think will improve his behavior or support our lifestyle in any way. Like a cover for the backseat of my car. Or the eCollar. or upsizing his dog accessories as he got bigger. Or paying for a Rover dog sitter when I finally went on my first vaycay without him. There is no such thing as a free puppy.

You may not realize how much you don’t know about puppydom until you raise one yourself. Even though I grew up in a household where there was constantly a dog, and I watched and participated in many of the aspects of raising quite a few puppies, there were still a lot of things that I didn’t know I didn’t know. Things like…

• They have extreme separation anxiety and they scream-cry when you try to leave them alone. And yet they also need to be taught how to be alone. Every new dog parent knows this paradox and the graduate back to independent life, LOL.
• They need sleep training.
• They need crate training.
• They need lots of exercise.
• They need brain stimulation.
• Quality dog food makes a difference.
• They go through a teething phase and you can expect your hands and arms to be tore up in the first six months.
• Their teeth fall out and you find them places.
• They can get attacked by other dogs at first and its not like all dogs inherently get along or are kind to puppies. Nalu got attacked/growled at least three times when we was a baby, even tho he remained a social butterfly.
• You MUST, and I mean MUST, engage in some form of obedience training if you want a well-behaved dog. Even if it’s DIY dog training, it’s ongoing and it must be worked on consistently.
• Raising a boy dog really is its own special experience and I’ll be writing a post all about it.
• You have to learn how to groom them properly.
• Unlike that of a human, dog temperament changes over time. Especially when they go through dog puberty.
• Not all dog toys are made equally. I’ll be writing a specific post on the ones that worked for us through puppyhood and which ones withstood the test of time.
• Dogs need to be properly socialized, and this starts in puppyhood. They cannot have negative socialization experiences in the first year or else the trauma sticks with them forever.
• Puppies grow FAST. This is especially important to note if you chose a big dog breed. SO. MANY. PEOPLE. do not know how to handle large breed dogs. Based on what I experience with my 16 pound, unpredictable, and arguably kinda strong terrier breed, I now know I cannot ever be a large breed dog owner. And to think that people immediately jump into owning a large dog breed without any prior dog parenting experience boggles my mind.
• Puppies can be smart AF; and you need to know how smart your dog is b/c sometimes they’re too smart for their own good.
• Puppies eat everything. So you need to be mindful of that.

There is no such thing as a 100% dream dog. I used to think that maybe Nalu was truly it. But then he kept getting randomly attacked by other people’s dogs. And one day he stopped passively allowing it to happen, and decided to fight back. Now I have a dog who barks at other dogs. And who I know will fight back when attacked. And we need Jas from Cali K9 or the Dog Daddy to help us. But I can’t afford them yet. When people ask me if Nalu is a good dog, my answer is always “90% yes”. Brussels Griffons are seriously SUCH a wonderful breed. He is like the perfect adorable hybrid of a dog who can hang with me from the couch, to the beach, to the farmer’s market, to the trails. But he has his 10% unpredictable startle-fear response that we’re working on.

Had he never been attacked by so many dogs off leash, maybe he would in fact be a 100% angel. But thanks to those experiences we have some continue work to do. He’s also a humping machine around certain dogs too. But ultimately, he is the dream dog for me. And I am hooked to this breed for the rest of my life.