Nervous breakdown?Puppy Blues?Please help

[cloudcandy]

....oh dear I'm really stuck and confused.
I just joined this forum now because I've broken down(again) whilst washing up!I got my puppy yesterday and I've already had a few breakdowns and feeling crazy,tired and stupid.I'm really worried I'm not going to be able to look after,and everything is so much harder then I thought.
I've wanted a puppy forever,I finally believed this year I could have one and started researching and reading up on breeds etc and lifestyle.I really thought I was ready for the changes,and now I just want to go back to where I was...I dont know what to do,my stomach is in knots,I feel like crying all the time,I'm tired,I have no appetite and i don't know what to do...
Please help me...Is this normal?Or should I go to my doctors,I feel liked I've gone crazy.
Molly x

 

[SailenAero]

Wow...back up. What are the details? Why are you feeling it's so hard? What breed do you have? What are the exact problems?

 

[cloudcandy]

Hi
Basically I collected her yesterday,she is around 7 and a 1/2 weeks old,a chihuahua jackrussel.I was meant to collect her last weekend,but I was on holiday,so instead collected her a day after I got back (yesterday).Me and my boyfriend had got the flat prepared slowly and everything was ready for her,I'd read the books and felt prepared.
Her journey home was good,she sat with me in the back with my brother and sister,she slept and played and had no peepee accidents or anything.
When I got her home she played with me and my siblings all evening,she ate and used her toilet.My boyfriend came home and met her and my siblings left.Then i sat with her on the sofa exhausted and she feel asleep on me...it then dawned on me how small she was(she is TINY) and how much protection and help she needs and i felt anxious.I cried a bit,i had bath to calm down..then sobbed some more!(Silly me...)
I put her to bed in her crate with blankets and toys and her toilet inside(Im training her with a dog loo since i live in a flat)then I tried to fall asleep!Finally nodded off at 1.45 only for her to wake up crying at 2.45 i went over to her,stroked her and put her back to sleep...it was surprisingly fast.I went back to sleep and she woke up at 6am,ready to play.I played with her for 30 mins,then put her back in her cage.She went back to sleep and so did I till 8am,when my boyfriend played with her while getting ready for work,when he left i was so desperate for sleep i bundled her up and she slept with me till 10am.
Today she was good in the morning,she sat in her crate with the door open napping whilsts I cleaned and got ready,I took her to my gran across the road,she slept.I then took her home and fed her,my siblings came round and played.I had to give her a break to make sure she ate,which she did.Then I took her with my boyfriend to see his mum,she slept through that!....whilst writing this it feels like its not as bad as I feel....shes had a few peeing accident,and the flat is not as dog proof as I thought.She also is VERY excitable and loves biting...she is NOT happy to be left alone...in the kitchen with a gate across,although she can see us she wants to be near us.She also is not drinking as much water as I would have thought,and has left her evening meal.
I just feel abit in shock....

I just wrote a TONNE of stuff and it is GONE...going to eat my dinner

 

[Baxter'smybaby]

Hi
Basically I collected her yesterday,she is around 7 and a 1/2 weeks old,a chihuahua jackrussel.I was meant to collect her last weekend,but I was on holiday,so instead collected her a day after I got back (yesterday).Me and my boyfriend had got the flat prepared slowly and everything was ready for her,I'd read the books and felt prepared.
Her journey home was good,she sat with me in the back with my brother and sister,she slept and played and had no peepee accidents or anything.
When I got her home she played with me and my siblings all evening,she ate and used her toilet.My boyfriend came home and met her and my siblings left.Then i sat with her on the sofa exhausted and she feel asleep on me...it then dawned on me how small she was(she is TINY) and how much protection and help she needs and i felt anxious.I cried a bit,i had bath to calm down..then sobbed some more!(Silly me...)
I put her to bed in her crate with blankets and toys and her toilet inside(Im training her with a dog loo since i live in a flat)then I tried to fall asleep!Finally nodded off at 1.45 only for her to wake up crying at 2.45 i went over to her,stroked her and put her back to sleep...it was surprisingly fast.I went back to sleep and she woke up at 6am,ready to play.I played with her for 30 mins,then put her back in her cage.She went back to sleep and so did I till 8am,when my boyfriend played with her while getting ready for work,when he left i was so desperate for sleep i bundled her up and she slept with me till 10am.
Today she was good in the morning,she sat in her crate with the door open napping whilsts I cleaned and got ready,I took her to my gran across the road,she slept.I then took her home and fed her,my siblings came round and played.I had to give her a break to make sure she ate,which she did.Then I took her with my boyfriend to see his mum,she slept through that!....whilst writing this it feels like its not as bad as I feel....shes had a few peeing accident,and the flat is not as dog proof as I thought.She also is VERY excitable and loves biting...she is NOT happy to be left alone...in the kitchen with a gate across,although she can see us she wants to be near us.She also is not drinking as much water as I would have thought,and has left her evening meal.
I just feel abit in shock....

I just wrote a TONNE of stuff and it is GONE...going to eat my dinner

trying to fix this for you cloudcandy--not sure why your larger post didn't work. Hopefully I just fixed it for you.

 

[Baxter'smybaby]

cloudcandy--not sure why your post didn't show up (I can see it, but I am a mod.)--not sure how to fix it --but I am trying.

 

[cloudcandy]

I collected my 7 1/2 week old jackrussel chihuahua yesterday.I came back from holiday friday,collected her saturday.We had prepared for her at home,puppy proofing,crate buying etc.
Car journey was brill,she slept or played with my brothers or sisters.Got her home and she played with them whilst getting used to her new home,by the evening everyone went home and it was just me and boyfriend.I held her in my arms to sleep whilst watching telly and had a horrible thought that I wouldnt be able to look after her and I would have to give her up.I got emotional and cried,and so had a bath to calm me down...didnt work...i just cried more after LOL
So after a while I put her in her bed to sleep,she fell to sleep but I didnt...due to anxiety(feeling sick and thinking to much)she woke my bf up crying at 2/3.45 and i held her and soothed her then placed her back in bed where she slept till 6am.She then woke up ready to play and I indulged her for 30mins,she then slept till 8am where my boyfriend took her out and played with her while getting ready for work.When he left I was desperate to sleep so she came in the bed with me and we napped until 10.30.I then placed her in the cage with the door open whilst I cleaned and got changed.We visitied my nan(she just slept) came home for lunch,siblings came over and played with her found hourrrs(but i did try and give her time to nap and eat)we then took her to my bf's mums house(she slept too)now we are home,I tried to cook dinner and keep her in her cage but she cried.So i sectioned her in the kitchen with me but she cried to get out to see my bf,I then tried and tried to get her to eat or drink but shes unitrested.Then she settled down infront of the oven,she just woke up now and i put her on my lap whilst im on the laptop and shes sleeping.
My main concerns are:
the fact she has not ate or drank as much as i would have thought
the fact i feel sick and not hungry and feel like ive gone a bit coo coo!
the fact I am worried that I will not be able to look after her correctly and that im doing it wrong
the fact i keep crying like a crazy person

I know I sound like a loon,and I've managed to have to type this THREE times since ive somehow kept loosing it....but I would really like some help...

 

[Baxter'smybaby]

cloudcandy's original reply:

Hi
Basically I collected her yesterday,she is around 7 and a 1/2 weeks old,a chihuahua jackrussel.I was meant to collect her last weekend,but I was on holiday,so instead collected her a day after I got back (yesterday).Me and my boyfriend had got the flat prepared slowly and everything was ready for her,I'd read the books and felt prepared.
Her journey home was good,she sat with me in the back with my brother and sister,she slept and played and had no peepee accidents or anything.
When I got her home she played with me and my siblings all evening,she ate and used her toilet.My boyfriend came home and met her and my siblings left.Then i sat with her on the sofa exhausted and she feel asleep on me...it then dawned on me how small she was(she is TINY) and how much protection and help she needs and i felt anxious.I cried a bit,i had bath to calm down..then sobbed some more!(Silly me...)
I put her to bed in her crate with blankets and toys and her toilet inside(Im training her with a dog loo since i live in a flat)then I tried to fall asleep!Finally nodded off at 1.45 only for her to wake up crying at 2.45 i went over to her,stroked her and put her back to sleep...it was surprisingly fast.I went back to sleep and she woke up at 6am,ready to play.I played with her for 30 mins,then put her back in her cage.She went back to sleep and so did I till 8am,when my boyfriend played with her while getting ready for work,when he left i was so desperate for sleep i bundled her up and she slept with me till 10am.
Today she was good in the morning,she sat in her crate with the door open napping whilsts I cleaned and got ready,I took her to my gran across the road,she slept.I then took her home and fed her,my siblings came round and played.I had to give her a break to make sure she ate,which she did.Then I took her with my boyfriend to see his mum,she slept through that!....whilst writing this it feels like its not as bad as I feel....shes had a few peeing accident,and the flat is not as dog proof as I thought.She also is VERY excitable and loves biting...she is NOT happy to be left alone...in the kitchen with a gate across,although she can see us she wants to be near us.She also is not drinking as much water as I would have thought,and has left her evening meal.
I just feel abit in shock....

 

[cloudcandy]

Thanks,I just posted another,heres a picture too

 

[SailenAero]

Well firstly calm down. All of this is normal. A puppy is a big adjustment. It is even bigger for the dog. The best thing you can do is to get her on a schedule. Especially for potty training. All puppies under 4 months of age have small bladders and can not be expected to hold their urine longer than 3-4 hours during the day or 6 or so hours at night. Someone must be available to let the dogs out once every 3 hours. Housebreaking occurs gradually over a period of time using consistent schedules and methods. Also, puppies sleep. A lot. It's just like a new born baby. I'm sure the other Chazzers can chime in and explain their puppy thoughts/schedules. They are all great, knowledgebale people. Just remember you signed up for being a parent to a helpless creature. It's a true commitment that can be more rewarding than you could ever imagine. It takes time - but try not to get overly emotionally worked up! You are young and this is a big responsible step. You and your new friend just need time to adjust.

 

[Dekka]

Is this your first puppy?

This is totally normal breathe relax. Did the breeder crate train the puppies already? If not she just not be used to being a lone.

 

[cloudcandy]

Thanks everyone.
@sailenero I will try and calm down!Its part of my personality to get ridiciously worked up lol,I suffer from panic attacks too so I pretty crap at it.
@dekka yes its my first puppy I've lived with a dog before and loved it,so I know what I'm working towards I guess i wasn't prepared for her to be so needy.i think she was crate trained,she came from a litter of 7 and they all shared a pen area with sleeping and pee pads and toys etc.I've pretty much recreated that...right now she's sleeping...so I've had a chance to think

 

[cloudcandy]

My replies still dont post...

 

[Maxy24]

We had these breakdowns several times after getting Tucker, puppies are awful, I have no desire to ever have one again. But they grow up. Keep him on leash if he's getting into trouble. Get a crate and put him in it if you find yourself loosing your cool with him.


Tell us more about his behavior so we can help you solve some of the problems you're having.

 

[Moth]

Okay...deep breaths... You will be just fine You did all the research and have the books. You came here to find advice. You are wanting to take good care of that baby.

I agree a schedule will be the best thing for both of you.

If you are having serious trouble with any of the puppies behaviors post and you will find lots of help here.

You are not alone...

Any better?

 

[cloudcandy]

All this help is great,I did post about.the.issues im having butits not working
Ill try im the morning....rightnow.shes sound asleep so i need too aswwll!

 

[Baxter'smybaby]

Not sure why her posts aren't coming through to the forum (must be part of the spam filter right now)---here is her response:

Thanks everyone.
@sailenero I will try and calm down!Its part of my personality to get ridiciously worked up lol,I suffer from panic attacks too so I pretty crap at it.
@dekka yes its my first puppy I've lived with a dog before and loved it,so I know what I'm working towards I guess i wasn't prepared for her to be so needy.i think she was crate trained,she came from a litter of 7 and they all shared a pen area with sleeping and pee pads and toys etc.I've pretty much recreated that...right now she's sleeping...so I've had a chance to think

and this:
My main concerns are:
the fact she has not ate or drank as much as i would have thought
the fact i feel sick and not hungry and feel like ive gone a bit coo coo!
the fact I am worried that I will not be able to look after her correctly and that im doing it wrong
the fact i keep crying like a crazy person

 

[Doberluv]

You're doing just fine it sounds like to me. Puppies can be challenging...some stages more so than others. I'd take her out to pee every hour if possible instead of every 3 hours. Chihuhauas have incredibly small bladders. Plus it give you more chances to reinforce her with a treat/praise if she goes every time. The more the better. If she gets a little practice being left alone in her crate....gradually increasing the duration and starting with you near by and gradually leaving her more alone, she'll get onto it. It's good to work on getting her use to that right away. As far as the drinking and eating, she's a tiny dog and they just don't eat or drink as much as bigger dogs. Can you estimate just how much she's drinking and eating? Can you measure out certain amounts and monitor? That way, if it really is too little, you can ask the vet but you'll have more information to provide. Remember to feed her small amounts about 4 times a day for now. Chances are, she's just fine and you're worrying, which is natural when this is your first pup. Lots of supervision when she's loose in the flat will prevent her from getting into no no's. lol. When you can't watch her, pop her in the crate. And most of all, relax and enjoy the adorableness of your new puppy. That's what they're here for. lol. Letting yourself get worked up too much can stress her out too, so try and focus on the positive things and I'm sure everything will be fine. You have a great forum here to come to for support. You have a vet, I presume if you need a medical question answered. It sounds like you have a lot of family around. You'll be fine. Welcome to Chazhound, btw.

 

[eddieq]

Just in case anyone is confused, I went in and "approved" cloudcandy's posts, so they are now showing up as well as bax's reposting

 

[Giny]

It's a big change in you life, it's natural to feel overwhelmed. Sound like you've done everything right in preparing yourself for her arrival. Thing will not always go right a their will be a few bumps in the road, or piddles on the floor. With time, as she adjusts to you and you to her you'll develop a wonderful bond.

She adorable, btw! Can't wait to see pictures of her growing up.

 

[Izzy's Valkyrie]

You're probably so overwhelmed because you're not getting the sleep you're used to as well so keep that in mind. If you can get her to nap with you without making a mess while you sleep, maybe that will help you both bond and settle in to life together.