[Elegant]

I've read many posts and have read how happy people were when they first got their puppies...but mine is a slightly different story...I think. This is also posted for those of you who also felt the way I do but didn't want to tell anyone.

Sunday, at 3:30 pm I call a breeder that lives 2 hours and 15 minutes away. I ask her all the necessary questions and figure she is ok, has a female...told her I would leave at 4pm, get there at 6 or so.

I pick up the pup (I stayed there 2 hours just seeing if I wanted her)and we, my boyfriend and I were on our way home with the pup, Chanel, at 8:45 pm. I drove. I am excited, but a bit tired. Sleep? No. I got two hours of sleep that night.

I was feeling very emotional Monday morning. I had lots of things to buy (I had been planning on purchasing a puppy for months, if not a year, but no females were available, so I hadn't bought much, but knew what to buy). So, I just spent $2000 on my beautiful puppy. Now I feel overwhelmed becasue I need to spend lots more on a bed, crate, shampoo, etc.

So everyday, up until today, Saturday, I have been crying. Here were the issues I kept going over in my head (I guess this is like a diary or something):

1. I am a teacher, and do not get paid during the summer, but saved enough to make it through the summer.
2. I have credit cards I can pay off, or towards, just using the money I spent on buying her.
3. I have two other dogs, why am I getting another one?
4. I feel guilty because my boyfriend buys me what I want, then I spaz out when I finally get what I want.
5. How am I supposed to take care of her? She's potty trained nicely at 4 months old, the breeder did a good job with that.
6. Why do I feel so sad...she' an ideal Maltese, sweet face, great calm temperment, beautiful coat, all black points, but I feel like there is no connection.

So, basically, I think I was experiencing two things, buyers remorse and post pardom depression. I do not have any children and do not plan to for some time. I wanted a puppy right now so that I could atleast spend 1.5 months working with her and spending time with her. But now I feel overwhelmed. Today I feel okay, but I have stomach aches, etc. I was on my phone with my friend crying and telling her I wanted to take her back, and she said she went through the same thing I did when she got her puppy one month ago, and felt like she didn't want to keep him either.

So, basically, I felt horrible that I didn't want her and wanted to take her back, and I am just getting over the money portion of it. I expected to pay $2000 for a female Maltese, so I don't know why it was such a big deal. Oh, then I had to take my car in to get the 60,000 mile maintenance done, which was over $1000. So, lots of money was being spent in a week's time and I have always had problems spending money.

So, if you didn't get bored yet while reading through my ramblings, did anyone else go through this overwhelming period of when you first brought your puppy home? Or am I the only one?

I also thought maybe it wasn't time for me to get a puppy, but I had been planning this for half a year. Go figure, I am weird.

I also talked to one of my other friends who rescued a dog and she felt bad the first night and thought to herself...what have I just done, after telling everyone how much I want a dog, now I have one and I feel horrible...

Just to let you know, there is a happy ending

I love Chanel very much. She is a lot of work to take care of, but I know it will be worth it. She sits on my lap, rides in the car with me, lets me comb her hair easily, vet said she is very healthy, I'm working with tear staining that seems it will never go away (I used peroxide and it is working slowly), and she is very energetic and curious. She is the sweetest thing and I am happy I got her. We make sacrafices for our loved ones.

Thanks again for listening.

 

[Brinkley & Neyland's Mom]

Many people have the "what have I done?" syndrome after getting a new puppy. Any pet for that matter. Especially with the pottytraining etc. Even having two REAL kids...when they come home from the hospital, I asked myself..."what have I done"...of course things settle down and become routine...and then you wonder..."what did I do before them?"
At least that is how it was for me...with my real kids and all my pets.
It will be ok.
I do understand the money issue also. I did NOT pay 2000 for mine...LOL...but I have spent lots of money ON him with STUFF. Money that should have been put in other places. But, ohwell. You only live once....he he. He is worth it!
good luck
Give Chanel kisses!

 

[LoveMaltese6820]

Don't worry! This happened to me also! I wanted and researched a Maltese for about 6 or 7 months. I thought we would have so much fun together! The day after I got Casper I felt that I would never be able to take care of him well enough, he wouldn't be happy, and like the other poster said the "what have I done" syndrome. Well, that didn't last long! Give your baby time! It seemed just like post pardon depression to me (even though I have never had any kids). After about two/three days of that phase I realized "what am I thinking?" Casper is my favorite "person" in the entire world now! He is loving, sweet, and tries with all his little heart to protect me! I really can not imagine not having a Maltese in my life!

 

[Toby's Mom]

 

[Elegant]

Thank you so much...I think I needed to hear that other people understand and I'm not alone. I am begining to feel much better now...I am happy I got her now while I am not working and going to school at the same time...I don't know what I would have done.

Again, thanks so much for taking time to read my mega-long post and being so supportive in taking time to reply...

~Elegant

 

[Maxismom]

Elegant
when i first got maxi ( he is now 10 months) you can ask my friends i was beserk!!!!! i kept saying what did i do why did i do this, he was peeing all over the place, i said the same thing i have no connection with him someone take him every possible thing and now 10 months later i would just die if i didnt have him ( he cost me also 1700.00 and all the money i spent on vet bills on top of all the things i buy him , grooming him every 3 weeks , same thing...My boyfriend and i had broken up a few weeks after i got him which i knew it was coming , maxi helped me through it all and i treat maxi like my child to me he is my furbaby.....I never thought i could love this much...Now my boyfriend and i are back together and he knows that maxi is number one to me if he doesnt like it he can leave......He thinks im alittle over the top but i dont care what any one thinks and you will be fine

 

[doctorcathy]

elegant--what other dogs do you have?


and you'll find that we're the only people that truly understand how much you paid on your dog---but that its worth it.

just wait a few more months and you'll be more bonded to her than ever--and then a few months after that...even more bonding. its crazy. she'll suddenly feel like a child to you.

 

[Mystify79]

Oh yeah, I definitely had the "What have I done?" moment after I first got Tuffy. I've never really had a dog before Tuffy so despite all the research I did in preparation, I still didn't have that "real dog" experience so when I got the real thing I was overwhelmed. And even though I had been wanting to get a Maltese for a while, I got Tuffy before I was prepared for a dog. My sister and I went to the breeder to "look" at the puppies and naturally, I came home with one :lol: I had him sleeping in a storage bin lined with blankets for a while there and I had to buy a newspaper just to have something for him to pee on

It was a ton of work when he was a puppy but all that work is paying off now because he's a lot more fun as an older dog

I'm glad you are feeling better about the whole thing.. you'll still get those

feelings, but once you look in those cute little eyes you'll remember how it's worth it

 

[LoveMaltese6820]

Glad your feeling better!

 

[puppy*luv]

I can understand how you might of felt; I am scared if I might feel that way too. Especially the part of that with the money I spent on the puppy I could of used for something else like bills. Also, what if I dont do a good job of raising him! But now I think that I have waited my whole life up to now to finally have a dog so I deserve to have him! In the past either the place I lived didn't allow pets or timing wasn't right! You weren't alone! I'm glad that everything is working out now!

 

[mee]

 

[Elegant]

Wow...thanks so much...I finally feel like I am not alone out there! Thank you for sharing your honest to goodness experiences. I feel much better knowing that I am "normal".

Again, thanks for the support!

~Elegant

 

[Boom Boom's Mom]

Im right there with all you guys.

When I got Boomer I knew I couldn't afford a puppy. The lady across the hall from our apartment had him and was two days short of taking him to the humane society. I saw him first and he was cute but I did my best to make myself not want him. My husband saw him and fell absolutely in love with him. I got guilt trips from him about wanting the puppy,. All I could think about was the price of getting him neutered, getting his shots taken care of, getting him groomed and all the puppy stuff he'd need.. (bed, toys, brush, food, etc etc etc.)

My hubby worked on me so hard I finally went over and asked if we could play with the pup. Well we ended up taking him that night from them. He was 4 months old. Pictures can be seen on his website. He was absolutely ADORABLE. But that whole night I sat and worried about how I was going to be able to take care of him. I knew it wouldn't be fair for us to take him if I couldn't keep him happy/healthy. We went out that night and spent almost 100 dollars on stuff for him, it only made me feel worse.

Money's been tight, but he's gotten his shots and been neutered. He's got plenty of toys and my in laws have also helped with the toys and grooming. I too am a teacher and havent gotten paid all summer. Im ready for school to start again.

I totally understand how you felt and I didn't have to pay anything for him. I love him to death and couldn't imagine my life without him. I've gone without things so that he could have food and stuff.

Good luck with your baby!