Interview With a NEW DOG OWNER!

I sat down with new dog owner, Rianna Spata, to ask some her some questions on what it has been like to bring a puppy home for the first time.

 

Q: What was it like finding out a new puppy was coming into your apartment? How did you react?

A: I was very excited at first. I was nervous, as I had never had a dog in my entire life, however, my roommates and I made the decision together to bring a dog home. We were not even searching for a dog, my roommate sent a picture of a puppy at an adoption event, and I knew immediately that he was going to be my dog despite not even meeting him yet.

 

Q: How did the first couple of days go? Did you have any regrets?

A: The first days were interesting to say the least. Obviously, we started in with potty training immediately, as he was only 12 weeks old. It felt very defeating because we did not yet know his signals, and it felt like we all had no idea what we were doing because we had no experience training a puppy before this. That is one thing I have regrets about, is not doing more research before bringing him home. We were not prepared for a dog, there was only about 12 hours difference between deciding to adopt him, and actually bringing him home.

 

Q: What advice do you have for new dog owners after being one yourself?

A: I would have to recommend the potty bell, first of all. It became a lifesaver when potty training because our dog was actually able to tell us when he needed to go outside. Second, I would have to say just do your research on how to train dogs, and understand the timeline at which everything should be done. Obviously your dog has to “sit” before it can “lay down,” and so on.