Sami Lukis: 'I got a new puppy and I'm not coping!' – 9Honey

By Sami Lukis| 6 hours ago
I got a new puppy and… help! I'm not coping.
The mischievous little ball of trouble came into my world six weeks ago. She's a full-on pocket rocket who barks and bites and jumps and chews and doesn't sleep and pees and poops where she's not supposed to.
Stevie Lou is everything a four-month-old bichon cross toy poodle puppy should be – energetic, playful, inquisitive and extremely cheeky. I'm a sleep-deprived, exhausted, peri-menopausal single woman. And I'm struggling to keep up!
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Truth is, I didn't think I'd ever be able to have another dog after losing my precious Lolli Lukis seven months ago.
After 16 years with my bestie, it felt disrespectful to even consider bringing another dog into my home. But there's a saying, "You don't choose the dog. The dog chooses you."
That's what happened when I met Lolli 16 years ago. And that's exactly what happened again, the moment I met Stevie Lou. She jumped into my lap and looked up at me with those irresistible puppy dog eyes, and I knew she was my girl.
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As I sit here writing this, I feel more love for little Stevie than I ever imagined possible. She is absolutely helping to heal my fur mum heart.  
BUT OH MY GOD SHE'S AN ABSOLUTE TERROR AND SHE'S DRIVING ME NUTS!!!
Which is a bit of a shock, to be honest, considering this isn't my first puppy rodeo.
My vet, Dr. Paul Hansen from Woollahra Veterinary Hospital says even experienced pet owners can forget how full on a puppy can be.
"The longevity of pets these days, mainly through good nutrition and care, means they're in our lives for longer. And people don't remember how intense that initial upset of having a new puppy can be to their lives."
'Intense' is an appropriate way to describe the last six weeks. If I'm not on my hands and knees scrubbing pee stains out of the carpet, I'm desperately trying to find ways to tire out a high energy puppy who's in perpetual motion and doesn't seem to have an off switch.
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My little bichipoo is also a biter. She chews on anything she can get her teeth into. The cushions, the carpet, the underside of my couch. We had serious words when she attached herself to the heel of my favourite Jimmy Choo boots.
She's also discovered a fascination with my columella – the fleshy bit between my nostrils. It happens when I'm lying on the couch, trying to watch TV (ie. when my attention is not 100 per cent focused solely on Stevie Lou).
She suddenly appears out of nowhere, and launches herself at my face. Turns out those sharp puppy teeth attach perfectly around the little piece of cartilage at the bottom of my nose.
Unfortunately, the worst moment so far, was when she ate her poo, and then vomited it up on my bed. Yep, I woke up to a pool of puppy-poop-spew. On the doona. Centimetres from my face. It was the weirdest thing that's ever happened in my bedroom.
I've spent countless hours researching puppy training tips online and I'm trying everything the experts suggest to raise a happy, healthy, well behaved dog. But right now, it feels like a full time job.
Dr. Paul says we should acknowledge that it's hard work for the puppy as well.
"We keep our dogs a lot closer to us, compared to 10 or 15 years ago. Having a dog indoors in high density living takes a lot of training, reinforcement and resilience, for both parties. We expect these little guys to give us a full night's sleep, put up with being alone for several hours each day, go to the toilet on command, sit comfortably with us to de-stress us at the end of the day and deal with the multiple issues that we either consciously or subconsciously project onto them. It's a full time job, that they're unaware of."
Just to be clear, I have no intention of surrendering this little puppy-poop-spewer. When I brought Stevie-Lou home, I promised to love and care for her, for life.
Dogs really are the best, but my story is a timely reminder that you should always think seriously before buying a pet, because it's not all snuggles and happiness. Those first few weeks with a new puppy will disrupt pretty much every aspect of your life.
I'm committed to giving Stevie the loving happy home she deserves. So I'll persevere with the potty training and the sleepless nights and trying to protect my columella when I'm lying on the couch.
As for the prospect of any more poop-spew in my future… google tells me it's actually quite common for pups to eat their own poo, at least once (there's even a name for it – 'coprophagia'), but only about 16 per cent of puppies become serial poop eaters. So I'm just keeping everything crossed that my little Stevie Lou ends up in the other 84 per cent.
Follow Sami on Instagram @samilukis. Or follow Stevie Lou on Instagram at @stevielouthebichonpoo
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