Pups & downs
Puppy owners can experience symptoms similar to post-natal depression as they come to terms with having a young dog. Psychologist Emma Kenny says getting a pet can be just as emotionally unsettling as having a baby.
She says: “When you get a dog, people have the perfect picture of how things are going to be. The reality is quite different. It wees and poos everywhere, needs you all the time, takes away your independence and brings so much responsibility.
“Feeling overwhelmed, fearful, trapped and anxious are totally natural. But once the initial period of grieving for your old carefree life is over and the puppy settles, the joy from the unconditional love they give takes over.”
Becky Baker, 34, from Wakefield, West Yorks, experienced the blues when she got cockapoo Buddy two years ago.
She felt overwhelmed by Buddy’s demands and went through exhaustion, anxiety and feeling like a failure. Becky, a product developer, says: “Buddy was adorable but into everything. He’d whimper at night and cry for me even if I tried to have a shower. “I tried to crate train him and during those first couple of weeks I would barely sleep because I’d be up checking on him. “Because I was tired and cranky, I’d get frustrated and be snappy when he misbehaved. And when he didn’t respond to training, I felt like I was doing something wrong as everyone else appeared to have calm, well-behaved puppies.” Things are great now, of course. And Becky wanted to share her experience so other new owners persevere. She says: “I want to let people know it’s okay to have those feelings and not to give up when they find it tough.” She has launched a website and app – called K9 Nation – to support new pet “parents”. Owners set up profiles of their pets and make friends with other pet parents nearby. See k9nation.uk for more.