20/11/2025
Truth
🐾 Every breeder knows this moment, the little buzz on your phone a few days after a puppy goes to their new family.
The message always starts sweetly:
“We absolutely adore him, but…”
And right then, your heart gives that familiar little ache.
Because you already know what’s coming.
He barks.
He nips.
He cries at night.
He’s just “a lot.”
But what they’re describing isn’t a flaw.
It’s just… a puppy.
A tiny soul who has left his mum, his littermates, and everything familiar, and is now trying to make sense of a whole new world. Of course he’s unsure. Of course he’s excitable. Of course he stumbles as he learns. That’s not misbehaviour. That’s babyhood.
As breeders, we try our very best to prepare new owners for this stage.
We explain the puppy phase, the developmental leaps, the normal hiccups.
We talk about patience, boundaries, structure, and love.
And we strongly encourage training with a licensed facility, because guidance from professionals builds confidence in both the puppy and the family.
We know firsthand that a well-rounded dog doesn’t simply “happen.”
They’re shaped, with time, consistency, teaching, and teamwork.
But some people still imagine the puppy they see online: calm at eight weeks, never chewing a shoe, somehow understanding every cue instantly.
They forget that behind every beautifully trained adult dog is someone who put in the effort—
the late nights,
the repetition,
the gentle corrections,
the celebrating of tiny wins,
the commitment to keep showing up.
So when we hear, “He’s lovely, but I don’t think we’re the right fit,”
So often what they mean is: I wanted the love without the learning curve.
Even the most thoughtfully raised puppies aren’t pre-programmed. They come with wide-open hearts and sponge-like minds, eager to learn your routines, your voice, your energy. They don’t need perfection, they need calm guidance, structure, and time to grow.
Some people think an “easy” puppy is a “good” puppy.
But the truth is: every puppy is good.
They’re just new.
And new things take effort to shape.
Before they’re confident, they’re clumsy.
Before they’re calm, they’re curious.
Before they’re well-rounded, they’re wonderfully messy.
As breeders, we witness it all.
And when puppies come back confused and afraid, wondering why their little world changed again, we hold them close and whisper, “You did nothing wrong, sweetheart.”
Because it’s never their fault when someone wasn’t ready for the work that turns a baby dog into a brilliant companion.
Raising a puppy isn’t instant.
It’s sleepless nights, a few puddles, zoomies during dinner, and tiny teeth trying to understand boundaries.
But it’s also the start of something extraordinary—the trust, the loyalty, and the deep bond that lasts a lifetime.
And that bond grows because someone puts in the time, the training, and the heart.
A puppy isn’t a trial run or a temporary phase.
It’s a commitment.
A promise.
A piece of your heart on four little paws.
If you’re not ready for the messy, magical work of puppyhood, that’s okay, truly. Just wait until you can give your whole heart and the consistent effort they deserve.
Because these little souls depend on us.
And they deserve nothing less.
Stolen from another breeder. As I get ready to have puppies again, this is such a good reminder.
