PDA

View Full Version : anxiety over rescue pup



ticatime
06-23-2015, 01:57 PM
Hello everyone,
I have been reading through many of these posts and it's really refreshing to see that there are others who are going through similar situations as me. I feel less alone.
I am a 24 year old female who has dealt with anxiety of some form for most of my life. It got worse when my wonderful loving grandfather passed away when I was 12, but as time has gone by I have been able to live with it and get past it without any major "blow ups."
My boyfriend and I have moved in together this year and I did have one extreme case of anxiety around March but it has since gone away and I have started to feel "normal."
That is until we got our rescue pup.
I had been wanting a dog ever since we moved in together. My family has had our beagle for 11 years now but she has always been an outside dog. (My parents were both raised that way and my dad has always been the one to care for her). My bf's family has had many dogs and cats over the years and treat all of them like they are children. They are all inside dogs.
About 2 weeks ago my bf and I went to the rescue shelter to look at a dog I wanted. He was too high energy for us so we looked at another dog who I had seen before but did not think would be good as she was very scared especially of men. However, when they brought her into the pen we fell in love. She was still skiddish but willing to let us pet her. We adopted her that day and had to wait until she was spayed so we could pick her up. The whole time I was waiting I was so excited. I am a teacher and was about to start my summer break so I figured this would be a great way to keep me occupied. My bf is going through the police academy so he is not home except for the weekend.
Once home she bonded with me instantly and at first I loved it. But then, I started to get incredibly anxious and emotional. It's starting to get better but I still have moments, especially in the mornings and afternoons, where i'm not sure I've made the right decision. I don't know if it's the responsibility hitting me, or the MAJOR change in my life. I feel like I have nothing to be anxious about and then I'm anxious because I'm anxious. It's like a circle that I can't seem to get out of.
Anyone else feel this way? How did you get over it?
Thanks!!

gypsylee
06-24-2015, 01:37 AM
Hey there, welcome to the forum :)

mrslizzyg
06-26-2015, 03:13 PM
Hey! Welcome to the forum.

Let me just say- dogs are a lot of work. I currently have 2, I had 3 but had to put one down last year.

BUT, my dogs are my saving grace most of the time, especially my baby girl I had to put down last year.

Her name was Cookie, she was a shih Tzu. She was originally my mother in laws dog.. My husband and I moved away to a different state for about 6 months, and my mother in law offered to let me take her with me so I would have some company, as I ended up being a lone in an apartment for about 6 months straight.

She was a giant pain in my ass at first. She was nervous and upset, so she pooped all over my apartment for a few days. She tried to run away a couple times. She stayed up ALL NIGHT LONG for a couple weeks. eventually though.. she started trusting me. She followed me around the house. we went on walks every single day. she became my baby..

Even after we moved back home, Cookie wouldn't go back to my mother in laws house. She wanted to stay with me.

She ended up being around through my deepest and darkest time of anxiety and depression. I would cry, she would lay with me. I was happy, she would play with me. She literally became one of my best friends, and I don't care what other people say.

ANYTHING about her that was inconvenient, or "too much" responsibility, I didn't care about anymore.

Anyways, my point is.. If you give this dog a loving home and treat them right, you will get it all back ten fold. Dogs are only part of our lives but we are their whole world. we are what they have.

It's going to change you life a little, but it's not in a bad way. I feel like my dogs even helped me prepare for children in the future(I know they aren't the same).

My dogs are my favorite part about going home after a long at work. They are always so excited to see me.

If you aren't ready, find the dog a better home... but I promise you won't regret the time and effort you put into this animal..