Puppies and Privacy don’t go together.

Once you become a fur baby mom, there is no such thing as privacy anymore.

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That first joyful moment of when you meet your new puppy, that first snuggle and first tentative lick, sets the scene for a relationship that lasts forever. 

Your new relationship with your pup is built on trust. He has just been separated from his mother, or you’ve just picked him up from a shelter or pet store and the poor thing is shaking. You snuggle him close and his whimpering steals your heart. 

When you get him home, he is so frightened of his new surroundings, the large furniture, fresh smells and unfamiliar sounds, he makes a puddle on the floor. You reach down, gently pat him, clean up after him, and, as you are now, in his eyes, his mother, he squirms close. He licks you, looking for approval, and when you smile at him and stroke his ears, you become his life and this is when your privacy disappears.

 

From the beginning, your pup will wait on your every word. His eyes will follow you around the room and if you leave his presence, he will seek you out. Even if he is outside, he will look through the windows for your movements, so he will know exactly where you are. There is no place that you can be that he doesn’t want to be, not even the bathroom. 

 

Your pup may not like the spray of the garden hose when you bathe him, even a devoted dog may not get into the shower with you without being dragged, though some will, but depend on it he will sit or lay outside the cubicle door until you’ve finished. So, close the bathroom door, but be aware that when you open it, there will be a trip hazard in the shape of a dog wedged up against it. The toilet may be a sanctuary for you to leave the outside world behind for a few moments, but be mindful to shut the door properly behind you. Many a pup has looked in to see what their master’s doing and then entered the room and placed his wet cold nose in places where they shouldn’t be. He may get offended that you won’t share this part of your time with him, but don’t worry, he will get over it in a moment and follow you from the bathroom to other areas of the house, especially the kitchen.

 

Not only does the bathroom change from being a place of solitude for you, but is now a place of togetherness for him, as does the bedroom.  

There is no such thing as privacy in the bedroom, especially for an inside dog. Be aware that any intimacy that you share with your partner could have a spectator. A watchful dog may stare at you from the side of the bed, wondering what’s up. It can be very off-putting having a dog stare, and sometimes, groan and moan, while you’re being intimate with your partner. He may not want to share you, the dog that is, and your partner may become concerned if the groaning becomes growling. 

So, to ensure your privacy in these areas of your home and life, you need to set some boundaries with your dog. 

Teach them it’s not okay to nudge open the bathroom door and place his nose on your nether regions. It’s not okay to lie outside the shower looking at you while you bathe and it’s definitely not on his staring, whining, and growling during the most intimate times of your life. 

 

It’s guaranteed that he won’t understand why he cannot share every time and everything with you, but he will forgive you if you throw a pillow at him if he growls. 

 

It’s all up to you to teach your pup his boundaries, but be prepared for at least the first three years of their life with you to remember to always shut the door.