The puppy blues

Almost half a million Australians undergo the shared experience of acquiring and raising a puppy every year but despite the popularity of this journey, we know very little about what this experience is like for owners. This project seeks to fill that gap by investigating the positive and negative challenges owners experience when raising a puppy in their home. This project will help:

- Understand the experience and stressors associated with puppy raising

- Identify factors that mitigate stress in puppy owners

- Inform puppy school instructors, vets, trainers and breeders what kind of education and support puppy owners need to facilitate successful minimal-stress puppy raising.