Things I Googled at 2am After Getting Lab Puppies (You're Not Alone)

There is a particular kind of late-night panic that only new puppy parents understand. It is 2am. Something weird is happening. You need answers immediately.

I have Googled some things in my time with Bear and Abby that I am not embarrassed to share, because I know someone else is Googling them right now. This one's for you.

"Why is my Lab puppy hiccuping so much"

Totally normal. Puppies hiccup constantly, especially after eating, drinking, or getting excited. Their diaphragms are still developing. Bear hiccupped so hard once I genuinely checked to make sure he was okay. He was fine. He immediately went back to trying to eat a sock.

"My Lab puppy is sleeping a LOT is that normal"

Yes. Puppies sleep up to 18 hours a day. This sounds restful. It is not restful for you because you spend the entire time wondering if something is wrong. Nothing is wrong. They are growing. Enjoy the quiet and then panic when they wake up.

"Lab puppy zoomies how long do they last"

The zoomies — officially called Frenetic Random Activity Periods, which is a perfect name — typically last 5 to 10 minutes. They feel longer. Abby once did zoomies so enthusiastically she ran into the couch, shook it off, and immediately did more zoomies. She was fine. The couch was fine. We were shaken.

"Why does my puppy eat everything off the ground"

Labs were bred to retrieve and carry things in their mouths. They explore the world orally in a way that other breeds simply do not. This does not make it less alarming when you see them eating a leaf, a rock, a piece of nothing, and a corner of the wall in rapid succession.

Keep the floors clear. Accept that you will not always succeed. Know your emergency vet's number.

"When does the puppy phase end"

Labs are technically puppies until age 2, and some stay puppy-brained considerably longer. But the hardest part — the constant supervision, the sleep deprivation, the anxiety — that eases up significantly around 6 months.

You will survive. And then you will miss these days, which is the cruelest trick of all