Kids and puppies have lots in common: They’re inquisitive, impatient, and easily excited! This is why it’s important to carefully supervise first encounters between a new puppy and your children. The rewards can be wonderful — a truly close bond and a lifelong love of dogs. But, if you don’t take precautions, a few mistakes could lead to a much less happy ending. Show The Beginning: Looking for a New PuppyWhen you first start thinking about getting a new dog, you often think of the kid’s benefits first. Many kids love to play with dogs and have a special connection with them. So, do your best to involve your child in the process of looking for a new puppy, whether it’s online or in person. When searching, keep in mind the needs of you and your family. It may be beneficial to pick out a few options and begin your research on the breed’s personality or how well they interact with children in general. A dog may catch their eye that they wish they could take with them to their new home, so research the background of your preferred breeds before going to visit. After all, you want everyone in the family to be happy and fulfilling the kid’s wish to adopt a certain dog breed can make them feel very special. Setting The House RulesBefore meeting your new friend, make sure you have house rules established that every member of the family understands. Just as you will train your dog, you should teach your child the rules of having a new dog in the house. Be sure to discuss other kid topics, like needing to be careful, no teasing, and how to respect the family pet. Here are some suggestions:
The First MeetingOnce you’ve found a few options and have gotten your child’s input, it is important to visit the dogs you are interested in before you commit to getting it. Not all rescue dogs will work well for kids, so it’s important to find out about the dog’s personality and energy level. If your kid has never had much direct contact with dogs, he or she may be intimidated and need some help when first meeting a potential puppy. Be sure to guide them in a slow approach and let the dog come to them. This will enable your dog to meet them on their own terms and is a great way to form a strong bond of trust between the two, from the beginning. Now is a good time to bring up things like “don’t get too close, don’t look them in the eyes, and don’t pet without asking” if your kid isn’t familiar with dog body language. If you notice any sign of fear or nervousness on your child’s part, end the meeting. This shouldn’t be a time to push the kid to overcome their fear. This is a time for your kid to get accustomed and comfortable with a potential new member of the family. 10 Steps for Bringing Your New Puppy HomeAfter doing your research and visiting some puppies, you’re finally prepared to take your new family member home! Be sure to follow these tips:
More Information on puppy growth!
Benefits of Taking Care of a DogThere are countless benefits to owning a dog and many hands-on activities will school your child on valuable lessons in responsibility. Key benefits for your child:
Key benefits for you:
It is almost impossible to feel bored and lonely when you have a puppy! More information on children and puppies! What’s your pack like? How many dogs and kids? Do you have other pets? Share it with us in the comments.
Introducing a new puppy, especially to kids and toddlers, should be done with care to avoid injury to either the child(ren) or the puppy. Once they start walking and as they grow, kids can become more interesting—and challenging—for your puppy. While young children may mean no harm, depending on their age, they may treat your puppy like a stuffed toy by poking eyes, pulling fur, chasing, or trying to hug or kiss the dog. A frightened or injured pup instinctively may respond by biting and growling. It's important to set some clear boundaries between your puppy and your child or toddler so that they can learn to trust each other without anyone getting hurt. Be sure your puppy has a canine sanctuary that’s off limits to kids. Even pets that adore children need private time and a place to go where they know they won’t be pestered. Make a bedroom, or the puppy’s crate and bed, off-limits to the children, and supervise to enforce the rule if the children are too young to understand. Before allowing them near a dog, ask kids to practice petting a stuffed toy or the child’s own arm or head. Young kids should be taught that dogs aren’t stuffed animals, and can be hurt and lash out from pulled tails or ears. High pitched screams, the typical way an excited child may communicate, could potentially prompt a puppy to become aggressive to a child. Challenge children to a game to see if they can talk in an inside voice that entices puppies to come closer for petting or treats. You can explain that just like children can get frightened of scary sounds, puppies can be scared and it takes very talented kids to know how to be pup-friendly.
Just as you reward the puppy with praise for good behavior, make sure the child knows you appreciate their sensitivity toward the dog. Staring is a challenge in dog language that can stress some pets, especially from kids that are at a dog's eye level. But when ignored, pups are more likely to be intrigued enough to investigate on their own. So challenge your toddler or older child to an “ignore the pup” game, and see how long they can pretend the puppy is invisible. In most cases, a confident canine will eventually approach. It may approach and retreat quickly, but will likely approach again if it doesn't get any negative reaction. Puppies take turns playing chase-and-tackle games with each other, so when chased by toddlers, they may get too rough without meaning to. Make it a dog rule that young kids must sit before they can pet the dog and that the dog gets to approach. That also lets the pup control interactions and move away when the puppy has had enough. Forcing a dog to sit still for a child’s unwanted attention may cause the puppy to avoid the child in the future. This instead makes it the dog’s choice and a fun and rewarding experience. Once seated, the child can lure and entice the puppy with a toy. Playing builds a positive relationship that can grow into love. When pups still act reluctant to approach, find a special tasty treat the pet loves but only gets from the child. While sitting on the floor, the child should gently toss the treat to (not at) the dog. Until or unless you’re satisfied the puppy won’t also nip the child’s hands, make sure that the treat gets eaten from the floor rather than the child's fingers. There are always exceptions, but as a general rule, children should be at least 6 or 7 years old before being given responsibility for a puppy’s care. However, you can begin supervised care duties, such as filling the puppy’s water bowl or teaching how to comb and groom the fur coat, at this point. The more pleasant experiences your children enjoy with the puppy, the stronger the bond between them. Kids smell different than adults, have high-pitched funny voices, move in unpredictable ways, and can appear threatening. Don’t expect every dog to feel the same way about children that they do about you or even other adults. Some big pups may love playing “pony” with a visiting toddler, but a clueless young child could seriously injure small pups without meaning to. Be on guard for any kid-puppy interaction to make sure everyone is behaving. |