Getting and training a puppy can be a challenging task, especially when you also have children to worry about. Puppies are unpredictable and need a lot of training in order to grow into good companions, and kids can often have trouble understanding what the proper way to treat their canine friends is.
This is why it’s important for you to make sure both your puppy and your children grow used to each other the right way, and that each party is taught to treat the other with respect. In most cases, this involves making the children understand that puppies are not toys that they can mess with, and that they need to understand puppy communication and body language.
Here are things you can do to make sure both your puppy and children are given the right environment and safety to grow and form a healthy bond.
Look for Beginner Puppies
Some breeds of dogs are just completely unsuitable for being around kids, while others are known for how well they can get along with other kids and smaller pets in the house. When you’re getting a puppy, make sure you check if your new dog is kid-friendly and okay to raise around other animals and children, to begin with.
This is the reason why dogs like golden retrievers and the poodle mixes like those on Pride & Prejudoodles website are so popular and loved – they have a very gentle and kind demeanor that is ideal for not just getting along with but looking after your children as they grow older.
Once your children are a little older and understand how to interact with dogs properly, you can perhaps move on to more challenging dogs or breeds that are known to be a little harder to train.
Give the Puppy Space
Even if your puppy loves your kids, it will need some space to be left alone. This will remain true for dogs of any age, to be honest, and you need to be able to provide this much-needed space in order to maintain a safe dynamic between your children and your fur babies.
Making a small den for your puppy somewhere in the house is usually a good idea – either a crate, a small bedroom that’s off limits, or the pup’s own bed. Make it clear to your kids that they are not allowed in this space and be present and supervise yourself if your children are too young to understand.
Just having a space where the pup knows it will not be bothered by the children will put it at ease and allow the pup to socialize with the children on its own terms.
Teach Them Proper Behavior
Certain things kids do like shouting and making eye contact with the pup can be seen as a challenge by the young dog, and it can get easily spooked by your children grabbing the pup’s ears or poking its eyes.
When a puppy feels like it’s being backed into a corner, it’s likely to lash out. This is why you need to make sure that your children know how to act around your dog and not engage in this behavior.
Make sure that they know how to pet the dog – you can do this by having them practice on a stuffed animal first and explaining where it was and wasn’t okay for them to touch the dog. Make it clear that excessive pulling and poking is not okay, and remind them that the puppy is not a toy.
You also need to make sure that your kids don’t scream or yell around the puppy, or that they don’t stare at it for too long. Children smell different from adults, sound different, and even move differently – your puppy might need to get used to them and it’s your job to make sure the kids don’t startle the puppy while it’s still in that phase and even afterward.
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