Puppies and Kids!
Many families are considering adding a new four legged family member. While puppies can be very cute, it’s important that you set your new family member up for success when you bring them home!
PETTING - Puppies are soft, sometimes fluffy and generally very cute! With your young kids, be sure to encourage gentle stroking at all times - never pulling, grabbing, heavy patting or sitting on! Your new puppy is not a couch or a pony, so be sure to let your child know they should not lean on, sit on or straddle the pup.
SLEEPING - Puppies, like kids, need lots of sleep. Give your puppy the opportunity to sleep undisturbed. Being startled or woken regularly may begin to affect their behavior and they may become irritable or defensive.
GIVE THE PUP AN INVITATION - A good way to see if a puppy or dog would like to be pet or played with is to ask them. When they are awake call them to you instead of approaching them. If they approach confidently, then this is their way of saying ‘yes’. If they stay where they are, they are politely declining your invitation and you can try again later. This is a really simple exercise that young children can carry out once they are old enough to understand your instruction, and it enables your puppy to have a choice in the matter too.
GIVE A TIME OUT - Sometimes your puppy, like your child, will be having one of “those days” - too excitable, easily frustrated or just a bit boisterous. These are the times when management is the CRITICAL for avoiding accidents. Use a baby gate or crate and keep your puppy safely occupied with a tasty chew or stuffed Kong. When your baby, toddler or young child is napping or at nursery / pre-school, take this opportunity to ensure your puppy’s needs are met by having some fun playing and training together.
ACTIVE SUPERVISION - When your child and puppy are together, make sure you pay attention to what is happening at ALL TIMES. Always intervene at the earliest opportunity should either your puppy or child look worried or you see that things are getting out of hand. Puppies love to play, but they often may bite or nip during playtime. When children respond to puppy bites and nips by yelling and jumping, the puppy misinterprets this as a signal to play even harder.
Signs that your puppy is feeling worried are:
Avoidance, moving away, hiding
Tail tucked under, looking away, appearing ‘smaller’
Lip licking, yawning (when not sleepy), paw raising
Growling, flashing teeth, snapping, biting
Proper and active supervision by parents can and will protect both the puppy and the child. Prevention, structure and training are key to setting a young dog up for success in life.
If you have more questions about training and obedience for your new furry friend please email our dog trainer Evan Fried at evan.fried@bdrr.org.