20/02/2025
Teaching your kids to be responsible with the new puppy………..
SET AND TEACH THE RULES TO YOUR KIDS
Creating clear, easy-to-remember guidelines for how to interact with the puppy is a lifesaver, because normal kid behavior includes a lot of things that will bring out the worst in the puppy. Save yourself a lot of trouble by having a family meeting (or two, plus a quiz!) to discuss these guidelines: • Let the puppy choose whether to interact! If there were only one rule, it would be this one. This is not a stuffed animal to be grabbed, picked up, trapped in a long hug, moved here and there, and argued over. Show the kids how to entice the puppy instead, using squeaky toys, happy voices, and treats. If you want your future adult dog to be safe around kids, make sure your kids treat this impressionable puppy with respect. • Find your slow body. A running/jumping human creates a running/jumping puppy. • Use your quiet voice. High pitched, loud noises get a puppy aroused, and aroused puppies jump, chase, and use their teeth to interact. • Sit on the floor if you want to hold the puppy. In my house, kids are criss-cross applesauce on the floor when they hold my foster puppies. If you feel this is Draconian, I will tell you stories of dropped puppies with broken legs, or of dogs who growl at the approach of their own child. Kids love to walk around the house holding a puppy – and almost all puppies hate that. • Let sleeping dogs lie. Puppies need a lot of sleep, and they should be left alone to get it. This can be really difficult when you have a very mouthy/jumpy puppy, because sometimes kids only feel safe approaching the pup when he’s sound asleep on the floor. Promise me at least this: If the pup moves away, respect that choice immediately. • Play fair. Dangling something in front of a puppy without ever actually giving it to him teaches him not to trust you. That’s the opposite of what we want to teach. Use the Golden Rule: Play the way you’d want to be played with. • Respect the crate. It must be the puppy’s safe, quiet, private refuge. No climbing in. No surrounding a pup who wants to be alone.
At K9-Upgrade, our mission is to provide a safe, nurturing, and fun environment for dogs to learn, grow, and thrive.
