15 Tips to Ensure that Your Kids and Puppies Live Harmoniously

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Just because you love dogs doesn’t mean nothing can go wrong if you bring them home, especially if you have children. Harmonious living between your dog and kids won’t happen by accident. It requires some understanding to be possible. So, if you plan to bring a puppy to a home with children, here are some things to do.

Choose the Right Breed

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It all starts with carefully choosing the breed to bring home. You want to go with a breed with a reputation for being good with children. Labrador and golden retrievers are top family choices, but other options exist. Check the breeds’ playfulness, energy, size, and temperament before deciding.

Puppy-proof Your House

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Your space should be safe for your new puppy, which will require some effort on your part. Things that can be chewed or swallowed should be kept out of the puppy’s reach. Find out which of your plants are toxic to them and keep them hidden or in a high place.

Teach Gentle Handling

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It’s not enough that you know how to handle a puppy gently; your children should learn it, too. You can educate them yourself by demonstration or give them access to instructional videos and pictures to guide them. A good idea is to print and hang guidelines for handling puppies so they’ll always remember.

Explain Puppy Behavior

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Puppy actions can confuse your children, but with the right information, they’ll know what is normal and what is abnormal. They should also know how to respond to these behaviors. For example, a loud yelp instead of quickly withdrawing their hand when a puppy bites can stop the puppy immediately.

Create Safe and Comfortable Spaces

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Your puppy needs a space or spaces where it can enjoy time away from people and just relax. A comfortable place should be made available for such purposes. The bed there should be cozy, and you may want to consider parts of your house where you and your children don’t go too often.

Set Boundaries

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Let your kids know what is acceptable around the puppy. For instance, they should know that they should not approach the puppy while it’s eating, sleeping, or in its designated safe space. These boundaries ensure that the puppy feels secure and the risk of aggression due to disturbance is curbed.

Socialize the Puppy

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If your puppy is two months old, it is ready for socialization. It’s time to take your pups to different environments and meet different people and animals. Let them experience different sights, sounds, and smells with you present to control the experience and make it positive for them.

Train Your Dog Basic Commands

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To manage their conduct around children, teach them basic commands. Your dog should be able to sit when you say “sit,” stay when you say “stay,” and do other simple things when it heats them. Never stop training them on commands because there’s no end to what they can pick.

Potty Train Your Puppy

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Your puppy should know where to do its business, so try to use the same spot whenever you take it out. When your puppies relieve themselves in the right spots, praise them or give them a treat, and when they make mistakes, be patient with them.

Use Positive Reinforcement

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You’ll want your dog to learn many things, particularly regarding relating with your children. One way to ensure they learn the correct thing is positive reinforcement. It works by rewarding good manners with treats, praise, or playtime to show them that good conduct results in beneficial outcomes.

Always Supervise Interactions

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Even when your puppy starts to impress you with how it conducts, do not leave it alone with your children unless they’ve grown big enough to handle it. Your supervision will prevent accidental harm to your child or the puppy. Supervision also allows you to correct bad dog habits on time.

Set Playtime Rules

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Establish clear rules for playtime so that fun won’t lead to injury. Games like chasing can intensify before you know it, so discourage them. Instead, go for safe games like fetch, tug-of-war, or hide-and-seek. Ensure the toy is safe and the play area isn’t slippery, and make them take breaks so they can rest.

Engage in Joint Activities

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To help your children bond with the pup, let them assist you in caring for it. Allow and encourage them to feed it, brush its fur, or assist with training it. By doing this, they will better understand their puppy’s needs, and the puppy will get used to them.

Regular Vet Visits

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Your children can only enjoy the best of your puppy when it’s healthy. In good health, it can play with them, be on its best behavior, and not pass any illness on to them. That’s why regularly visiting the vet is always a good idea. Your vet will help you trap illnesses before they manifest or spread.

Teach Hygiene

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Hygiene is important, especially when interacting with puppies. Educate your children on hygiene rules, like washing their hands after playing with the dog, especially if eating comes next, and not sharing their food or toys with the dog. Guide them in keeping the environment clean and cleaning up after the pup.

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