Top Tips for Introducing a Puppy to Your Family

Fewer pets are winding up in shelters, and pet adoptions are up by nearly half a million a year.

That’s good news for pups and their humans. Americans adopt an estimated 1.6 million dogs annually, and the kids they often go home with love them — a lot. Research shows that children actually prefer their pets to their siblings. In a study published in the “Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology,” dogs scored highest in relationship satisfaction compared to other pets, with girls feeling closer to their pet pals than boys.

That’s nice, but who will care for that energetic fur ball? And if you decide to get a dog, what’s a busy parent to do about biting, jumping, growling, and other bad behavior? Certified dog trainer Michele Forto of Alaska Dog Works offers a few puppy pointers to help get the dog-kid bond off to the best start. Sit, stay, and read on.

How should families prep before a puppy comes home?

Before the puppy arrives, have children get into the habit of putting away their things in the areas the puppy will have access to. Baby gates can help keep puppies out of places they might not be safe or supervised. Have kids practice closing the baby gates.

Children are great at picking out puppy toys, so take them to the pet store before the puppy comes home. You can also begin visiting puppy training classes before the puppy arrives so you can start to plan for training.

Can kids help feed a puppy, or is that a mess waiting to happen?

Possibly. Puppies pay attention to the people who feed them, so it’s a good idea to involve kids if possible. When kids feed the puppy, keep the puppy behind a baby gate while the food is dispensed so the puppy won’t jump on the child during feeding and create negative habits.

I recommend feeding puppies out of food puzzles, which help boost brain development and burn that abundant puppy energy.

What if the puppy nips when playing excitedly with my kids?

Children need to be supervised when playing with puppies. Puppies love to play, but they often 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.

When a puppy bites during play, have children practice “being a tree” (get still, stop playing). Have plenty of appropriate toys on hand to redirect the puppy. Rotating toys with different textures helps maintain the puppy’s interest so that the newest, most fun thing in the room to chew on is not you or your child.

When should we start training?

Puppies usually come home between 8 and 10 weeks old and can start classes 10 days after their first shots. Early training is essential because puppies need to learn appropriate social skills from 2 to 5 months old during their critical developmental period.

You can teach your puppy basic behaviors at home, but early, safe exposure to other people and puppies is essential for a puppy’s emotional development. This affects their ability to handle socializing with people and other dogs later in life.

Children age 7 and older can reinforce training cues that their parents have already taught, such as sit, down, and come, or have fun teaching new behaviors.

What happens if our puppy growls around the kids?

First, you don’t want to punish a puppy for growling! You want the puppy to tell you that he is uncomfortable so you can work on the underlying issue. Puppies punished for growling may not offer any warning when they’re uncomfortable — they’ll bite.

And you’re right to be concerned. “Resource guarding” is one of the most concerning behaviors in a family with small children. When a young child tries to take an item from a puppy (often something of theirs that the puppy has “stolen”), the puppy will display signs that they need space: stiffening, head-turning, and “whale eyes” (i.e., the whites of the eye showing from the side). Small children may miss these signals, leading to the puppy biting.

If the puppy displays any of these behaviors, hire a trainer with experience with resource guarding. Families can help prevent this behavior from developing by teaching “give,” “drop it,” and “leave it,” and making sure that anyone in the family who will take items from the dog has participated in the training.

Puppies get tired and grumpy, just like children. Establish a place (like a crate, pen, or bed) where the puppy can rest for peace and quiet. Ensuring the puppy takes breaks is essential because life in a new family can be fascinating. You can further encourage the puppy to take a break by giving a treat or a chew to enjoy in this resting space. Teach the children (and their friends) to leave the puppy alone in this area so the puppy can calm down, relax, and rest.