Puppies and Children

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Welcoming a puppy into a home with children can be a joyful experience, fostering companionship and teaching responsibility. However, it also requires careful management to ensure the safety and well-being of both the puppy and the kids. Puppies are naturally curious and energetic, while children, especially younger ones, may not fully understand a puppy’s needs or boundaries. This dynamic can lead to unintended stress or accidents if not handled with care.

One of the most important steps is to maintain a separate space for your puppy, especially during the initial adjustment period. This allows the puppy to have a safe retreat where it can relax away from the excitement of children. Michelle Stern, a certified professional dog trainer and founder of Pooch Parenting, emphasizes the value of creating "safe zones" in her Pooch Parenting Podcast. She advocates for using tools like baby gates or crates to establish these areas, ensuring the puppy feels secure and reducing the risk of overwhelm. Stern, drawing from her experience as both a trainer and a mother, highlights that without such management, families may face challenges, including potential bites that often stem from unnoticed stress signals.

Additionally, providing a crate for your puppy is highly recommended. This crate should be a designated space where the puppy can rest or seek solace, and children must be taught to respect it as off-limits. Stern’s podcast discusses crate training as a cornerstone of puppy adjustment, noting that proper introduction—allowing the puppy to explore the crate at its own pace—builds comfort. She warns against children accessing the crate, as this can disrupt the puppy’s sense of safety or lead to startling incidents, particularly when the puppy is sleeping. To reinforce this, educate your children about the crate’s purpose and establish clear rules, such as no entering or disturbing the puppy inside.

Close supervision is essential, especially for children under the recommended age of 7, when they may lack the maturity to interact appropriately with a puppy. Stern stresses that supervision means giving 100% attention—sitting between the child and puppy during play or using barriers like gates when multitasking—not merely being in the same room. Her podcast episodes, such as those addressing toddlers and puppies, underline that unsupervised interactions can miss critical dog body language cues (e.g., lip licking or yawning), which signal discomfort and precede potential issues. For children under 7, constant adult oversight is advised to prevent rough handling or accidental provocation, ensuring a harmonious relationship develops over time.By implementing these strategies—maintaining a separate space, using a child-free crate, and supervising closely—you can create a nurturing environment where puppies and children thrive together.

Explore Michelle Stern’s Pooch Parenting Podcast for more personalized tips and strategies to make this journey safer and less stressful for your family. Michelle also offers training and mentoring and materials.