How to Have a New Puppy Around Grandchildren

Images of puppies and kids bring smiles to everyone's faces, but children and puppies must learn to respect each other when they are introduced. With patience and gentleness, introducing a child to a puppy can be a rewarding and fun experience that will teach both how to act around each other.

Things You'll Need

  • Leash
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Instructions

    • 1
      Introduce one child at a time to a puppy.

      Introduce one child at a time to your new puppy. Make sure the puppy is on a leash or hold it in your arms. Have the child stand, sit in a chair or be held by an adult.

    • 2

      Let the puppy approach the child so it can sniff him.

    • 3
      Introduce a puppy and a child when both are relaxed.

      Make sure both the child and puppy are relaxed by exercising both before meeting each other. According to the Dog Whisperer Cesar Milan, "a good dog is a tired dog." He also believes dogs can pick up people's energies, so a calm child passes along calm feelings to a hesitant puppy.

    • 4

      Reward the puppy with treats and make sure the child does not hurt the puppy. Dogs learn what is safe and not safe between the ages of three weeks to five months, according to Pat Miller in her book "The Power of Positive Dog Training." She recommends giving the puppy treats when it interacts with children to teach it that children are safe and fun.

    • 5

      Answer any and all questions the child has about the puppy.