# Bringing home puppy to young kids



## CoopsTroop831 (Oct 24, 2016)

Hey guys! I've been lurking for over a year, and have found tons of useful info. 
We are bringing home a GSD puppy in 6 weeks, with a 2 yr old and 4 yr old at home. Both are active, but respectful, boys. As far as our history with dogs...I had a gsd growing up, and we most recently had a Doberman who passed a few years back. Both my parents and my wife's parents have dogs, and we regularly dog sit for friends, so both boys have been around them and do well.
My question is, how can we prepare them for the puppy's arrival? And best way to do about introduction? I know a new home and new faces will be stressful enough, and two little ones probably won't help right away. Looking for smoothest (if there is such a thing) transition. TIA!


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## Deb (Nov 20, 2010)

The first thing I would do before the puppy comes is to teach the boys to keep their toys picked up. Puppies love their toys as much as dog toys. Have the puppies crate out so the boys can get used to it, they often see it as a new toy for them! Teach them if the dog goes in it, they have to leave the puppy/dog alone. That's the dog's 'room' and no one is allowed to bother him in it.


When the puppy comes home, have the boys sit on the floor. Let the puppy go to them, not the boys running up to it. Make sure they know the puppy is a baby and they have to let him choose to meet them. Never leave the puppy and the boys alone unsupervised and the boys never are allowed to pick him/her up. All play with the puppy is on the floor.


No teasing the puppy. Remember, kids will not understand the difference between what is teasing to a puppy, to them it's just a form of playing like they do with each other.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Are you sure this is a good plan? Unless dog training is a passion of yours, it will take up a tremendous amount of time to do this right. A GSD puppy is NOT a baby. It is a biting machine. 
It does depend from what lines (show, working or back yard lines) this pup is and how much experience you have with working dogs. sounds like you have good experiences with past and visiting dogs but nothing is like introducing a GSD pup to young kids and being completely responsible for everyone's well being.
Check out book about dogs and kids (Dog Books, Dog Training Books, Dog eBooks, DVDs, Audio CDs, and Dog Toys ? Dogwise.com has good ones). Think before you leap. Keep us posted.
PM me if you would like. Have worked with many young families and new pups.


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## cloudpump (Oct 20, 2015)

I've got a 2 year old daughter. You just need to be constantly aware and vigilant.


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## Steve Strom (Oct 26, 2013)

I think number one with small kids and a puppy, don't let him chase the kids. I think that's where most folks end up with problems.


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## Stevenzachsmom (Mar 3, 2008)

Steve Strom said:


> I think number one with small kids and a puppy, don't let him chase the kids. I think that's where most folks end up with problems.


And don't let the kids pick up the puppy.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

Yes i know chasing the kids. Yikes. My kids could not wait for a pup to play and chase them it is not the same as a chihuahua pup or King Charles pup. My kids were quickly disappointed as not allowed. It's like a fluff ball with razor sharp needles. I had to leash our pup for the longest of time to make sure he did not trample or shred kids clothes while wearing them. Hide and seek became our game of choice with the kids.


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## sebrench (Dec 2, 2014)

This summer, we brought home our second GSD (at twelve-weeks-old) when my son was a little over one year. So far, things have been going great, and I couldn't be more pleased with how the dogs interact with the baby. That said, having large, powerful dogs is a big commitment--even if you don't have little kids in the house! GSDs need training, exercise, structure, and boundaries, as I'm sure you know if you've had working breeds in the past, and if you've been lurking on this site.

How old is the puppy you are getting? I'd be cautious introducing an adolescent puppy or a grown dog to small children. I'm somewhat relaxed with eight-week-old puppies. As far as introductions, I'd probably just put the puppy in a travel crate in the back yard, let the puppy sniff the kids through the grate for a little while, and then open the door. I wouldn't let the kids crowd or overwhelm the puppy, and I'd supervise to ensure proper interactions (no grabbing ears or tails, ect). I'd probably try to keep things calm--minimize yelling, jumping, running, squealing, ect. Be prepared, and perhaps prepare your kids, for a mouthy puppy. Most GSD puppies play-bite A LOT, and sometimes people mistake this for aggression. It seems like it will last forever, but it won't. Keep a toy nearby to direct the puppy away from little hands and fingers.

I had to chuckle when someone mentioned keeping the kids' toys away from the puppy. That has been pretty challenging for us, as the baby's favorite activity is chucking things out of his playpen. We have lost a few stuffed animals over the last year (they just look too similar to the dogs' stuffies). At six months, our pup has pretty much learned to leave the baby things alone. The baby, however, still tries to play with the dog toys.

I don't have a toddler or a preschooler yet, but the dogs have been gentle and appropriate with my very active crawler. I was prepared to use baby gates much more frequently than I do. When the baby is out crawling, the dogs will follow behind him quietly (I think they are supervising), or they will move out of the way and lie down elsewhere, or completely ignore him. Still, I'd recommend crate training so you can keep the pup safely out of the way when you or your kids need a time out. I put the dogs in the backyard, for instance, when I'm feeding the baby. The baby LOVES to toss food down to the dogs, or hold his sticky fingers down to be licked. YUCK. 

I think one of the best things you can do is to research breeders and the different lines of GSDs. The different types not only have different appearances, but may also have different proclivities and temperaments. GSDs are great whatever "flavor" you prefer, just make sure you find a breeder who can actually demonstrate that they are breeding for health and temperament. Temperament is doubly important when you have small kids. 

Secondly, I would recommend investing time and effort in socialization, training, and age-appropriate exercise for your puppy. I would enroll your pup in obedience classes. Find a good and balanced trainer. I use mostly positive training, but a positive-only trainer probably is not the best fit for working breeds. I would also suggest you take more than one class. I personally keep my dogs in classes for the first year or two. I am not a trainer, breeder, or any kind of expert. But I know how to raise a good puppy, and I know how to train basic obedience. Still, I go to classes because it's great for socialization. My facility usually has several other classes going on at the same time. It's noisy. There are many dogs but they are fairly well controlled (unlike at a dog park, for instance), and there are a million distractions. When you're out in public with the kids, you don't want the GSD to be hauling you everywhere, lunging and barking at other people or dogs. Classes are a great way to help your dogs learn how to behave in public. 

Lastly, make sure the puppy is getting enough exercise (appropriate for his/her age, course). It's going to be a lot harder to keep your puppy from tearing up the house, jumping and running around like a banshee, and knocking over the toddler, if he doesn't have a good outlet for his energy. When my GSD, Asher, was a teenager and acting like a jerk, I often realized it was because I had slacked off on his exercise that day. 

Congratulations on your soon-to-be new puppy and your decision to add GSD to your family. If you put in the time and effort, (and it IS work at times), I don't think you'll be sorry!


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## CoopsTroop831 (Oct 24, 2016)

sebrench said:


> This summer, we brought home our second GSD (at twelve-weeks-old) when my son was a little over one year. So far, things have been going great, and I couldn't be more pleased with how the dogs interact with the baby. That said, having large, powerful dogs is a big commitment--even if you don't have little kids in the house! GSDs need training, exercise, structure, and boundaries, as I'm sure you know if you've had working breeds in the past, and if you've been lurking on this site.
> 
> How old is the puppy you are getting? I'd be cautious introducing an adolescent puppy or a grown dog to small children. I'm somewhat relaxed with eight-week-old puppies. As far as introductions, I'd probably just put the puppy in a travel crate in the back yard, let the puppy sniff the kids through the grate for a little while, and then open the door. I wouldn't let the kids crowd or overwhelm the puppy, and I'd supervise to ensure proper interactions (no grabbing ears or tails, ect). I'd probably try to keep things calm--minimize yelling, jumping, running, squealing, ect. Be prepared, and perhaps prepare your kids, for a mouthy puppy. Most GSD puppies play-bite A LOT, and sometimes people mistake this for aggression. It seems like it will last forever, but it won't. Keep a toy nearby to direct the puppy away from little hands and fingers.
> 
> ...


Thanks to everyone for the advice! I know it's always hard to find an "ideal" time to get a puppy, and we are trying to cover all the bases. To answer a few of the questions.....we do plan to train extensively. My wife and I share a hobby in fitness, both in the gym and out (think ninja warrior haha) and our boys love obstacle courses etc. We would like to pursue agility training in addition to obedience, and thought it would be something the whole family, as well as the dog, would benefit from.
As for the work, although I haven't yet experienced it with kids in the house (and believe me I know from too much experience that changes EVERYTHING), I'm willing and able to put in the time. I'm motivated, I found it to be challenging and rewarding with my dobe, who was exceptional on and off leash. 

I do have one question, and maybe better suited for another place in forum, do you train with your spouse as well? Should my wife do one class and I do another? I understand they may favor one to the other, but how do you address obedience to both myself and my wife?


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## Steve Strom (Oct 26, 2013)

> I do have one question, and maybe better suited for another place in forum, do you train with your spouse as well? Should my wife do one class and I do another? I understand they may favor one to the other, but how do you address obedience to both myself and my wife?


You want to be consistent. Both of you having the same expectations and handling the puppy the same way. The actual class would be one of you, or the other, but following through with everything the same way outside of that.


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## Pan_GSD (Oct 2, 2016)

sebrench said:


> Most GSD puppies play-bite A LOT, and sometimes people mistake this for aggression.


that was me


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## sebrench (Dec 2, 2014)

CoopsTroop831 said:


> Thanks to everyone for the advice! I know it's always hard to find an "ideal" time to get a puppy, and we are trying to cover all the bases. To answer a few of the questions.....we do plan to train extensively. My wife and I share a hobby in fitness, both in the gym and out (think ninja warrior haha) and our boys love obstacle courses etc. We would like to pursue agility training in addition to obedience, and thought it would be something the whole family, as well as the dog, would benefit from.
> As for the work, although I haven't yet experienced it with kids in the house (and believe me I know from too much experience that changes EVERYTHING), I'm willing and able to put in the time. I'm motivated, I found it to be challenging and rewarding with my dobe, who was exceptional on and off leash.
> 
> I do have one question, and maybe better suited for another place in forum, do you train with your spouse as well? Should my wife do one class and I do another? I understand they may favor one to the other, but how do you address obedience to both myself and my wife?


It sounds like you will be a great family for a GSD. I do all the training in our household. My husband doesn't really seem to have the knack, or perhaps, more importantly the desire or inclination to participate much in the actual training. However, the dogs do obey and respect him (perhaps not as quickly or as well as they listen to me). We go to classes together almost every week. Sometimes I go on my own if my husband is busy. My mom watches the baby for several hours, we get dinner or take-out afterwards, and we make it a date night. So in theory hubby knows quite a bit, but he refuses to handle the dogs in class. Our trainer encourages spouses to be involved. We're allowed to switch handlers during class as long as it's not in the middle of an exercise. As long as you're consistent (as the previous poster mentioned), I think it's good if your wife is involved. If she doesn't want to actually do the training, she should at least be able to apply it so that she has control over the puppy when it is grown. It sounds like you plan to do all the right things. Keep us posted. And please add some pics of the new pup when it arrives!


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