Guess what? We got a puppy!!
You might already know this if you follow me on social media, but I am super duper excited to share with you our new pooch Yoda.
Yoda is a Shar Pei, and he has already become a huge part of our family, with everyone (apart from our Chihuahua, Bibi, and Edith who remain stoically unimpressed) wrapped around his paw. When I went to collect him on Friday, I thought long and hard about what would be the best way to introduce him to our family. He had already been introduced to children as his breeders had grandchildren, but he hadn’t met our children, or our dog or cats!
So as I was stuck on the M5 I put together a few tips for introducing a new puppy to children,
- Try to give your new pup a chance to have a sniff and get used to their new environment BEFORE you introduce the raging beasts. It’s a lot to take in for what is essentially an 8 week old baby.
- Have a chat about what is expected before you let the kids see the pup. They are bound to be super excited, and that might be overwhelming for the puppy. In my opinion, telling the kids to sit down and watch the puppy first is a better idea than letting them run in and fuss the pup – especially if it hasn’t seen children before!
- Allow the pup to come to the kids and have a sniff. No sudden jumpy movements or shrieks of excitement – that is scary for me, never mind a pooch. Reuben has a tendency to squeal when he is a excited and it really over excites Yoda (the new pup) so we have agreed that squealing in a no no… At least as much as possible.
- Don’t leave the kids alone with pup. Goes without saying I know, but it does happen without you meaning to, all too frequently.
- Get the kids to choose a toy or treat each for the pup, they can give it to him/her and then back away. Tell them not to be upset if the dog isn’t interested at all, that is all part and parcel of them discovering their new environment.
- Reaffirm the old rules: DONT fuss a do when it’s eating or sleeping. Toby is a bugger for this, he loves the new dog so much that he fusses him A LOT when he’s sleeping. I have to keep reminding him not to – though this isn’t bad training for the puppies either, it’s just a learning curve for both.
- Give the puppy a “personal space” like a dog bed removed from the kids areas. Yoda has commandeered Bibi’s bed (which she’s ok with as her preference is the sofa!!) which is in the kitchen, away from the kids and I’ve made it very clear that if he goes to his bed it’s a “do not disturb” sign in neon flashing lights.
What other suggestions would you have?
H x
Yoda is so cute. Next time, I will look for Shar Pei for my home.
Great points discussed. 🙂
Yoda is adorable – and what an awesome name for a dog! Very sensible points about children and dogs too.
Thanks you 🙂
Great tips, and what a little cutie! I hope he settles in well over the next few months 🙂
Great advice, thanks!
Oh Yoda is absolutely gorgeous, she looks so cuddly!! I am sure Edith will come round soon. Monkey would love a dog but we’ve just found out he’s allergic :(. I am sure these tips will help a lot of people X
Oh no! What a bummer!
Yoda is so gorgeous!!! So many great tips, people don’t realise you need to introduce them slowly sometimes x
Thanks Hannah 🙂
Believe it or not, we have a dog also called Yoda. He is now 20 months old and just as loopy as his loopy 5yr old brother. We got Yoda when he was 8 weeks old and he was the first dog to join our family. He drives us nuts, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. Unfortunately, Bichons suffer greatly from Separation anxiety if left alone for a long time. I.e. In their crate at night or when we go out. So we let them sleep in our bedroom, just so our neighbours and ourselves can get a decent nights sleep.
Your dog looks gorgeous. Thanks for Sharing.
John M.
Thanks John! Great minds think alike eh?!
A well written piece 🙂 Introducing any animal to people should be done slowly and carefully. Sounds like the process has gone well though.
Thanks Lorraine. x
These sound like some great ideas! I can imagine it can be a hard thing to do. x
Thanks Sarah x
OMG what a cutie Yoda is, I would love a dog but we haven’t got space at ours.
Oh shame! Maybe in the future 🙂
How adorable is that Puppy 🙂 I would love a dog one day but I really couldn’t cope with a dog now especially with how my girls are behaving at the moment
Thanks Beth, he is a smushy-pants (not a word) x
Oh he is gorgeous, I just want to cuddle him and smoosh his gorgeous little face!! Fab tips in this post though, especially about giving the dog their own space – we all need that 😉
Thanks Sally!
Yes! I saw Yoda on Instagram and he is so cute, its the first time I have seen his breed before but he is adorable.
Ahhh thanks Ana – he is too cute!
Wow how nice. I have never had a pet before so no help there. However my kids would love to have a puppy. But I don’t think I can handle us having one now. Will have to see.
Oh my goodness he is so cute. Fab tips, I definitely think giving the dog his own space is really important X
Oh my gosh how adorable but also some great tips we want to get a puppy soon and introducing it to my step son will be easier following this x
Oh my goodness, that’s just the most adorable, huggable puppy I’ve ever seen! I want one too 😉
How cute is your new puppy! He looks adorable. I think don’t leave the kids alone with pup is definitely an important one. You hear so many horror stories of incidents that have gone wrong x
My daughter gave our puppy one of her cuddly toys that she used to sleep with, obviously I checked it for eyes etc and anything that would harm him. He still carries it around 6 month later, I think it’s because it smells of her.
Oh wow the dog is adorable! Great tips, I’m glad that he seems to be settling into your family already x
Omgh I am in love!! From my blog it is obvious I am cat person so I can’t offer any more advice than you have given but omgh so cute!!!!
we are currently using a crate (dog cage) to train our new puppy. It is her space away form everyone and is excellent for her to calm down in when she gets hyper and bitey! Yoda looks adorable!
Oh how adorable – That wrinkly little face is too cute. Love the name – Yoda is just perfect. Great tips – I can imagine it is very hard not to leave the puppy alone with the children at all. There’s always the need to just pop into the kitchen or upstairs for something.
A more fun home you have. The proper hygiene of both the kids and the puppy are to things to secure.
We have a 19 month old German Shepherd so we were very nervous about introducing him and Erin. He couldn’t have been better behaved though and he’s so gentle around her. Jackson needed his own space though so we got him his own sofa so he doesn’t want to sit on ours,
Yoda looks adorable! What made you decide on a Shar Pei? The only reason I ask is we’ve got 3 young children and are contemplating getting a puppy but don’t know which type to get. After doing research online it seemed Shar Pei’s weren’t good with children (although they are lovely!) so we decided against one x