Introducing a New Dog to Your Family

When you have kids, you may want to get them a pet. Kids and pets seem to go together really well. But you want to make sure that your new dog and your family get along well, especially if you have young children. You want everyone to be happy and for this introduction to go as smoothly as possible. So, what can you do?

Remain Calm

Your new dog and your family are going to pick up on your energy. The best way to make the introduction go well is to remain calm and to do the introduction in a calm space. One thing you can do is to have your kids sit down and take a few deep breaths. That will let them have a second to calm down and get ready to meet your new dog. If your dog is really excited or is young, you may want to let them run off a little bit of energy before you take them in to meet your kids. If your kids or the dog start to get overly excited, you should end the introduction session and try again when everyone has calmed down. 

Give Treats

You want your new dog to associate your kids with something positive. You can do that by giving your dog treats when they are around your kids and being calm or doing what they are told. Depending on the age and temperament of your dog and the age and temperament of your kids, you may want to let the kids give the dog treats. Make sure your kids know not to tease the dog with food and how to give them the treat safely. 

Safe Space

Your dog needs to have their own safe space where they can hide when they feel overwhelmed. A crate can give them that. Some people are against crate training, but it’s really like having your own room. When you need a time out or a minute to yourself, you can retreat to your room and get the quiet you need. A crate is the same for your dog. It gives them a safe place to retreat to. You need to teach your dog where they can go, and your kids that they need to leave the dog alone when they are in the crate. You can also use the crate as a safe place for your dog to stay when you are out of the house. 

Supervise Young Children

While your child may be eager to take the dog for a solo walk or you may feel it’s safe for them to play with your dog unsupervised, it’s best to wait on these types of interactions. Young children can be impulsive and are still learning how to handle an animal. Even a gentle dog can bite when provoked or scared and children are at a higher risk of being bitten. In fact there are more than 600 reported dog bites in Florida each year and children age 1 to 9 years are most at risk.

Be Patient

While you may want for everyone to immediately fall in love with each other and for your kids and dog to be comfortable with each other immediately, it isn’t going to happen like that. Make sure to take your time and be patient with everyone involved. Give everyone the time they need to make everything go smoothly. 

If you are going to get a new dog, you want to make sure introducing your dog and your family happens smoothly and easily. That will make everyone happier in the long run and let your kids and your dog be happy together.