Bringing Home a New Puppy with Young Kids in the House – Tips to Make the Transition Smooth

by Amy · June 21, 2019

For parents with young kids, making the decision to adopt a dog is rather large. You already have a fair amount of responsibility on your plate with the kids, and there is the question of whether or not everyone will get along. For the true dog lovers out there, the answer is typically simple – it’s to go ahead with the adoption and then do whatever you can to make the transition smooth for all.

In order to help speed things along, and have the family humming along even with the new dog addition, we’ve gone ahead and put together some tips for bringing a new puppy home when you have young kids in the house.

Ensure You Choose the Right Breed of Dog

Before you even think about adopting a dog, it’s wise to do your research on the various breeds. Picking a dog just because it’s “cute” can be tempting, but that doesn’t mean it will fit in with your family or lifestyle. There are certain breeds that tend to do better with young kids, plus you may be more drawn to a large or small breed depending on the size of your home, yard, and your budget.

Speak to the Kids Before You Bring Home a Puppy

While it may seem like a great idea to surprise the kids with a new puppy, it’s not always the wise choice. If your kids are a bit nervous of dogs, are hesitant about the situation, don’t have much experience with dogs or pets in general, then there are likely to be a lot of questions they have. Filling them in before the adoption, and even getting their input on which dog is right for the family can help with the bonding experience.

Discuss the Rules and Responsibilities Everyone Will Have

Then there are the rules and responsibilities involved in owning a dog. These should also be discussed beforehand so there are no surprises when the puppy comes home. Rules such as leaving the dog alone when it is in its crate, who will be feeding the dog, who will be walking the dog and so forth, can all be discussed.

Connect with Other Dog Families

Another extremely useful tip is to connect with other dog families who just like you, have a household with dogs and young kids. Who better to talk to than those in the same shoes as you? So where can you find these types of people? A great site you can check out is Emenator, which is a social network platform that throws out all the rules and industry standards and gives total control to the users.

You’ll be able to explore content created by the users, engage in conversations with others on the topic of pet ownership, and not worry about being inundated with ads like the typical social networks do. You can browse specific groups such as the “Dog Lovers” group to connect with those like-minded individuals.