Posted on Tuesday, March 17, 2009 by Richard in 3d Introducing Your Gundog To The Family |

Take Your Time, When Introducing Your Gundog Puppy To Kids.

One thing that I have seen time and time again is an excited new owner who is all ready to bring their puppy home. They go through a checklist, purchase all the right stuff and set up for training. There are a hundred little things that need to be done and they do it to ensure the best start for their new gundog puppy. Although this may seem like the ideal, the main problem that occurs is that they are only thinking of the fundamentals. There is no thought given to how they will be introducing their puppy to the household and often they forget to plan how to introduce their puppy to their children.

When a puppy is brought home, it is important to take the time to properly introduce your children and gundog puppy. If you have young children, this is even more important because you want to ensure that neither the puppy nor the children will be injured or scared in any way.

While most of the introduction will be done once the puppy arrives at home, it is important to start laying the foundation before your gundog puppy even arrives home.

Before the Gundog Puppy Arrives:

Okay, you are at the stage where you have chosen a breed, whether it is an English Springer Spaniel, Labrador Retriever or another of the many different gundog breeds, and you have found a breeder. Now you are simply waiting for the day you can bring your puppy home. In the time that you are waiting, it is important to start preparing your children for the arrival of your gundog puppy.

Step One: Educate them

It can be difficult at times to really teach your children how to treat dogs, especially if you don’t have a dog already. The best way is to sit down and talk about the gundog puppy that you will be bringing home. Go over the best ways to touch the puppy and also times when the puppy will need to be left alone. If you have the opportunity, take them to visit dogs that your friends or family owns. Interaction with dogs can be one of the best ways to actively educate your children about them.

Step Two: Set up clear rules

Rules are a big thing and you will need to set them up for everyone in your family, not just your child. With your children, be clear about how they can interact with the puppy. Some great rules to have are:

• Never hit the puppy
• Never pick up the puppy
• Leave the puppy alone when he is sleeping
• Try to be quiet around the puppy
• Sit down when it is time to play or pet the puppy

Step Three: Read puppy stories

There are hundreds of books about caring for a puppy and you can probably find many that are geared towards your children’s age group. Reading stories will encourage discussions about gundogs, gundog puppies and dogs in general.

Once you have taken the time to set up rules, and teach your child about gundog puppies, it will be time to bring the puppy home.

When the Gundog Puppy Arrives:

Now is the time for the real introduction to take place and it can be an exciting time for everyone, including your children. Although many parents will bring their children to the breeders to get the puppy, it is important that you do not make the initial introduction at the breeders. In fact, you should check with the breeder first to make sure that it is okay to bring your children. If it is, make it an introduction to all of the gundog puppies and not just to one. The real introduction should be done at home and there are several things you should do when you introduce your gundog puppy to your children.

Step One: Give The Puppy Space

The moment you step into the house is not a good time to introduce your puppy to your children. Many times, you puppy is overwhelmed by the new scents and experiences and he has just been separated from his family. Don’t add more stress to the experience with a lot of introductions. Instead, put the puppy into a quiet room, preferably the room where his stuff will be kept and have the children find something quiet to do. Once he calms down enough to start exploring, take him for a pee break and then start the introductions.

Step Two: The Calm Introduction

Introductions can actually be done gradually and there is no need to rush it. Instead of bringing the puppy out to the kids, take the children into the quiet area for the dog. Make sure that they are quiet when they are in there and that they are sitting beside the dog bed. At this point, allow your gundog puppy to introduce himself. If he chooses to simply lie down and sleep, let your child gently pet him and then leave him until he is up and ready for the introduction. When he is, repeat the process. Your puppy will quickly introduce himself and it has started in a calm manner that makes him feel secure with your children.

Remember that children can be loud and rambunctious and this can be very scary for a small puppy so make sure that the introduction is done in as calm a manner as possible.

Step Three: Follow some simple rules

After the initial introduction is done, there are a number of things that you should do to ensure that the relationship between your gundog puppy and children remain strong. These are:

• Children should never be left alone with the puppy. Always have supervision.