Episode #234 Kids & Puppies: Building a Great Relationship from the Start

Bringing home a new puppy is exciting—especially when kids are involved! But without the right expectations and structure, it can quickly become overwhelming for everyone.

In this episode, Amy Jensen walks you through how to set your family up for success when introducing a puppy to your home. Learn why some common kid expectations about puppies aren’t realistic, how routines can help both kids and pups thrive, and which rules every family should follow to keep things safe and fun. We also share practical training tips like “Target Hand,” “Sit to Say Please,” and how to create a puppy-safe space using an exercise pen.

This episode is packed with simple, family-friendly guidance to help kids and puppies grow up together with confidence and kindness.

FREE KIDS & PUPPIES DOWNLOAD

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction and Setting Expectations
• 3:01 Realistic Expectations for Kids
• 5:12 Creating Structure and Routine
• 5:55 Puppy's Safe Space Matters
• 6:39 Three Essential Skills to Teach
• 9:25 Wrapping Up and Resources

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

If you have kids and a puppy, this episode is for you. Today we are talking all about things you can do to make this a successful, fun adventure for you and your family. Welcome to the Puppy Training Podcast. I'm Amy Jensen, founder of Baxter Bella, the online puppy school. Here we are all about helping you create the best possible experience raising a puppy, from training tips to practical tricks, all aimed at fostering a happy, well-behaved dog who truly feels like part of the family. So if you are ready to enjoy the journey and strengthen the bond with your dog, let's get started. Welcome back to the podcast. This is where I like to help you guys raise well-mannered dogs and build lifelong bonds. I'm Amy Jensen. If we haven't met nice to meet you.

Speaker 1: 0:53

And today's episode is all about kids and puppies. Specifically, how can we set up realistic expectations that's a big one Establish helpful routines and teach essential skills that help everyone thrive together? Today, if you're about to bring a new puppy home or already navigating the chaos, this one is for you. Let's start by talking about expectations, because kids often have big ones when it comes to puppies. I know many children imagine that a puppy will be their instant best friend. They're going to be ready to play and cuddle and follow me around all day like a cartoon sidekick. While this is a really sweet dream, it's not very realistic, at least not right away. I like to call puppies piranhas right, they're land sharks. You might hear that one as well. They've got very sharp teeth. So this expectation pretty much dwindles quickly. So here are some other common but unrealistic expectations kids might have. The puppy will play with me all day. Puppies, you guys need a lot of sleep 18 to 20 hours a day. That doesn't leave much time for endless games of fetch and they get tired, and the more tired they get, the more bitey they get. So let them sleep. The second one I hear a lot is I can just pick up the puppy and go wherever I want, whenever I want.

Speaker 1: 2:07

Puppies, just like babies, need personal space. They don't love being grabbed or carried around that can feel scary to them or uncomfortable and that makes them nervous to be around little kids, because those kids tend to want to pick them up and tote them around, and the puppy doesn't like that. So here's a secret, kids, if you want to pick them up and tote them around, and the puppy doesn't like that. So here's a secret, kids if you want to be your puppy's favorite person, don't pick them up, okay, all right. Another one I hear is the puppy will never bite me.

Speaker 1: 2:33

All puppies go through a teething phase. They're not trying to be mean to you, but they do explore the world with their mouths. So nipping is natural, but it takes time, patience and guidance. And we can teach them how to interact with you without the nipping and the biting, but that does take time. So helping our kids understand that puppies are babies, not toys, sets a positive tone right from the start, and reminding them that puppies grow into best friends over time through trust and training, that's golden.

Speaker 1: 3:01

Next, let's talk about structure and routine and why it matters. So kids thrive on routine. So do puppies. Establishing a clear structure helps everyone know what to expect and when. This also reduces stress and creates consistency, which is key when raising a confident puppy. So here's what a typical puppy routine might include Mealtimes at consistent hours.

Speaker 1: 3:22

Get your kids involved in feeding the puppy. They can practice, sit to say pleases with that kibble that's a great exercise. Potty breaks immediately after meals, naps and play Really anytime your puppy changes activity time for a potty break. Training sessions we keep these short, fun and age appropriate For ideas for your kids. We have a kids training program, so it's called our Junior Training Course. It's four weeks long. They can do it on their own, on demand. They can attend live if we're teaching it currently live and they can also do a do it yourself program that keeps track of their progress. So we have lots of different options for kids. Get them involved in the training, show them easy exercises that they can do with the puppy. We also have a games and activities page that they can go to. So if your child says, hey, I want to play with the puppy, you say, great, let's do a little training session. What game do you want to play? Because all of our games are training games. Then have them choose a game from our games and activities page, get the game ready, have the food rewards prepared and then we go get the puppy. It goes so much more smoothly.

Speaker 1: 4:25

Next, designated rest times. Make sure puppies are getting regular naps. Remember a rested puppy is going to be a less bitey puppy. The more they play, the harder they play, the more irrational they get, the more bitey they get. They need naps and regular ones. And then, lastly, predictable play and exercise times. So our puppy is going to be napping, then they get up, they go potty, then we're going to maybe do a little training session and then play time. And this just happens in cycles throughout the day. Around and around. We go over and over and as our puppy grows again, the durations get longer and their attention span grows, but in the beginning it's literally every hour we're doing this cycle. Okay, now, when kids know their routine, they can participate more responsibly. For example, your child might be in charge of helping the puppy go outside after lunch to go potty or tossing a ball during supervised playtime. This also helps prevent those difficult moments like a tired puppy being woken up by an eager child, which can lead to crankiness, growling or even nipping or snapping, and we don't want any of that.

Speaker 1: 5:28

One of the most helpful things you can do for your puppy and your kids is create a safe, designated space just for your dog. Think of it as your puppy's bedroom. We recommend using an exercise pen, a crate with an open door or a gated off area in a quiet part of your home. In this space, keep your puppy's comfy bed, their crate, favorite chew toys, food and water bowls. You might put a few puzzle feeders or slow feeders for meals in there. This area is your puppy's personal retreat. It's a nice, calm, predictable place that they can nap, chew appropriate things or just relax. So make sure everyone in the family knows when the puppy's in their space they're off limits no climbing in, no reaching through and definitely no dragging them out. You can tell your kids this is where a puppy goes to feel safe and they need a little break. Just like you, they like quiet time. Maybe your kids like quiet time, I don't know. When they were little toddlers they didn't, but when you get teenagers they love it. So, just like you, we want to make sure that the puppy gets rest. They need rest. So help your kids understand that A rested puppy is definitely a less bitey puppy and a calm, consistent space where they can go relax is really important in helping them regulate their energy and their emotions.

Speaker 1: 6:39

Here are three foundational skills that are perfect for teaching both kids and puppies early on. Number one is a target hand. This is a fun, kid-friendly game where the puppy learns to touch a hand with their nose. So you just simply hold your hand out like a stop sign when your puppy sniffs or bumps your hand, you say yes and you offer a small food reward. You can repeat this until your puppy reliably touches your hand on cue. Kids really like this one. Now. Kids love this game because it's simple, it's fun and puppies love it because it's clear and rewarding. You can even use it later to guide your dog into position or to redirect attention.

Speaker 1: 7:13

The second thing you can teach your kids to do with the dog is called sit to say please, instead of jumping or barking for attention. We teach puppies that sitting politely gets them what they want. If your puppy wants something like petting or a toy, we wait for them to sit. That's how they say please. Only then do they earn access to the thing they want. This is a great one for kids to learn. If a puppy isn't sitting, we just wait, or you can show them what you're wanting them to do. If you show them the first few times, guess what? Then you can start just waiting for them to sit, because they know what to do.

Speaker 1: 7:43

Number three is the puppy rules for kids. I've included a downloadable PDF of the things we're going to talk about that you can print out, put on your fridge and have it somewhere where everybody can see it or understand it. Okay. So setting ground rules early helps prevent misunderstandings and it keeps everybody in your household safe. Here are some simple rules that we want to review often with our kids. Number one is don't wake a sleeping puppy. Let them rest. A tired puppy is a cranky puppy, right? Number two is don't pull the puppy from its crate or bed. These are safe zones. Teach kids to invite, not grab. Number three is always ask a parent before interacting with a puppy. Not all moments are the right time to play, so we want to make sure we're asking mom and dad for permission before we get the puppy out. No rough housing or teasing. So gentle hands, calm voices, respectful play always. Number five if the puppy walks away, that means they are done and they need a break. Teach your child to let the puppy go and not follow or chase it. Okay, posting these rules somewhere visible again, like the fridge, can help make them a natural part of daily life. Thanks for being here today, you guys.

Speaker 1: 8:47

Bringing a puppy into a home with children is one of the most rewarding experiences a family can have. We absolutely adore having dogs in our home. I think they're great therapy for everyone involved, especially my kids, but it does take patience, education and some teamwork. When we help our kids see the world from a puppy's perspective and when we build in routines, when we help manage the environment thoughtfully, teach fun skills and set kind boundaries, we're setting the stage for a safe and lasting friendship. Puppies don't come knowing the rules. Remember they're dogs and they're living in a human world. Likewise, kids don't come knowing dog language, but with your guidance, they can learn together. Thanks for being here today.

Speaker 1: 9:27

Be sure to check out our free resources on our website, baxterandbellacom. We have family training programs, junior training programs for kids. We have weekly Q&A sessions. We have really put together a comprehensive program to help you and your family be successful. I also included in the show notes down below a free downloadable checklist of things we talked about today, including those rules. You can print it out and put it somewhere that everybody in your family can see and reference. If you liked today's episode, please leave us a review, share it with a friend. I really appreciate your support. Until next time, happy training. Thanks for tuning in to the Puppy Training Podcast. I hope today's tips help you feel more confident and excited about raising your dog. Remember, with a little patience and consistency, you can create a loving bond and a well-behaved pup who's a joy to have in your family. If you found this episode helpful, be sure to subscribe, leave a review and share it with fellow puppy parents. For more resources, visit Baxter and Bella online. Until next time, happy training.