Are doodles good with kids?

The short answer: 100% YES.

Doodles are a very social breed, mainly motivated by the people in their lives.

They're also very teachable and eager to please, young at heart, big goofballs, and overall a very happy breed.

However...

...No 8 week old puppy goes to their family knowing what's appropriate, especially around something new like KIDS.

They're used to playing rough with their littermates, and that's usually with their mouths, especially while they're going through a big teething period & their gums are agitated.

Children & puppies are both innocently inappropriate, sporadic, lacking self control, and very changeable in the energy department until TAUGHT otherwise.

When you pair the two together, it’s only realistic to expect some fireworks and that to get to a balanced place where both puppy & child are being respected will take time, patience, and training.

Here are 5 things to teach your kids before bringing your new puppy home!

1. Be slow & calm around the puppy

Surprises aren't as fun for dogs as they are for people.

Instead of sneaking up, being fast and unexpected, and having a lot of excitement and chaos when interacting with the puppy, be slow, deliberate, and calm.

This not only teaches your puppy to have the same energy, but it also helps build trust.

Dogs need stability in their humans :)

2. Give it space when sleeping, eating, and chewing bones

One of the most important things to teach kids about not only puppies but dogs in general, is when to give them SPACE.

When the dog is sleeping, don't disturb them. Let them rest.

When they're eating their food, don't pester, pet, or try to play with them, just let them eat.

Chewing bones? Leave them alone.

You will avoid a LOT of problems this way.

3. Don't put your face in their face

Even a very mature and tolerant dog won't feel entirely comfortable having your face crowding their personal space.

In dog psychology, this move is incredibly confrontational, and to a puppy who hasn't learnt manners yet, they will probably try to nip at your nose.

Later on, when they're not a little puppy anymore, that won't be very funny.

Respect the dog code!

4. Learn how to say "no"

It's very important to teach kids to be confident and know their boundaries, even as a toddler!

Teach them when it's appropriate for them to say "no" to the puppy, and how to get the puppy to respect THEIR space, toys, and body.

Dogs respond to the chain of command, even from a toddler ;)

5. Don't do things to get a REACTION

True to Newton's law, "for every action there is an equal and opposite REACTION."

Doing sneaky, goofy, or just stupid stuff to your dog to get them to react (whether that's bark, snap, chase you, protest, etc) is not going to turn out well.

That will teach them that you do not respect them and they need to defend themselves.

Chances are, you won't like what they choose to do in reaction to your inappropriate behaviour.

Kids and puppies are an iconic, if not a little hectic, duo! There is so much joy and good memories that are built around that season, and the most simple shifts in behaviour can make a WORLD of difference. Which one of these points did you find the most helpful?

Happy adventures,

The RLD Team