Young children and new puppy :)

[SarahW]

Hi everyone! I'm Sarah from Canada, and I am so excited about getting an English Cocker.  I have 2 daughters, one just turned 2 and the other just turned 10 months. I am going to be waiting a year before I get my puppy, but I thought I'd join here and learn all I can, as well as get my English Cocker fix!  Does anyone out there have any advice, words of wisdom to offer me? I've heard lots of pros and cons with having a puppy and very young kids, but I'm sure I can handle it. I'm a stay at home mom (for the next 5 years) and I can't wait to have a pup.

[Stacey]

Hi Sarah, I have two cockers and a 2 year old daughter! The only difference i have noticed about having young children and dogs is that they will BOTH need training on how to be with each other. My daughter is excellent with the dogs now but for the first week of archie being here she kept wanting to pick him up by the neck/ear's

It's lovely to see children and dogs playing and interacting with each other - sooooo much fun. Gabriella loves to throw archie his ball for him - he is always bringing her his toys so she can play with him 

[cazza]

sorry no advice as I had the dogs first and then the kids, then waited a few years till the kids were older before getting another one.

Good luck and Stacey's advice on teaching / train them how to be with each other is good advice 

welcome to COL

[PennyB]

read all about puppy biting in the puppy section here --- it can be quite distressing for young children even though its often normal behaviour in a pup (even if its not acceptable and needs to be taught otherwise)

[lexi]

When my daughter was born we had two blue roans but unfortunately the bitch, Capi, had to be pts when Olivia was only a month old.
She basically grew up with our dog,Teco, who was eight - and well trained - when she was born. We thought about getting a pup at one time but then decided against it simply because, in my opinion, having a pup and small children is a tall order!

We had to have Teco pts when Olivia was almost six and then we got Byron. Personally, I wouldn't have wanted her to be any younger.

read all about puppy biting in the puppy section here --- it can be quite distressing for young children even though its often normal behaviour in a pup (even if its not acceptable and needs to be taught otherwise)

I agree!

[happydog]

Hi and welcome to COL  . I have a seven year old working cocker called Fern. Well done for doing your research early and not rushing in to it!

Do get a crate and make it into a safe haven/den for pup from day one. Train children that when dog is in there to leave well alone.  Pup can then get peace and quiet from kids when needed. Useful at night in early days to make pup feel secure. Also very useful during toilet training at night and bitey/chewey stages  . Do a word search here on 'crates' for sizes, for how to get pup used to it, when to leave door open/shut and acceptable maximum length of time to leave pup shut in.
Glad to hear you're waiting a year. Although two children under three would totally wear me out -never mind a puppy too  .

[Cob-Web]

Hi everyone! I'm Sarah from Canada, and I am so excited about getting an English Cocker.  I have 2 daughters, one just turned 2 and the other just turned 10 months. I am going to be waiting a year before I get my puppy, but I thought I'd join here and learn all I can, as well as get my English Cocker fix!  Does anyone out there have any advice, words of wisdom to offer me? I've heard lots of pros and cons with having a puppy and very young kids, but I'm sure I can handle it. I'm a stay at home mom (for the next 5 years) and I can't wait to have a pup.

Welcome! As long as you do your research and have realistic expectations, it is possible to survive puppyhood with young children - but I have to admit, I didn't enjoy it as much as some people expected me to 

It is hard work - I don't think I sat down for more than 20 minutes at a time for the first 12 months - once I had settled lil'bit down for the night (my daughter, who was three when we got Molo), then I would spend the rest of the evening playing/training Molo  When they are together, you can't take your eyes off them for a minute - and even when you are watching, the pup will bite your children, it will hurt and they will cry (and so will you) - I lost count of the number of times lil'bit asked when Molo was leaving.....she eventually started sitting on the back of the sofa where Molo couldn't reach her 

However,now Molo is grown up, and lil'bit has learnt how to behave around him, it is a joy to watch them every day  She has participated in clicker training with me, and has begun to learn how to handle him in agility - he will do anything for her 

I think there is an expectation that puppies and children are a match made in heaven - but in my experience, during the puppy period, it is not like that....but it is defintely worth the hard work when you see them become friends once the puppy is a dog 

Enjoy 

[SarahW]

When they are together, you can't take your eyes off them for a minute - and even when you are watching, the pup will bite your children, it will hurt and they will cry (and so will you) - I lost count of the number of times lil'bit asked when Molo was leaving.....she eventually started sitting on the back of the sofa where Molo couldn't reach her 

Oh, that is so sad!! Smart about sitting back on the couch though! lol The biting is the one thing I am most concerned about, I remember those rasor sharp puppy teeth...

[Gilly]

I agree Rachel, Buttons was OK but Gracie was a demon  you tend to find that the puppy will home in on the smallest person in the house and they get the brunt of the play biting. Emily often used to say that Gracie was ruining her life  and was in tears almost every day. It passed eventually and now she adores her 
Luckily Lola is very good with the kids, it's the other dogs that get the brunt of her play biting 

[Nicola]

Emily often used to say that Gracie was ruining her life 

    Bless her, what age was she? You could have a teenage drama queen on your hands there!

[*Adele*]

We missed out on the play biting thankfully as Chloe was 6 months when we got her! I did sit the kids down and had lengthy conversations with them before we found her and warned them about what a young puppy would be like, the eldest, 5, was really good and showed a good understanding but the youngest, almost 3, didn't really listen as much! LOL! They're both really good with Chloe though and love to play on the floor so that she can play with them! 

The one small issue I have with a young dog and young kids is the walking side of things, the eldest will walk for a good distance but the youngest just isn't interested and really drags behind us all the time! I have to make a huge adventure out of it to get him interested! I usually wait until they're both at school before we have our big walk, this isn't too bad but the youngest is only at pre school 3 afternoons a week!

[Cob-Web]

The one small issue I have with a young dog and young kids is the walking side of things, the eldest will walk for a good distance but the youngest just isn't interested and really drags behind us all the time! I have to make a huge adventure out of it to get him interested! I usually wait until they're both at school before we have our big walk, this isn't too bad but the youngest is only at pre school 3 afternoons a week!

I agree - I couldn't give Molo the exercise he needed without OH at home with lil'bit; she just can't walk the speed/distances involved, even now she is 6 (maybe that's because Molo is getting used to long walks, though  ).

I think a lot of dogs end up being exercised less once family children are toddlers and refuse the buggy

My favourite time is first thing in the morning, before they are both up - me and Molo go out together at about 6 am......