I can still remember the very first day that my Mom and Dad brought home a new puppy for my brothers and me. It was probably the most exciting day of my life and the very first time that I fell in love with my pet dog. His name was Laddy and he became my very first best friend. That day happened almost 30 years ago. Laddy is unfortunately not with us anymore, but the memory of my first puppy will live on forever.
Your Child’s First Puppy Memories
As you can tell, getting a dog was one of the fondest moments of my childhood and if you’re planning to offer the same joy and excitement for your child by giving him or her a new puppy, it will be a gift that you and your kids will never forget. The day you present that adorable and loving pup to your children, the memory will be etched in their minds forever.
Teaching Your Children What To Expect When The Puppy Arrives
There is one word that can describe what it’s going to be like for your children as they are introduced to this sweet tiny puppy: Excitement!
All little boys and girls go absolutely crazy when they see a puppy somewhere out in town and since it is going to be their new puppy, you can guarantee this excitement to be magnified by 1000%
Your job is to ensure that your children can remain as calm as possible. Let them know that you understand how exciting it is when the new puppy gets home, but at the same time, you must teach them that he is going to be extremely scared and nervous. A puppy will need some space so that he does not get overly frightened.
Teach your kids to avoid yelling and shouting. Let them know that all roughhousing and grabbing of the puppy is forbidden. In addition, declare an official rule that the siblings can not fight with each other in front of the puppy, ever.
The best way to go about this is to have a family meeting before you bring the dog home and make sure to go over all of the rules with your children. Have them repeat these rules until you’re confident that the kids can be trusted with the puppy so that he does not get harmed or frightened.