Getting a new puppy is almost every child’s dream. From the time you decided to give your child his first puppy up to the time he loses her, inevitably -- these are the days that he’ll probably remember for the rest of his life.
A dog is a good companion for the young and old, a good friend and a good playmate. Letting your child experience this relationship with his own puppy will surely make great memories for him -- and the family -- in the years to come.
Now, if you’re thinking of having an additional member to the family -- a four-legged one -- you have to make sure to prepare your child for this big responsibility. Children easily get excited about a lot of things. And having a new puppy will surely thrill them. Like when they receive a new toy, they’ll make sure that it is well taken care of all the time. Same goes if you give them a puppy to play with. They’ll be very eager to run around the backyard or the park and play fetch with their new puppy friend. They could just imagine the fun and games they can have with their new dog. By the time your child gets his new puppy, he’ll be very excited to all these things with his pet.
However, as the more mature individual, you have to consider that the new puppy still needs to adjust to her new environment. Being very young, she will still be very anxious of every things happening around her. Meeting new people and living in a new home will definitely stress her out. So just before everything else -- before all the running and playing -- you have to introduce her to the whole family and help her adjust to this new situation. Set the rules and discuss things with your family regarding the pup first. And the best way to do this is to call for a family meeting.
Tell everyone, especially your child, to be very gentle with the new family member. Help them understand that the puppy is still very anxious about her new environment. They should not engage in rough and aggressive games that could scare or hurt the puppy. Shouting and screaming at the puppy should also be forbidden because this will frighten her more. Siblings should not fight around her, not only because this could mean screaming and shouting, but also because they can sense anger and tension around them. This will make your puppy more anxious and stressed out. Moreover, you can establish rules to ensure the cleanliness of your home and the health of your new puppy.
To make sure your child knows and understands all of these things, make him recite these rules aloud and make him promise to abide by them. Remember that you, too, have a role in making this whole experience enjoyable and worth remembering. Establish these simple guidelines to ensure that your new family member -- your puppy -- gets the dog care that she needs.
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