Labradoodles & Children
The WHole Family
Children Love Labradoodles!
I would like to answer some of those questions for you. This is such an exciting time for the whole family and everyone wants the journey to end up in a life long relationship of good times for everyone in the family. The best way to start is by you the parent, keeping a clear mind and strong focus on the end result. It is so easy when playing with a litter of puppies to loose the vision of what is important to you as a couple and family. If you set out to have a active puppy that will keep up, it can be a challenge to set aside the pup that has promptly fell asleep in your lap to consider and carefully evaluate the other puppies in the litter as well. Another big help is to have chatted together with the children before you get here that the last word on which puppy your family chooses will be up to the adult in the group. This ensures that while everyone has fun playing with puppies and getting to have an opinion an adult with a more realistic view to the needs of the entire family will be the one to make the final call!
How to introduce your Australian Labradoodle puppy into your home and to your child, without stressing either party?
- This begins early! We are doing all we can to socialize your new Labradoodle puppy to sights sounds and children. Even cars and grass get in on the process. It is just as important for you to be talking to your child about the Australian Labradoodle puppy and also the house rules that will apply to the Labradoodle puppy and why. It may seem a bit silly to tell all this to a very young child, but they will be understanding much more than you think!
- When your Australian Labradoodle puppy gets home, it is best to give him/her a room or two of the house to be in. This makes potty training a lot easier and it is easier to set boundaries with your children as well. I know that it is not as much fun as letting the Labradoodle pup run every where, but to establish good habits and authority the first couple weeks your puppy is home is key to the entire relationship. Another reason allowing the Australian Labradoodle pup in only a couple of rooms is to give both the pup and child places that they can go to “get away” if either of them becomes over whelmed with the newness. A crate with a soft bed/blanket and toys is perfect for a den to hide away in for a puppy that needs a break!
- Be firm in training the Labradoodle puppy not to nip even in play and be firm with your child as well, the child needs to respect the Australian Labradoodle pup and never pull it’s tail or kick the puppy. Mutual respect in any relationship is a must for the relationship to grow in a positive way.
Puppies and children are a most beautiful mix! Sharing lifes joy and sorrows together! Creating a good and healthy start to the relationship is so much better than letting things go wrong and then needing to start over and trying to “fix“ the relationship. It takes dedication to the relationship from the start and often with a child who has had experience with other dogs and cats and who has an interest and enjoys being with an animal there will be minimal guidance or correction needed. Still a vigilant eye is required!
Children love Australian Labradoodles!