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Puppies and kids

How do I keep kids and a new puppy safe?

By Dr. Steve Pelton, DVM

The short answer

  • A grown-up watches whenever puppy and kids are together. When nobody can watch, use a gate, a crate or a pen.
  • Kids never take food or toys from the puppy, never hug or kiss his face, never pick him up and never wake him up.
  • When he nips or jumps, kids be a tree: stop, fold your branches, look at your roots, stay still.
  • Learn the worried signs and end the game calmly when you see them.
  • A puppy who growls at, snaps at or stiffens around a child needs your vet's help now. It's common, and very fixable early.

Why a grown-up has to referee

Kids ages 5 to 9 have the highest rate of dog bites treated in US emergency rooms, and they're most often bitten by a dog they know, often their own. That's not a reason to fear your puppy. It's a reason to set up good habits now, while he's small and the stakes are low. Lots of those bites follow warning signs nobody noticed, or something that would bother almost any dog, like a hug or a grab for his food. Both can be taught.

The grown-up rules

  • A grown-up watches whenever puppy and kids are together. Can't watch? Gate, crate or pen.
  • The puppy gets a kid-free spot, and nobody follows him there.
  • Short play, then a break. Puppies and kids both wind up fast.
  • Kids call the puppy over or toss a treat. Nobody grabs, chases or corners him.
  • Learn the worried signs, and end the game calmly when you see them.

For kids (grown-ups, play along)

Practice Be a Tree

When a puppy nips or jumps, running and squealing makes it the best game ever. Boring trees don't get chased. Tap the four steps in order, then hold still while Meatball loses interest.

Be a Tree comes from Doggone Safe, a nonprofit that teaches kids how to stay safe around dogs.

For kids

What would you do?

Pick one for each. 0 of 6 done.

The puppy grabs your shoelace and won't let go.
The puppy is asleep on his bed, and you really want to pet him.
The puppy took your favorite toy into his crate.
The puppy is eating his dinner.
You're playing, and the puppy walks away to his bed.
The puppy is so cute you want to carry him around.

Puppy Rules for Kids

Read them with a grown-up. Then stick them on the fridge.

  1. 1Let the puppy come to you.
  2. 2Pet his back and his sides, not his face.
  3. 3No hugs, no kisses, no squeezes. Treats are his favorite hello.
  4. 4Sit on the floor to play. Don't pick him up.
  5. 5Let him eat his dinner in peace.
  6. 6Let him sleep. Sleeping puppies are growing puppies.
  7. 7His crate is his bedroom. Kids stay out.
  8. 8If he nips or jumps, be a tree.
  9. 9If he walks away, let him go.
  10. 10Wash your hands after you play. Poop? Get a grown-up.

How to be a tree

Stop. Fold your branches. Look at your roots. Stay still until the puppy wanders off or a grown-up comes.

Be a Tree is from Doggone Safe (doggonesafe.com). Sheet from newpuppy.vet.

Call your vet if he...

  • He growls or snaps at a child.
  • He goes stiff or freezes when a child comes near.
  • He bites hard enough to break skin.
  • He was dropped, stepped on or hurt, even if he seems fine. Call and head in now.

Your vet can check for pain first (a sore ear or tooth makes any puppy grumpy) and then point you to a veterinary behaviorist or a reward-based trainer.

Questions I get every day

What is Be a Tree?

A simple way for kids to stop a mouthy or jumpy puppy: stop, fold your branches (cross your arms), look at your roots (your feet) and stay still. Running and squealing makes the game more fun for the puppy, and a boring tree isn't fun to chase. Be a Tree comes from Doggone Safe, a nonprofit that teaches dog-bite prevention.

Can I leave my puppy and my kids alone together?

No. Active supervision means a grown-up in the room and paying attention. When nobody can watch, separate them with a baby gate, a crate or a pen. That isn't a punishment for anyone. It keeps everyone set up to succeed.

My puppy growled at my child. What should I do?

Calmly move your child away and give the puppy space. Don't punish the growl: it's a warning, and you want to keep it. Then call your vet. A puppy who growls at, snaps at or stiffens around a child needs help early, and it's very fixable when it's caught early.

Can my 8-year-old walk the puppy?

In the yard with you watching, maybe. On a street, not yet. A puppy can pull hard, bolt after a squirrel or get tangled, and that's too much to put on a child near traffic.

We're having a baby. Is a puppy a bad idea right now?

It can work, but it's a lot at once. If you go ahead, never leave the baby and the puppy alone together, even for a moment, and give the puppy a space that's all his. Your vet can help you plan.

Where this comes from

  • Basco AN, McCormack ER, Basco WT Jr. Public Health Reports. 2020;135(2):238-244.
  • Doggone Safe. Be a Tree program. doggonesafe.com.
  • American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB). Humane Dog Training Position Statement. 2021.
  • Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC). Healthy Lifestyle, Healthy Pets, Healthy People.

General education, not veterinary advice. Your vet's plan for your puppy comes first.