It is no shock to anyone who has ever met me that I am an animal lover. Growing up, I always had a pet in my life. And as I got older that didn’t change. However, having a puppy with a toddler is no easy task! Here are my top tips on raising a puppy with a toddler for a happy home!
First Fur-Baby
My husband and I are both dog lovers. Shortly after we got married, we brought home our first fur-baby: a Golden Retriever named Conan. Owning a dog brings joy to a household and its own set of challenges. We learned really quickly to pick up our stuff off the floor and not leave food anywhere unattended. Conan was not a puppy when we got him and we didn’t have any toddlers so we had yet to embark upon raising a puppy with a toddler.
Growing Family
As Conan got older, we adopted our second Golden Retriever, Rocky, to keep him company while we are both at work all day. At that time, our family was complete with our two “Golden Boys.” That was until we welcomed our daughter and another set of challenges. Several chewed pacifiers, missing baby socks, and destroyed stuffed animals later, our home was so full of love.
Saying Goodbye
In 2020, Conan was diagnosed with cancer. After many visits to the vet and a couple rounds of chemotherapy, we laid our Conan to rest. Our family was heartbroken to say our goodbyes. We had to explain death to our 3-year-old and Rocky became very lonely and depressed. For tips on dealing with and discussing death with children head here. A few months later, we began our search for our next family member and the adventure of raising a puppy with a toddler.
New Puppy Beginnings
In January 2021, we adopted a Golden Retriever Siberian Husky Mix, Aspen. Bringing a new puppy into your home is pretty hectic. Both Conan and Rocky came to our home past the puppy stage, so this is a new adventure for us. Puppies require a lot of attention, patience, and training. This is especially true with children in the family.
Here are our three tips for raising a puppy with a toddler
- Have your toddler help with taking care of your puppy.
- Get your puppy plenty of toys, to save your child’s belongings.
- Give your puppy and your toddler extra individual love and attention.
