Bringing home a new puppy for your family needs time, supervision, and planning. With so many people choosing to staycation, and the children out of school, summer time can be the perfect time for your family to adopt a new puppy. Here are a few things to know to make this a successful addition to your home.

Choose Your Pup Carefully: If you plan on buying a purebred, do your homework and pick a breed that is known for being good with children. Do involve your kids in the selection process; either by giving them a list to pick from, or by giving them research to do. If you decide on a rescue as your new puppy, look for one that is bright and outgoing, not the one hiding in the corner. Do remember that a large dog, even a gentle one, can easily knock over a small child while playing.

Before Bringing Home A New Puppy: Dog proof your home by putting away toys and shoes. Not only is this a way to protect your things, it’s a great way to teach children responsibility for their own belongings. If your kids are small, take the time to practice by holding a stuffed animal as a new puppy substitute. This makes it easy to teach without handling a wriggling bundle of energy. Find a ‘den’ area for your new puppy. This will be their safe zone, where no one is allowed to bother them. Set this as one of the ground rules for everyone to follow.

Start As You Mean To Go On: Although it is very tempting to let the excitement take over, it’s very important to start training and socializing right away. Begin by reassuring your new family member (only one of you at a time), with gentle holding and petting. Let everyone know how the new puppy misses their mother and needs lots of love and attention, not grabbing and pulling. This is a perfect time for everyone to learn that bad behaviour should be treated with a firm ‘No’, and loss of attention. Hitting is never acceptable! Feeding time should always be alone time, whether you are enjoying your dinner, or your new pet theirs.

Training, Play, And Naptime: Bringing home a new puppy involves training them in small doses, 10 minutes at a time. You want to focus on sit, stay, and come. Every one can have a turn, but emphasize that ‘school’ time can only be 10 minutes. Play time is fun time; just remember that a new puppy has boundless energy in short spurts. When they’re tired and need to nap, play time is over, and it’s time to just leave them be.

Summer time is the perfect time for bringing home a new puppy. There’s time for everyone to get involved, and learn the responsibilities that come with having a pet. With supervision, and good ground rules, your whole family can experience the joy of a new puppy, and the rewards of having a canine companion for years to come.