Having a new puppy in the house is a very exciting and memorable experience, especially when you have children in the family. However, every interaction between your child and your new puppy must be closely supervised, especially for the first few days after your puppy’s arrival.

When meeting the puppy for the first time, have your child sit on the floor with her legs crossed. Slowly bring the new puppy up to her. Tell your child to lay out her “gentle hands” as she reaches over to the puppy with palms down and knuckles up so the pup can sniff them.

Once your new puppy is safe and sound at home for his first arrival, give your child certain tasks that can get her involved in taking care of the little doggie. These tasks should be assignments that she can easily manage, either on her own or with your help.

However, you should not give her too much responsibility over the puppy just yet. She should only do certain tasks that are appropriate for her age. Too much or too little responsibility can be discouraging to the child and can tarnish the relationship that she should have with your new pet.

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