Getting a puppy with young kids
Puppies often terrorize young children because kids are the exact height for dogs to jump on and bite. Parents face a constant safety management project to keep toddlers from provoking the dog. The experience is so exhausting that seasoned owners highly recommend waiting until children are at least ten years old.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- This comes up 16.7× more often in r/Parenting than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Waiting until children are at least 5 to 10 years old before getting a dogDid this help you?
- 2Getting the puppy at least a year before having a baby to finish potty trainingDid this help you?
- 3Adopting a cat instead because they are easier for toddlers to interact with gentlyDid this help you?
- 4Waiting until kids can follow instructions and have better impulse controlDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Until 5, it's a *constant* safety management project so the littles don't push the dog's buttons.”source ↗
“Also last year we had a baby around the house for a week at a time and I was blown away by how much it sucked with the dogs. 0/10, do not recommend.”source ↗
“I was not prepared for the terror this puppy was going to reign on my kids. They are the perfect height for him to jump on and bite onto their clothes/bite them.”source ↗
“If you’re getting a puppy, I say wait until 10+. We got one when my child was 8 turning 9 and I wish we had waited a year or two.”source ↗
“What I’m looking for is any gems of advice or tips from seasoned dog mums and dads that we can use from day one bringing him home with us and on into the future to help Benji settle into daily life with us.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 9Why do I resent my dog after having a baby?
- 6How to manage two young puppies fighting constantly?
- 3How to find a dog that fits a neurodivergent child
- 3What is it really like to foster rescue animals?
- 17How do I know if my new puppy is getting enough exercise?
- 45Why is traveling with a baby and toddler so miserable?