Constructive advice for puppy and young children

[Doodlekitty]

After lots of thought and discussion dh and I got a puppy. We tried rescues but it was a disaster and the only way we could see to get our much wanted dog was a puppy.

He's now 12 weeks old and the same breed as our previous dog. We also have a 3 year old and a 6 month old.

The plan was to get him while I'm on mat leave so he was settled and trained before I go back to work (our previous dof was a silver good citizen so I'm not new to this)

But I really had not anticipated how hard it would be. Pup nibbles at toddler and toddler kicks him causing escalation. No amount of praising correct behaviour or punishing son for kicking helps. I can't put the baby down as dog is all over him. No toys are safe from chewing despite millions of dog toys. He wees and poos everywhere as I can't always be there to interrupt behaviour.

This is a much wanted dog buy I feel like we have bitten off more than we can chew and it's destroying me.

We start puppy training classes next week. I'm hoping this will help but is there any advice out there for a mum at the end of her tether?

A puppy is very unlikely to be guarding you from other dogs.

It is far more likely to be trying to make other dogs go away because it's wary of them.

We will speak to our trainers about it on Thursday. He's fine with dogs when we are out and was quite happy to play today but then would return to us and chase off any dogs that came near, as if he was jealous. Whatever it stems from it need to be addressed.

doodlekitty glad to hear things are, on the whole going well and it is good to see your hard work paying off. My sis has a minature poodle x CK spaniel a few months older than her 2yo and they are a dream together after lots of early work on not pulling ears, tail, yanking fur etc. Funnily enough the toddler needed a lot more work than the dog who has always been calm around her. The toddler knows she cannot approach him if in 'his refuge' - utility room, open door. I honestly feel both dog and toddler have learnt great lessons about boundaries, obeying mum (my sis) through her training. He is a great dog round family/friends with young children too (as opposed to my mum's dog, a littermate, who is fixated by the bottoms of nappywearers to a degree they often find - naturally- scary).

I have a 4 month old labradorite as well as a 2, 5 and 7 year old. Here are some things that are currently working for us; our house is stair gated up - kitchen sectioned off as puppy play area. I mostly keep kids and pupu separated except for highly supervised engineered encounters where the kids get to drop a treat on the floor for the puppy etc. I play a lot with my 2yo at the kitchen table - jigsaws, games, play doh, crayons, cooking etc. That way we are all together but puppy cannot get at toddler and vice versa. We do all play together in garden but again I supervise heavily. Whenever I need to do something with a child puppy goes in crate. This is safest and easiest way for us. She accepts it. I walk her evenings, and in the day whenever I can get someone to look after the toddler. A walk with both of them is waaay to difficult right now! I'm hoping gradually things will get easier and we will all be able to do things together but for now and the foreseeable future I have to be pretty strict and regimented to make it work. It's not easy that's for sure! Sending you go luck and plenty of understading and sympaty !

Ermine. ..labradorite should say labradoodle!

Urgh in fact so many typos - apologies it's a new phone!

I have read this thread with interest. My Yorkiepoo, Ted turns one on January 25th. I have a 6 year old son and they wind each other up constantly! Ted now views said son as a play thing! The minute they are in each other's company it just becomes chaotic, he never hurts the dog or vice versa, it's just pandemonium. Despite my constant attempts to tell DS the dog must learn to respect him etc it's still just one boy and his dog running around daft. I feel your pain lol x

My 5 year old gets separated from the dog the second he starts to bring chaos go an already chaotic house/garden. I just can't tolerate it! One warning then separation. Both feel punished. It rarely happens these days.

I need to follow your lead suzietwo! My pair treat each other like toys and it's just noise and madness every second they are together. Until Ted steals a Ninja turtle as a chew toy....the DS evicts him from his room x

you have a dpup thats guarding you from other ddogs already? (or other dpups?)!

Is this a widespread experience? If this is 'usual' for poodles i would never advise someone to get one