Help with Puppy...day 4

[Clarel0509]

We picked up our much longed for pup Skye on Monday, she is 10 weeks and just beautiful. We have 2 children, 4 & 8. First 2 days were great, she's sleeping in her crate, cries for a couple of minutes then off to sleep. She's great at going out to the garden. Day 3, she gets more confident, nipping at feet and pulling clothes, kids are both getting anxious around her. Today has been awful! Kids get up, they are terrified to be in the same room as her. She's ok with me, as soon as she sees the kids she's jumping and biting. I'm feeling like a terrible mummy, I hate that the kids would feel frightened and uncomfortable in their own house. I've cried a few times today. I knew it would be hard work but not like this.

I've got puppy training arranged for the end of the month.

I'm just so worried that we've made a massive mistake! After a rough day she's sound asleep in her bed looking adorable!

My dd was 9 when we got our puppy and she was also terrified of the pup. Don't worry, your dc will get used to the pup in no time if you don't pander to their fears.
Has Skye learnt to sit yet? It can be a helpful command to calm the puppy so the dc can maybe stroke her - or at least be in the same room with her without climbing onto the chair/table.
Remember to ensure the dc don't run, jump and squeal around the puppy or she will want to play with them even more!

This is really normal puppy behaviour. She is learning through playing as well as teething.

Do you have appropriate toys for her? And does she have her own space like a pen or an area behind a baby gate? If she gets over excited separate her from your kids for 5 minutes and then engage her with a chew toy or other game.

This stage doesn't last forever but you're not being realistic by wanting her to have learned how to behave after 4 days with you.

That's very, very normal for a puppy.

Firstly you need to make sure kids stop and stay still - no jumping, hopping, running or squealing, when it happens.

Secondly find what works for your puppy - some just need redirecting onto a chew toy, others need a kind of time out in their crate because they have actually just got over tired, others respond well to the person doing a pain yelp (although other dogs get more excited by this - particularly terriers), some need totally ignoring and stop as soon as they realise they get no reaction what-so-ever.

So true blue. I have loads of terriers. My littlest one was a total riot. I remember standing crying in desperation because every single time I moved she was hanging off my ankles. If I squealed it made her worse. I had to do time out with her in the end but she was a particularly difficult puppy even with a fairly experienced home. Even now age two if she's having a mad moment she will charge at my ankles then think better of it.
Agree with suggestions above. Stair gates to split them can also be helpful. Puppy zoom zooms as we call them are impossible to intervene in sometimes. They need to go crazy for a while, preferably not in the same room as the kids.