Introducing new puppy to GC

Hi, I was in a similar position 6 weeks ago when our lab pup arrived aged 8 weeks (having lost our gorgeous young lab unexpectedly earlier this year to a brain haemorrhage). I use baby safety gates to avoid the toy stealing and chewing. Luckily the weather since his arrival has been perfect, so the GC have been mainly outside in the garden. Puppy is still mouthy at times & nips in play. I've found this aspect very trying! He has torn a lot of my clothing and I don't let him get the opportunity for this with the GC. I admit I've found it hard at times, but if he gets too naughty I put him in the kitchen in his bed behind the baby gate, like time out, until he calms down. We've never used a crate. Good luck, it's fun but hard work.

Lots of good advice here. You really do need to teach the children how to behave around the pup too, to be gentle and calm and quiet with the pup and no squealing or screaming. And it's vital to have a quiet, safe space for the pup to go if things all get a bit too much. And it goes without saying that you never leave any of the children alone with the pup.

Your priority here will be to keep your under fours from giving the puppy too much attention. A cage or open-topped pen will provide it with a safe refuge when it's had enough. A 10 week-old puppy will still need as much as 18-20 hours sleep per day, so do make sure there is somewhere quiet and contained where they can achieve this undisturbed. You will still have an opportunity to introduce the tinies to the pup, but you will obviously be supervising this very closely, with the emphasis on "gentle". Young pups which are teething are notorious nibblers, so watch out for any nips, and try to keep the children away from those needle-sharp little teeth. Give the pup something else to nibble on while you make the introductions. Enjoy! You're going to be busy. P.S. Just a slight worry that your pup will usually have its first vaccinations at 8 and 10 weeks, and too much human contact with outsiders should then be avoided until around 12 weeks, as should their exposure to public spaces. You will need to consider and to manage this.

Crate train your pup from day one. It’s a safe place where they are given 4 meals a day, never used as punishment. Puppies need 19 hours sleep a day so build that into their routines. Use child safety gates so the pup and children can play without toys, pencils , biscuits etc being eaten by the puppy.

Puppies thrive on routine. Tired puppies get even more mouthy, so routine around its need for 18-19 hours sleep. Try for quiet introductions, keep brief - what fun

There are good books - Steve Mann easy peasey puppy squeezy but my favourite is Pippa Mattinson’s Happy puppy handbook.

Give the puppy a safe place to go when it's had enough. A cage is best if you have room. Teach your grandchildren to leave the puppy alone when it goes there.

The sooner puppy is introduced the better. Just make sure that the children learn to leave puppy alone if it is sleeping as they sleep a lot!

Pup will also “mouth” and the nips can be quite painful, a high pitch squeal and moving away, teaches pup that this is not acceptable - that is what its siblings will do. Offer an alternative to your grandchildren’s limbs 🙂, too much excitement might be the reason. . Other than that everything is a plus!

Nice times though.

All tips welcome