New Puppy - Help!

She doesn't feel in control. Let her know that she's in charge, not the dog and empower her to be the boss. If he's a normal puppy, he's being a little rowdy and she doesn't like it. Tell her to say "Down" "no", etc. when he's crawling all over her or invading her space.
If she's not even getting that close, then start with him in the kennel and have her outside talking to him. If she's ready, have her help you let him out and you keep ahold of him so she can control the amount of contact. When she's had enough, put him back in the kennel. Make sure you do this after he's been for a run or been outside playing for a while so his energy level is lower and he will be calmer. Eventually she and the dog will both understand that she is in charge of him, not the other way around and she won't be afraid of him because she's the boss.

Find a Puppy class. Your daughter and you and the puppy all go to class. The Humane Society or Petmart both have Puppy classes in the St louis area.

She'll get used to the dog soon enough. Once she realizes that the dog won't hurt her she'll be fine. It may take some time, but she should soon start loving the new puppy. Just teach her that she is in charge.

I would recommend finding a vet or kennel that does some dog training and taking your daughter with you on the lessons. Generally, they only want one person to be "Alpha" to the dog in the house, but she needs to learn behaviorly how to act around the dog...her actions are more likely to excite and agitate him into thinking that it's play time which will only scare her more. She needs more control around the animal...maybe some one on one with a dog trainer would be money well spent. We once had a Vet in Missouri that was really good at understanding behavioral problems in pets (and how they reacted with their owners...) perhaps she would know of someone locally that would be helpful...Her name is Dr. Mar Doering and is located in Holts Summit, MO...she's actually just been asked by PBS to do an animal show on behaviors. Maybe she will know a collegue locally that you could use.

Good Morning M., I would suggest you take your daughter and the puppy for puppy traning ME Time.
Several places like Petco, some vet clinics etc offer training for puppies. Especially if the puppy jumps on someone. Or pp's, doesn't walk along or heel.

I watch Animalplant in the mornings where they have Underdog to Wonderdog. Where they take a rescue dog and get it ready to adopt. They go through everything.

Good Luck and God Bless you
K. Nana of 5

Puppys are just hard. They jump, they gnaw, they don't listen. When we got our dog last year, he was 9 months, still a puppy, but a bit older and it was really hard until he reached a year. I highly recommend the training. I was amazed (after having a dog growing up who never went to class) how much difference it made. Be sure and give her her own space the dog can not go and plenty of time. Talk to her about it too. Is it a big dog? I would think that would make it even harder. I have to say for the first 3 months of having our dog I wanted to get rid of him every day, but now he's a part of our family, is great with the kids (5 and 2.5). Also, he can spend lots of time outside or in his kennel right now if that's what she needs to get comfortable. Also, maybe your son could show her what he likes about the pup. Good luck. For us getting a dog was way more of an undertaking than we expected (and we didn't take it lightly).

K.

First of all: I am a mother of 5 small children, and a breeder of Cockapoos. From what I have seen, most children are only scared of animals if their parents are. Could she of happened to see you react jumpy with the pup?

Normally unless something happens to a child, such as being attacked by a dog at a early age, most children are not inherently afraid of animals. Children will react the very same way you or your husband react (to anything-storms...thunder even).

I am not saying that You-yourself are actually afraid of your new pup, but for some reason your actions could have made her uneasy with him. You cannot act jumpy or nervous around the pup, even when your children are not around. They see everything.

Always tell your daughter she is so brave with him or great with him, and such, and she will have more confidence.

I have found that sometimes, pups are just overly aggressive at first because they want love all the time. Your new pup will need to find where the boundaries are, (such as-not on the couch, or only on the bed at night) before he gets to be 6 months of age. After that, they are a "teenager" and are done learning rules for the most part.

Now, a good trainer can train any dog, but as for me, a soccer mom. I have to start them early. We actually have our children hold the pups from day one.

Oh, and the more you have him locked in his pen or kennel, the more excited he will be each time he sees your daughter when he gets out. He will be calm, if he is free- calm after about 30 minutes that is... he will just sleep at her feet hopefully after that.

Have a day where he can roam free, as long as your home can take it, and you hopefully will find a calm little pup inside that ball of energy, that scares your little girl.

Good Luck, and remember, Your puppy thinks he was bad when you put him in his kennel, or pen so reserve that for when he eats her new crocs.. which he will....oh fyi...for a chewing dog try cheap pacifiers for chew toys.
N.

We have 3 dogs and a 16 month old. She beats them up and they just lay there and take it. 2 are big dogs they each weight 40-50 lbs. while we also have apurebred sheltie who weights in around 30 lbs. the two big dogs as much as we have worked with them are still rough and the sheltie just avoids her as much as possible.

It probably is getting excited because they are closer in size to each other and the pup thinks of her as a litter mate trying to play. it needs to learn the basic commands of at least sit and down. our dogs never learned stay as much as i wish they had. teach her to stand her ground and to swat the pups nose or step on its paw if it starts to jump on her.

also put it on a leash and talk to her about the puppy teach her that it is still a baby and need to be taught what to do and keep it simple. let her get as close to it as she feels comfortable. I've had kids in my house who were terrified of dogs and by the time they left they loved my dogs at least. all because I told them that if the dog starts to jump or push to yell at it no! Down! and to swat their nose. both need work and some time to get used to each other. let her approach him first in his kennel then work to getting him out. YEs classes can help but not everyone has the time or money for them