I am speaking from experience as a mom and a teacher of elementary students. You can train your children all you want, like I did with mine on the proper way to hold or pick up a puppy and stay from underneath. But kids are kids and they do not mean to be rough, but accidents happen and very quickly. I would not have given away my yorkies (show dogs with plenty of time and money invested in them not to mention how much I loved my dogs). It was too hard keeping my daughter away unless I kept them seperated from each other. And that is not a way to live. My daughter was very meek and gentle and not quick like most children her age and she still managed to pick up a puppy from the hair, ears, and the final straw she picked one up from its tail hair upside down. What if she had dropped him - he would have landed head first. She would do this when I wasn't looking - in a split of an instant she had one. And here I had taught her hold to hold and be very gentle with them. Under the age of 5 - they forget. They get caught up in the moment of a cute puppy jumping at them.
I know you have thought this out completley and very carefully, but it is totally different than what you think it will be when you have to live 24 7 with a puppy and a young child. Remember - I too thought I could do it. I was wrong.
T. |