How do I introduce a new puppy to young children?

Children's excitement can be as overwhelming to a new puppy as the puppy's own energy can be unpredictable for a small child, so a calm, seated first introduction, rather than everyone standing and reaching at once, sets a better tone.

A short conversation beforehand about not chasing, not disturbing the puppy while it eats or sleeps, and always asking before picking it up, gives children a clear framework that reduces accidental mishandling.

Have the puppy come into the room on lead, with children already seated and calm, rather than a child rushing toward a puppy that has just walked in, since letting the puppy control the pace of approach gives it a sense of choice that tends to build confidence faster than being approached.

Keep the very first session to five or ten minutes, ending it while things are still going well rather than waiting for a child or puppy to become overtired or overstimulated, since a positive first impression matters more for the following weeks than a longer single session.

Plan a few more short, similarly calm sessions across the first two or three days rather than treating the first meeting as the only one that counts, since repeated calm exposure builds a more reliable comfortable relationship than a single successful introduction on its own. By the end of the first week, most children and puppies have settled into a comfortable, familiar rhythm together.