New puppy basics
Should I let children pick up a new puppy?
Last updated 23 September 2026 · How we write and check this
Short answer
With supervision and after being taught the correct two handed technique, yes, but young children are often better off sitting on the floor and letting the puppy come to them rather than lifting it themselves, since a dropped puppy can be seriously injured even from a short fall.
Floor level contact reduces risk
Having a child sit cross legged on the floor while the puppy climbs into their lap removes the fall risk entirely and is often just as satisfying for both the child and the puppy as being picked up.
Older children can learn the full technique
Once a child is old enough to reliably follow the two handed support method and understands to always sit or kneel first, supervised lifting can be introduced gradually under close adult watch.
Setting up rules the whole family follows
Agree on a simple household rule before the puppy arrives: no picking up without an adult present, always sit or kneel first, and no more than a couple of minutes holding at a time before putting the puppy back down. Writing this down, even informally on the fridge, helps everyone, including visiting relatives, stay consistent rather than relying on memory in an exciting moment.
Watch for a puppy showing early signs of discomfort with being held, stiffening, trying to climb higher onto a shoulder, or mouthing at hands, and use those moments to teach a child that putting the puppy down calmly when it asks to get down is part of good handling, not a failure.
As the puppy grows heavier, revisit whether a particular child can still safely manage a lift at all, since a breed that reaches 15 or 20 kg by six months is genuinely too much dog for a young child to lift regardless of technique, and floor level contact remains the better long term option for that pairing.
Key takeaways
- Floor level contact, with the puppy climbing into a child's lap, avoids the risk of a fall entirely.
- Older children can learn proper lifting technique under close supervision.
- A dropped puppy can be seriously hurt even from a fall of less than a meter.