Getting a puppy for your son can teach responsibility, boost self-esteem, and provide companionship, but it's a significant family commitment requiring parental supervision, as puppies are demanding and kids need training on how to interact safely and gently. While a child's involvement is great, parents must be prepared for the reality of training, vet visits, and daily care, especially since young children (under 5-6) are more prone to accidents with dogs. The best time is often when a child is around 5-8, old enough to learn and help but still young enough to grow with the dog.
As a general rule, if your child is under 6 years old, it is usually best to adopt a dog over 2 years old. Many families picture a puppy and child growing up together, but there are a few things to consider before adopting a puppy (under 1 year of age) if you have a young child.
The 777 Puppy Rule (or Rule of 7s) is a guideline for puppy socialization, suggesting that by seven weeks old, a puppy should experience seven different Surfaces, seven different Sounds, seven different Objects, seven different People, seven different Locations, seven different Containers, and seven different Challenges, all in positive, short, and safe ways to build confidence and resilience. It helps prevent fear and reactivity by creating positive associations with novel experiences during the critical socialization window (around 4-16 weeks).
The answer to your question is, yes, the puppy blues will go away over time, however if you're already struggling with the toileting and biting and destruction and madness I would consider returning her sooner rather than later as it's going to take months to crack all of this.
Owning a puppy has more benefits than fulfilling a childhood fancy. In fact, puppies help children learn invaluable life skills, positively impact their emotional and cognitive development, and offer unconditional companionship and love!
The 3-3-3 rule for dogs is a guideline for new owners, especially for rescues, showing a dog's typical adjustment phases: 3 Days (overwhelmed, decompression), 3 Weeks (settling in, learning routine, showing personality), and 3 Months (feeling at home, building trust, fully integrated). It's a framework to set expectations, reminding owners to be patient and provide structure, as every dog's timeline varies.
An hour for a dog feels much longer than an hour for a human because dogs perceive time more slowly due to their faster metabolism and heightened awareness of routines, so a 10-minute wait can feel like 70 minutes to them, and your hour-long absence feels like an eternity, though they don't grasp clock time but rather the intervals between events like meals, walks, and your return.
The "10-minute rule" for puppies often refers to short, focused training or exercise sessions, like 10 minutes of playtime or training, to prevent overwhelm and build positive habits, or a potty training method: 10 minutes outside for a potty break, 10 feet of space, and 10 minutes of supervision; if they don't go, back to the crate for 10 minutes, then try again. It's also a patience strategy for owners: set a timer for 10 minutes when frustrated, knowing the behavior will likely stop or change, helping you maintain calm.
The hardest months with a puppy often fall into two challenging phases: 3-5 months (teething/juvenile), marked by intense nipping, regression, and sleep disruption, and the adolescent period (around 6-18 months), when hormones kick in, leading to boundary testing, leash pulling, and independence, making consistency crucial. While the early teething phase tests patience with sleep deprivation and biting, adolescence brings stubbornness and new behavioral issues as they become "teenagers".
Typically, a puppy can be left alone for an hour for every month of age. So, a two-month-old puppy might be okay for about two hours alone. As dogs mature into adulthood, they can usually stay alone for about 4-6 hours, though this can stretch longer for some dogs, especially if they've been gradually accustomed to it.
Red flag puppy behaviors signal serious issues beyond normal puppy antics, including aggression (growling, snapping, biting, lunging), extreme fear/anxiety (intense cowering, hiding, refusing treats, constant escape attempts, shutting down), resource guarding (guarding food/toys with aggression), and severe separation anxiety (destructive behavior when alone). Recognizing these early and seeking professional help from a trainer or vet is crucial, as these often stem from trauma or lack of socialization and won't just disappear with age.
The 3-second rule for puppies (and dogs) is a guideline for positive greetings and interactions, suggesting initial meetings or petting sessions last no more than three seconds before pausing, allowing the dog to choose to re-engage, which helps build confidence, reduce overstimulation, and prevent negative reactions like fear or aggression. It teaches dogs that social contact is on their terms, using short, controlled sniff-and-greet intervals (3 seconds), then disengaging, and repeating as needed, while also being used for petting to let dogs signal they want more.
10 to 12 week old pups can usually hold it for around two hours. Three month old puppies can usually hold it for three hours. After six months, dogs can usually hold their bladder for up to six hours. Adult dogs shouldn't be home alone for much longer than six to eight hours without a chance for a bathroom break.
The best possible time for puppies to change homes and leave the breeder is between 10 and 12 weeks of age if a breeder has the time and the talent to start them in training and to give each and every puppy ample individual attention.
The ideal time
Eight weeks after birth, the puppy is eating solid food on their own, they have benefited from socializing with litter-mates and observing mom, and they are well within the ideal timeframe to bond with new owners. Breeders may also opt to keep the puppies until 10 or 12 weeks of age.
A dog is generally considered an adult and no longer a puppy between 1 to 2 years old, but it's a gradual process, with small breeds maturing faster (8-12 months) and large/giant breeds taking longer (up to 24 months or more) to reach full physical and social maturity. They transition from puppyhood as their bones finish developing and they gain social awareness, often settling down after the adolescent phase (6-18 months).
Adult dog teeth start to grow in when your puppy is 12–16 weeks old, and your puppy's gums may be a bit sore during this time. Because of this, puppy biting tends to hit its peak when a pup is about 13 weeks old.
Puppy difficulty at ages 3-4 months. Things start to ramp up by the time your puppy is 12-16 weeks or 3-4 months of age. This is a particularly challenging age for many owners for several reasons. First, your pup may still not be fully potty trained and you may start to be feeling frustrated!
That's a question people often worry about, especially if they're leaving their dog for a few days or weeks. Well, have no fear. The answer is yes, your dog will remember you, through both your scent and your face, especially your eyes.
A general guide for exercising puppies is to allow them one to two sessions of five minutes walking for each month of age, so for example, a four month old pup could enjoy walks of 20 minutes at a time, once or twice a day.
The 3-3-3 rule for dogs is a guideline for the adjustment period after adoption, representing 3 days (overwhelmed/hiding), 3 weeks (settling in/testing boundaries), and 3 months (feeling at home/bonding) to help owners manage expectations and provide patience, routine, and a calm environment, understanding that anxiety is normal as they decompress from a stressful past. It's a framework for recognizing stress and fostering trust, not a rigid timeline, but it helps owners understand why a new dog might seem timid or act out initially.
Once your puppy is three or four months old, they will most likely be able to go the full night (7 to 8 hours) without a toilet break.
How do they do this? It's biological. All animals have circadian rhythms - physical, mental, and behavioral changes that follow a 24-hour cycle, responding to light and darkness in the environment. They may also be affected by factors like temperature and social cues.
Harvard psyhologists reveal that dogs dream of their humans
What you may not have realised however is, according to new research by Harvard psychologists, your dog is likely to be dreaming about you too – their human – the most important thing in their life.
Fortunately for us, dogs do not understand they are being put to sleep. They may behave differently at this time generally because they feed off the emotions of their closest humans, who are understandably destraught. Plus they also getting all of this extra attention so they probably wonder what is going on!