A small dog has very delicate legs as their bones are developing. Please be careful not to allow your puppy to jump off of the furniture or other high objects. In addition to leg injury, the small dog may develop what is known as an "acquired" umbilical hernia. These usually go away by the time a puppy is 6 months old, but it truly is an injury that could be prevented by not allowing your puppy to jump or fall from the furniture.
Please be extra cautious of young children with small puppies. It is so easy for them to drop a puppy or accidentally step on one. Children must be monitored with dogs at all times. If you are unable to supervise the children and or puppy, please put the puppy in his crate, or in a safe room. That is what I did when I had a small puppy and a toddler.....I only let the puppy run around the house when I was able to supervise him. It is the same with my litter of puppies today. The puppies are only taken out of their pen when I am able to supervise them. My toddler has also learned that he can only hold a puppy when he is sitting down, with Mom right next to him.
When my dogs grew up to adults, they were able to have full run of the house. By that time, the kids knew how to treat them respectfully...and the dogs had learned to tolerate the sometimes loud and rambunctious kid behavior. But I am not so carefree with visiting children. If I have any doubt as to how the visiting kids will treat my dogs, I either put the dogs in a crate...or I supervise the interaction of the dogs with the visiting children.
Virginia Breeder of Schnoodle puppies - a non shedding, hypoallergenic dog breed.
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