I wasn't planning on getting a puppy, but a friend from church had one she needed to get rid of. She had another puppy (8 months old) and couldn't control both at the same time. The older was becoming aggressive to the younger. She was acting desperate to re-home the puppy and I was afraid something would happen to the puppy that might make it dog aggressive for life or worse. So, I brought home a 10 week old female Aussie.

I have a travel crate from way back when. She fits in it fine for now. She's done very little crying about being in the crate. Last night she cried for like 15 minutes and then settled down. Right now I have her crate in my office with me and she's in it pretty much all the time. I'm taking her out for about 15 - 20 minutes every couple of hours for backyard exercise. She's on a 20' cotton lead line when I do this. Also walking her some around our neighborhood for like a 1/4 mile or so.

I have a little confusion about exercise. I know she's a high-energy puppy and can become neurotic if she's not given enough to do. I've also heard that you have to be careful with puppies that are growing not to exercise them too much. So I'm not exactly sure what to do here. I also know that exercising her mind is just as important as her body. I have Ed's video on marker training and will begin that soon.

My main problem is my four kids (ages 11, 8, 7, and 2). I've read the "who can pet my puppy" article, but I'm not sure about it. The kids have some level of understanding that I'm training the dog and what I say goes. However, they are all very anxious to play with her too. I don't think it's fair to say that these kids can never pet my dog. I'm not sure how much they understand that it's "my dog". I'm looking for very practical advice about what to do here. It's decided that I can't have a zero-touch policy with the dog. The kids will get some time to play with her. I understand the point of the zero-touch policy is so that the dog will see me as the center of its life. How can I still establish myself as the pack leader and center of the dogs life and still let her play with the kids? How much play time would be "OK"? Are there particular games that are better for the kids to play than others? Are there things I should do before, during, and after play time to re-enforce my position with the dog?

As far as exercise goes I think it is most important for them to set the pace and amount of exercise when they are little.

When you see her energy slowing and plopping down or sitting then you know it is time to take her in for a nap in the crate.

They need time to run and play and explore but forced exercise is where the problem comes in.

How long has the dog been with you?

Just got her last night.

She's still acclimating to the leash I think. When we're walking, there's definitely times when she just stops. However, I don't think it's because she's over exercised. It definitely looks like she's just curious about something and wants to investigate; or something has startled her and she's alert listening and looking for what it was. She's new to our home and it will take a bit to become acclimated to us and our environment; however, she seems a little timid. Maybe it's her experience with the other dog, maybe it's just the size and energy level of our family.

She's in her kennel and quit and mostly napping. The kids are asking quite a bit when they can take her out and play and why she's in her kennel so much. It's hard for me to explain pack structure to them and how this is helping her learn about our pack. I've read and read, but really I'm nervous. I really want this dog to turn out well.

Well, I know that puppy experts will see this and help, but I can say that my own inclination for now would be one child at a time, closely supervised by you.

It IS hard to explain pack structure, but not too hard to explain "little baby dog, needs a lot of sleep and very careful handling." And also maybe "needs to know for sure who the Dad is from the very beginning" .....

 Quote: connie sutherland

It IS hard to explain pack structure, but not too hard to explain "little baby dog, needs a lot of sleep and very careful handling." And also maybe "needs to know for sure who the Dad is from the very beginning" .....

That is just about how I explained it to my son when our Dogs were puppies.

when do i know it's ok to take her out of her crate? right now i'm leaving her in there pretty much all the time except for meals and exercise. she's behaving in her crate very well; nary a peep. I wish I had a simple road-map that lists "when she can do foo, then graduate to bar"

You need to be taking her out of the crate periodically during the day. Little pups need stimulation and interaction with family for socialization.
Take her out for short stretches to play and explore, and put her back when she's tired. Let her play with the kids for short periods of time; no rough-housing...
Do you have any puppy toys? See if she'll fetch a tennis ball; this is a great way for kids to interact w/ a young pup.

Supervise puppy/kids interection closely; young pups have needle-sharp teeth, and will typically target anything that moves.(some pups more than others) If play gets too rough, end it and put the pup back in her crate to calm her down.
Have fun and keep us posted!

Out for potty often all day (every hour or two so that no unwanted habits even have a chance to start), and also you might discover the HUGE benefits to tethering (to you) for periods of out-of-crate.

Thanks for the advice. Yes, I understand tethering. Right now she's either on one of those 3/8" nylon 6' leads or a 20' cotton lead line whenever she's out of her kennel. I have been letting her out every couple of hours today. We started the day pretty early and she's pretty give out at the moment. Her kennel is right next to my office desk, so I'm pretty aware if she gets antsy. I took her out earlier, but all she wanted to do was sit and watch. It's only the first day, but she hasn't exhibited much prey drive yet. Also, it's like 30 degrees out and rainy. Not a good combo for a new pup. I'll keep you posted.