The Puppy Adventures of Porter & Midge children’s book will teach your kids how to socialize a puppy in an engaging and age-appropriate way.

A key responsibility of every parent in a home with dogs is to teach your kids how to socialize a puppy and why puppy socialization is so important.

Not only do you want your children to be able to live in harmony with the dogs in your home currently, but you also want your kids to be able to safely and effectively care for, raise, and train their own dog one day as an adult. 

Unfortunately, bomb-proof big dogs don’t grow on trees, nor are they sent from breeder fairies magically delivering a perfectly calm and confident puppy. All puppies, especially large and giant breed puppies, MUST have socialization to build a foundation that is rock solid for their future as grown adult dogs.

Socialization is a 16-week (approximately) process that begins at a puppy’s birth. 

Most puppy owners will pick up their puppy sometime between 8-12 weeks of age (ideally after 10 weeks – read here to find out why). From the moment the puppy arrives in your home until approximately 16 weeks old, your goal should be to expose your puppy to as many new and positive experiences as you can. And this includes your children!

But how do you teach your kids how to properly socialize a puppy and why puppy socialization is so critical? 

As every great homeschool parent knows… the best place to go when you want to teach something is a BOOK! 

The Puppy Adventures of Porter & Midge Out and About

In their brand new children’s book, authors Giselle Nevada and Jennie Chen, tell the story of two young children, CJ and Lora, and their puppies, Porter (Mastiff) and Midge (Greater Swiss Mountain Dog).  

CJ and Lora are on a mission to train Porter and Midge to be calm and confident in preparation for their float ride during the Independence Day parade. To do this they need to expose their puppies to a plethora of new and exciting experiences which make up The Puppy Adventures of Porter & Midge Out and About. 

In the following interview, I chat with authors Giselle Nevada and Jennie Chen about how they came up with the idea to write the book and what the future holds for the Porter and Midge puppy book series for children. 

The Porter & Midge book coupled with the companion Activity Book and On the Go Journal teach kids how to socialize a puppy, understand canine body language, and learn empathy for dogs in the most engaging, age-appropriate way.

If you have kids and a puppy, this book is a MUST-HAVE for every big dog home library!! 

I am including timestamps below the video for quick reference and with links to everything we discussed. 

VIDEO:  Teach Kids How To Socialize a Puppy | NEW Book The Puppy Adventures of Porter & Midge | GIVEAWAY!!

00:00 Introduction to Big Dog Mom.

1:47 Authors,’ Giselle Nevada and Jennie Chen, have background and experience with giant breed dogs.

6:51 How did you come up with the idea for the book? 

• PORTER & MIDGE ON AMAZON

• Puppy Culture

11:12 What was the process of writing Porter & Midge like?

15:43 Tell me about the characters in Porter & Midge.

17:27 Describe your launch plans for the book and companion materials for kids.

Porter & Midge Book Trailer

18:51 Tell me more about the companion materials – the Children’s Activity Book and On the Go Journal.

• ETSY Store for Porter & Midge Bundle Deal and MORE!

23:58 What does the future hold for the Porter & Midge Children’s Book Series?

29.22 How did you handle the controversy with vaccines and puppy socialization in the book?

34:41 Sharing a testimonial from Big Dog Mom’s kids.

36:08 GIVEAWAY Announcement!!

Additional Reading Material on Puppy Socialization

1. How to Socialize a Puppy At Home: 15 Creative Tips (That Work)
2. Puppy Socialization: 5 Common Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make
3. What is Puppy Culture?
4. Your Guide to Puppy Culture