So, we've got a delightful 14 week old Jack Russell puppy, who I really cannot fault. We've also got 17 month and 4 year old boys who love to leave their toys lying around. Laika is normally behind a gate in the kitchen, and anything in there is fair game for her to chew and play with, as we keep all the boys' toys out of there. A lot of our day is spent in the kitchen with her, but we let her into the dining/living room a few times a day (in between toilet breaks as she's not fully housetrained yet) for a play and, understandably, she will always make a beeline for the boys' toys (we clear them all away when they're in bed, but during the day there is no hope of keeping them away...!).
We accept this will happen, and manage it by calmly taking the toys away from her, until she finds another one. My question is, what is the most effective way of teaching a puppy that children's toys are not for dogs... I am happy to keep going as we are, but once she is housetrained I would like to have her with us more often in the rest of the house without constantly fishing toys out of her mouth.
Our last dog died of lymphoma in July, and I don't ever remember having to teach her not to touch the boys' toys, but maybe that's because she was 7 when our oldest was born.
Any top tips would be warmly welcomed!
Thanks

Sounds like you're having l;ots of fun with her. And sounds like you're doing the right thing with her. We have granchildren so often lots of toys around. Willow our 3 year old lab initially thought every toy was fair game - but we just calmly took it off her and taught her the 'not for dogs' command and gave her one of her own toys and told her ' this is for dogs' . Your little JRT is bound to be clever and will soon get the idea. It's still early days and I'm sure you'll have a few casualties - might teach the boys to put things away lol.

Thanks for that, Treacle. I thought that might be the way to go, but wasn't sure if I should mix human toys with puppy toys in the rest of the house. At the moment  all puppy toys are in the kitchen and 'not for puppy' toys are everywhere else (literally...!). However, after reading your response it kind of makes sense to show her what she CAN play with anywhere in the house when tempted by children's toys...
Thanks!

The only 'problem' as I see it is, knowing how comparatively big the teeth of Jackies are,  Jackie may well rip up non-doggie toys and not all kids toys are safe for puppies (removable eyes etc.).   I think you may have to continue to be one step ahead in terms of her getting hold of your kids' toys.   You might try removing said toys and trading them for her more suitable toys.   Or, dare I suggest it, train the kids to not leave their toys lying around when pup is due for an outing into the rest of the house!!   Good luck with that.

Jackie puppies are tons of fun.

Ha ha! I know what you mean, Mamabas! Suffice to say, all the toys that are out are robust enough for our 17 month old, and Laika could only do any damage if left alone with anything for more than a minute (which won't happen as I'm always with her when she's out of the kitchen. She literally only has enough time to put it in her mouth before I see). The majority of the boys toys that are played with regularly are schleich dinosaurs/animals, duplo and die cast cars. She has a penchant for the schleich stuff, so the worst she could do is give it a good chew, with no danger to herself.
To be fair, the boys can (and do) put their toys away, but they are always playing with SOMETHING, so there is always something out in the living room. My floor isn't littered with toys 24-7, but my boys do play pretty much constantly from 7-7 everyday when we are in the house. Prevention is better than cure though, so I will make an effort to make it a 'toy free zone' before I let her through, and then focus on playing with her with her toys

> I'm always with her when she's out of the kitchen

Just to say that it is really nice to see that someone actually does this.  So many don't supervise and wonder why they have problems.

I agree that any "boys toys" need to be swopped for "dog toys" as punishment is not a positive way of training.  Just wanted to say congratulations for getting it right.

Jack pups are so much fun. 

When my kids were small the house rule was no toys downstairs and no dogs upstairs, so if they wanted their toys safe they didn't have them where pup could get them.

but wasn't sure if I should mix human toys

Whatever objects you use the need to be indestructable, a dog only needs to swallow a tiny bit and it can have a blockage, you will not notice until its to late to do anything and its dead, if it happened through the night theres little chance of survival. Non destructable objects only.
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I think you need to read the links a google search brings up for blockage.......it's seriously very dangerous giving dogs of any age destructable things to play with.

Blockage links
http://bit.ly/1k1play
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We don't LET her play with human toys, but it is inevitable that she will pick some up from time to time. Like I said, they are all pretty much puppy proof to a certain extent, and she isn't left alone to chew anything to pieces.
Kids toys upstairs/ dogs downstairs may be an option when they are verging on teenagers, but I can't be in two places at once and not practical to expect a toddler to not have toys when we're downstairs (which is pretty much between 7am and 7pm.
The point of my original post was to find the best way to mix my family, not segregate them. I would like the puppy to recognise the difference between human and dog toys. I don't expect her to learn this overnight, but just wanted some top tips on how best to achieve this (as our other dog did).
I'll carry on as we are, and I know she will catch on in her own time

Well, I can only suggest some things I've found helpful. I've got a jrtx toy poodle - very clever and is doing well at training me ;-).
I try to teach him what's his by name - tuggy, bone, ball, etc and everything else is 'mine' - at just 10 months (puberty) and having lost my other dog he's mostly forgotten/trying it on, but it's coming back. I always swap mine for his whatever so there's something in it for him and, hopefully, to show him what to play with.  I'd also definitely teach 'leave' for safety. 
I'd also suggest you get your children involved in this, always with your supervision, again for safety.

Thanks Debbo, I think that makes sense... For some reason I thought it best to keep her toys in the kitchen, and toys anywhere else in the house as off limits. I'm starting to see that allowing her to play with her own toys where the human toys are is going to be the best way to teach her what is 'off limits' and what's ok.
She's very good at 'leave' so far and will work on getting her to respond to the boys as well in due course. 
X

> I would like the puppy to recognise the difference between human and dog toys.

That's unrealistic and unfair to the dog as there is very little difference between the two, often made from the same materials etc.

When children have toys downstairs then pup needs to be segregated to another room by use of a baby gate or barrier or children play with toys at the table, or for toddlers play in a playpen.

As I am technically blind (less than 20% sight) perhaps I was stricter with toys not only with the dog in mind, but also for myself as any toys lying about (kids or dogs) are a serious tripping hazard.

Glad you interpreted what I tried to say lol.

You could do short, as in half a minute or so, frequent, training sessions throughout the day to reinforce it.  Making a game and/or using treats when pup chooses the right toy.

I'm sure you'll get there and have fun doing it.

> The point of my original post was to find the best way to mix my family, not segregate them.

To be honest until the children are old enough to understand that they must keep their toys safely out of the dogs way, and pup has become a  dog less interested in toys, then segregating and strict supervision of dogs and kids is a must. 

It's one reason many breeders won't home pups with families with children under 7, when there is a risk of unrealistic expectations of behaviour from the dog.

Dogs are animals, (extremely adaptable ones) you would not expect a Cat, lamb or pony or goat to understand property and ownership, but we expect dogs to have human comprehension and morals.

For a dog anything unattended is fair game, especially to a pup.

Children's toys will be viewed with extra interest as they will inevitably smell of the child and possibly food.  it's one reason dogs/pups are renowned for chewing up socks and used underwear

As I understood it from the original post, the pup is only let in with the little ones a few times a day and behind a baby gate in the kitchen, with company 7am-7pm. 
Yes, it would be far too much to expect of the pup otherwise, especially with children so young.

Edited to add:
This will take a long time training, as I said about my 10 month pup - it's ongoing and has setbacks, just like recall, and any other training, you have to persist in as kindly and consistently way as possible and, as Brainless said, avoid 'mistakes' by management.

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Lisa Stewart Phillips says: A sure fire way to teach kids how to be tidy is to get a puppy. Pups don't understand the concept of 'theirs' and 'mine'. If it is within reach it is fair game. My daughter ended up with a few limbless barbies when our lab was younger. She soon learned to keep things put away if she wasn't using them. We explained to her it was her fault and not the pup's if things got wrecked. Puppy outgrew chewing things but my floor is still clear of pink girly tat :)

We had a puppy in April and with kids aged 5 and 3 took the view that it was easier to segregate the children's toys from the dog. There is a baby gate on one downstairs room and a gate at the top of the stairs, so the children's toys are either upstairs or behind the gate downstairs.

Obviously there have been mishaps but as long as we've caught him in the act a firm 'leave it' has been sufficient to get him to part with the stolen goods.

Now our dog is coming up to 11 months he doesn't usually bother with kids' toys just left lying around,  but the children still prefer to have a dogless place to go and play with their plastic and fabric toys as he is inclined to 'join in' otherwise. Obviously they do like to play with him too, but using his toys not theirs.

Well Jacks must be genius level ..no puppy Ive ever owned would be able to resist kids toys and I for one wouldn't to be on their backs all the time.
My son was told "Lift it or lose it" from the moment he could understand.

Thanks for the helpful comments. I think perhaps my question has skewed by some and opinions as to whether children and puppies could ever be mixed have been made. I apologise if my original question and personal circumstances came across as a bit ambiguous. We really don't have any issues with her, and she is actually a dream puppy and such a delight. I am not expecting her to never touch my kid's toys, and we fully accept that if she gets to any then it is our fault. We monitor the situation carefully though, for the sake of both puppy and children. We have had children in one form or other for 13 years and dogs/puppies between us for the past 20 years.
We don't have unrealistic expectations, but I know that dogs can learn to distinguish between what they can play with and what they can't. Yes, maybe this will take several years, and that's not a problem if it does. My question was what is the most effective way of getting there... That was all.
We never have and never will leave any dog unsupervised with our children, and we would never leave a dog unsupervised with access to toys (or anything else 'off limits' like shoes, bins, books, anything not tied down...!) unless we knew they were safe (as our last dog was).
I'm not quite sure why I feel like I have to justify myself, but this puppy is here to stay forever. I just wanted helpful advice on the best way of showing her the right or wrong things to play with, other than what we are doing.
People are entitled to their opinions on whether a young family could ever be considered suitable to own a puppy, and I completely agree that some families really shouldn't add animals into the mix. However, please don't judge us the same way. We are professional, responsible people who want nothing more than a safe, happy family life for both children and puppy.

Anyway, I'm probably reading too much into some responses, so I apologise. It's been a bit of a stressful day at work so I'm probably a bit emotional...! And before you ask, no we don't both work full time mon-fri leaving the puppy to her own devices...

One thing that we found useful, and is still useful years later is the 'leave it' command.  Our children (now 16 -14, so much older than yours but we've always had dogs) had toys upstairs or in the lounge where the dogs aren't allowed.  They would also do the usual crafty activities on the kitchen table and were taught to be aware of the dogs and watch that they didn't leave things in reach.  There were always times things were accidentally dropped, nothing is foolproof!  As they were supervised when younger I could give a quick 'leave it' if I saw something drop, and as they have got older are able to do this for themselves now.  We currently have a pup of a similar age, and this is one of the first things that we have taught her.

Not everything is foolproof though.  We had a box for shoes at the ladder of the trampoline, and our children were well versed in the need to use this, however friends weren't quite as convinced.  We had a lot of explaining to do when a new Clarks shoe was chewed belonging to a friend of one of them, as they had failed to put it in the box as requested. 

Enjoy your pup, she'll be a great addition to the family.

> My question was what is the most effective way of getting there... That was all.

Swaps is the best method as then your not always telling pup off, but giving them permissible  alternative.

As for the replies stressing the need to segregate/supervise, they are not necessarily aimed at you personally, but the posts are red by many people searching an answer to a question who may not have yr7u level of experience or understanding of pups/dogs and appropriate socialising with children.

We all know that it is the dog and child that then pay the price, often the dog with it's life and child with possible injuries/unpleasant experiences.

We have all see the reports of terrible tragedies.

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Judith Atkinson says:  Yes, I agree, if toys are left around your pup will not identify them as not a dog toy anymore than she would identify that a remote control or a wallet is not a dog toy. Toys are really important and playing with your dog with special toys form an important part of the training regime, but equally you also need items that the puppy can chew safely. You could try using particularly exciting dog toys into the room with child toys and initiating play with those toys. If still house training bear in mind that vigorous play sessions may need a toilet break

I have always used the swap method. If a pup took something that I didn't want it to have I would always swap it with a toy it was allowed to have. Never chase the pup to get an object back as that turns it into a wonderful game and makes the object more desirable.

Have some toys always to hand that your pup is allowed to play with and make sure you and the pup have fun interacting with the toys so that the dog toys are soooo exciting to play with. If the pup takes something you don't wish it to have use the exciting, desirable dog toy and get the dog's attention with it and your pup should let go of the forbidden object and turn it's attention to the dog toy it is being offerred at which point you have a good game with the pup and the correct toy.

I introduce the word "leave" once the dog is readily letting go of the forbidden object - and then the leave command is associated with an action it is already doing and thus learns really quickly that the word leave is associated with that action - and a game with the correct toy is the reward. Eventually the word leave can then be used as a command to obtain the required reaction - because your dog will have learnt to associate the action with the word.

Thankfully my current dog wasn't overly interested in chewing or playing with items she shouldn't have and was content with her own toys. We don't have young children in the house, so there's been no oppourtunity for her to find other stuff lying around. One thing I did teach her which has been quite useful, is the names of a number of her toys. If she does have something she shouldn't, I can ask to go and get 'squeaky ball' or something and off she goes on a search for the squeaky ball which is probably hiding behind a curtain or something, and leaves the other thing alone.
She has, however, always been fascinated by my slippers, she doesn't chew them, just moves them usually from upstairs to downstairs. I've used this to my advantage rather then telling her off as she seems to just love moving my slippers about. If my slippers are upstairs when I come in, I ask her to go upstairs and get my slippers and off she trots, happy as Larry, to get them. Very handy as it saves me going up and down the stairs and she seems very happy to do it.
There's always a way round these things, or looking at problems from another direction.

George used to do that with slippers - nothing as useful as fetching them sadly, but he loved to take them out to the garden. He never chewed them, just liked to move them!

Its not just toys you need to watch....make sure all electrical wires or anything else electrical is completely out of reach or guarded, it would take only a few secs for sharp puppy teeth to go through to live wires.
Teaching an effective "No" at an early a stage as possible can be the lifeline to numerous dog hazards and human compatability.
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We keep the pups/dogs toys in their covered plastic storage boxes, they are clicker trained to take the lids off and to do 'tidy up' putting their toys away. Maybe if the boys had their own bigger different colour plastic storage boxes and reward train them to put toys away too!, the pup will soon learn with praise that the pup toy box  is say the blue one.(colour dogs see best) I would not use No as it is an 'also ran' household word that becomes over used with children around...Leave is ideal, we aim never to give the item we have asked them to Leave so they get the difference and it is important in poison training.