Christmas Puppy?! STOP & READ

STOP! THINK TWICE ! IS THIS NAUGHTY OR NICE?
GIFTING A PUPPY AS A CHRISTMAS PRESENT

Don’t give in to your childrens’ pleas and get them a pup for Christmas. Yes, they will probably be very excited to see a small pup on Christmas morning but let’s take a look first on what you as an adult before brining home a puppy for Christmas. This is a serious life-long commitment that shouldn’t be done on impulse. Giving a puppy at Christmas might be a joy but come January it will be a head-ache. Experts agree, that giving a pup for Christmas as a gift will often end up having the pup/dog paying an awful price.

Have you done all your research and had a Pre-Ownership Counsult with a Certified Professional Dog Trainer? Here are some things to consider:

1) Where does the pup come from? Many puppies that are bought at this time of year come from pet stores or were ordered on-line that come from people that breed for profit with no concern for health or welfare of the pups. They are supplied by Puppy Mills. If you get your pup from a breeder PLEASE DO YOUR RESEARCH!!!! Even registered “breeders/judges” can operate for profit. Check out their credentials and where they are raising their litter. Is it clean? Can you meet the parents? No reputable breeder would ever, ever consider placing their pups to a store or place then on-line. In fact, a reputable breeder and some shelters will refuse to place pups at any time during the lead up to Christmas. The importance of knowing the breeder, dogs, litter, facility is so that you can be prepared for a healthy pup. Getting a pup from a pet store or on-line you are more then likely to get a sick and at high risk of behavioral problems.Check out Dogtime’s Consumer Alert: Christmas Puppies and AKC Judge Accused of Hoarding

2) Have you considered the time of year it is? Puppies under 16 weeks of age poo and pee a lot. It’s cold outside and the days are short. It’s not the ideal time of year to be housetraining a puppy. Do you really want to be taking your pup out every ½ hour for potty breaks?

3) Did you figure out how much a DOG will cost you on a yearly basis? How much is the dog? Food for a year? Veterinary bills? Training classes? Dog supplies and equipment? Boarding? Grooming? Are you prepared to spend up to $7,000 in the first year? Do you know how long that type of dog will live for? The Cost of Owning a Dog



4) Do you know if the entire family would like to live with a dog? Maybe there are members of your family that are nervous/scared of dogs and/or allergic. Everyone in the family has to be on board with adding a new member.

5) The next thing to consider is lifestyle. Are you single and work long hours? Do you have a family with young children? Do you have a parent living with you? Are you active? Do you like to travel? Do you have allergies? Does someone in the family have health challenges? Do you have cultural considerations? Have you ever lived with a dog before? If so, were they indoor pets? These are just some of the questions to think about so that you can properly make an informed decision on breed type, sociability, coat type, and size of the dog you think might best match your lifestyle. Hiring a Certified Professional Dog Trainer for a Pre-Ownership Consult would be money well worth invested to help you determine what kind of dog would suite your needs.

Puppies require a lot of effort, patience, and dedication. They usually aren’t housetrained until about 6 months of age and you’ll need take some time off work to do some ‘alone time’ training to prevent any sort of separation distress or separation anxiety from starting. Puppies don’t stay puppies for long. They soon transition to adolescent / young adults that tend to have ‘selecting hearing’ and push boundaries. You MUST start with puppy classes as soon as you get the pup home. Check out DogTime’s Match Up

6) Who is the recipient of this gift? A child? A Grand-Parent? Realize that with children, that you will be the primary care taker. The excitement of getting a puppy will fade quickly and then the puppy will be ‘second news’. Elderly parents may be able to handle a active pup but some would no sooner be burdened with a pup than they would with a human baby. Puppy have very sharp teeth which don’t do well with children nor elderly people.

7) Are you prepared for shedding or drooling? Are you ready for chewing and digging? Are you ready for barking? Are you ready to take the dog on daily walks and to take it to a park to run? Dogs are dogs. This means realize that dogs do dog type of behaviors which are normal for them do to such as chewing, digging, barking, chasing, resource guarding, jumping up to greet…. Too many novice owners punish or hate ‘normal’ dog behaviors which makes for a frustrating and miserable home for both the humans and the dog.

Here are some suggestions on what do to instead:

1) You should try Fostering a dog first. This is a temporary arrangement where you get to take care of a dog in your home that is sponsored by the Shelter it comes from. This benefits the pup/dog in gaining experience in living in a home and it gives him/her a break from living in a shelter.
2) Volunteer at your local shelter
3) Donate blankets or old towels to a shelter, dog toys, cat toys, pooper scoopers/baggies, bleach, and/or new or used collars and leashes.
4) Donate money which allows shelters to buy supplies to take care of the animals
5) Maybe there’s a shelter Winter Ball you can attend where it would help them and benefit the animals
6) See if you can become a Trainer’s Assistance in a positive group dog class. See if there’s a Victoria Stilwell Positively Dog Training member in your area or try Truly Friendly Dog Training.

One last bit of advice. If you do decide to get a puppy please, please, please don’t get it from a Pet Store or off the Internet. Get the pup from a reputable breeder that has clean facilities and has done some of the prep-work with the pup to make sure it will be an easy transition of him/her to their new home. You should also consider gifting help from a Certified Professional Dog Trainer that uses positive training methods. The best option for this sort of gift would be to hire a CPDT for a Pre-Ownership Consult so that your family and pup get started off on the right “paw”.

Merry Christmas Everyone.