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Holiday puppies may not be the best gifts! (Photo credit: Getty Images)
If you’re thinking of gifting someone a puppy for Christmas or taking one home with your family, you can use traditional gifts instead. Your bundle of joy can turn into a holy terror if you’re not prepared.
By the time summer comes, those puppies might be in a shelter.
In a memorable summer for a Samoyed rescue in Minnesota, three dogs arrived, one after the other, all 18 months old. The white, fuzzy dogs were typical mischievous adolescents—although a little more unruly than most.
“None of the dogs had been to obedience class,” said Julie Dunkle, one of the founders of the rescue group.
“None of the owners had studied the breed before purchasing the puppies which would have informed them in that regard samoyed was not a good choice for their families, or at least explained why the dog was behaving the way she did and what to do about it.”
The kicker: They were all called Angel and they had all started as Christmas gifts for the kids.
Why Christmas Puppies Can Give Disastrous Gifts
(Photo Credit: Jose Azel/Getty Images)
Although the three angels found a happy ending – they were all in good homes at the end of September – they were part of a phenomenon that drives rescue groups, shelters and trainers crazy: the Christmas puppy.
Parents imagine a cute stubby-legged puppy under the tree and a Christmas morning their kids will never forget. But fast forward that tender scene two or three months, and the perfect moment often fades into a shot of gnawed shoes and stained carpets, fringed with deep regret.
That’s when dog trainer Nicole Wilde‘s phone starts to ring. “When the puppy is three or four months old, she’ll jump up, bite the kids, dirty the house, and keep the parents up at night,” says Wilde, author and owner of Gentle guide dog training in Santa Clarita, California.
If the puppy is lucky, the new puppy parents turn to trainers like Wilde. Less fortunate pups are relegated to the yard, basement, or even a shelter. Whatever the outcome, the root of the problem is usually the same: pet parents who are inadequately prepared and informed.
“Parents are so focused on how excited the kids are going to be,” Wilde says, “they don’t look beyond what happens when that excitement wears off.”
Improve your chances of a happy homecoming
(Photo credit: Anchiy/Getty Images)
Still, it’s not always a bad idea to bring a dog home for the holidays.
In fact, for some families, it’s an ideal time to get a new pet, says Jan McHugh Smith, former president of the San Francisco SPCA. “The kids have a few weeks of vacation and mom and dad are off work,” she says. “You have time to help the pet acclimate to her new home.”
But the key to making a Christmas puppy a successful gift is to do your research beforehand. Many potential adopters are completely unprepared for the hard work of raising a puppy. So the first step is to know what you’re getting into.
Watch our video to make sure you’re ready: Are you ready to adopt a dog?
Another important step is evaluating different breeds — and breeding mixes — to get an idea of which type of dog would best suit your personality and lifestyle. To take MatchUp from DogTime quiz to find out.
Remember, you can find almost any breed through a shelter or rescue. You can even check out DogTime’s adoption page that allows you to search for adoptable dogs by breed and zip code.
As Wilde points out, your puppy won’t just be with you on Christmas Day; they will be with you for the rest of their lives. So give yourself time to make a wise choice, even if it means missing the December 25th deadline.
Have you ever gotten a puppy for Christmas? Were you prepared, or would you rather have had a different present? Let us know in the comments below!
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