Each year Christmas brings an even bigger strain on rescues and pounds from the stream of unwanted dogs and puppies bought as gifts. It also doesn’t stop there, puppy farmers breed in excess to meet demand and dump any unsold puppies at vets, pounds and roadsides so they’re not left with excess ‘stock’ costing them money and older dogs are abandoned or surrendered to ‘make room’ for the Christmas puppy. These are not exaggerated stories but the reality of the Christmas pup.
We hear the same advice given time after time each year about the warnings of not giving dogs as Christmas gifts. The idea of a puppy under the tree is a lovely one but the reality is dogs cannot be impulsive gifts and the festive season is the worst possible time for a dog to join the family. This is mostly down to how busy households get over Christmas, excess visitors, excitable children, the impossibility of keeping to a routine and meeting all the needs of a new puppy and getting off on the wrong foot with your new addition. The reality is more standing in the middle of a cold winter night while waiting for the “gift” to do her business and trying to sleep during an exhausting Christmas with an overwhelemed puppy unable to settle crying into the early mornings.
Dogs are life time commitments and deserve to be considered over a long thought process. Have a look at some local pounds and rescues’ websites and think about maybe fostering first. Fostering is a great intermediate step, and the holiday might be a good time to explore this possibility. By taking in a foster dog, not only will everyone discover the day-to-day responsibilities of pet care, it will make a big difference in the life of the dog you choose to foster and the rescue that you choose to Foster from will have some relief of pressure.
Treat a case of puppy fever with some prep work, talk to everyone you can, a reputable dog trainer or behaviourist about what you can do to prep, the best way to source a dog, breed specific research and ask all the questions you can think of. Also speak to local rescues and shelters in your area about how to source a dog correctly, volunteering to look after or walk the dogs for a day over the holidays or talk to a reputable vet practice in your area in your area about preparing for a new dog and health care plans and costs that may come with different breeds and breed types.
Build a foundation for success. If you want to give something to unwrap, fill a basket with a leash, collar, bowls, toys, treats, a gift certificate for a training class or vet care and a positive training book or voucher for training and advice sessions with a local dog trainer. After the Christmas season is over and life settles down, check out your local shelter and rescue groups, or do the research required to find a reputable breeder. Whatever you do, don’t buy that puppy advertised online; a lot of puppies that are advertised for sale at Christmas are likely to have come from a puppy mill.
It’s also in first time dog owners’ best interests to consider an adult dog from rescue. Puppies are cute, but they’re also a lot of work. Many adult dogs are housebroken and have all sorts of good behavior skills learned already. They are also fully developed physically so you know what you’re getting with size, type of coat and personality. The most important thing to note is that you will find all kinds of breeds and ages in rescues and pounds needing someone to give them a second chance.
Getting a dog is one situation in which the best surprise is no surprise at all.
