Christmas is a joyful season, and you probably can’t wait to shower your loved ones with presents. However, a puppy or any live pet is not an appropriate gift for Christmas, unless the recipient is truly ready for a dog. The problem with giving pets as a gift is that the recipient often doesn’t expect them. While they may be excited initially, they are not prepared for the commitment required to care for the new pet. Giving someone a puppy who’s not expecting one can backfire quickly.
Puppies Require Commitment
Puppies are adorable. But even the people who purposefully adopt a puppy for themselves can be surprised with how much work they are. They can be troublesome, because they’re still teething when they’re young. They’re also very playful and have a lot to learn. This includes things like toilet training and teaching them not to chew on shoes.
Taking care of a puppy properly requires a lot of time. If the recipient has a full-time job, there must be someone to let the dog out during the day. The owner also needs to spend some time during the day to encourage the dog to engage in physical activity. That includes throwing balls or frisbees or taking them for a long walk.
Having a puppy also costs money. Puppies usually need to be spayed or neutered when they’re old enough. They may destroy some items of value, which can get costly. The owner may also need to pay for dog training classes to teach the dog how to walk on a leash, sit, come when they’re called, and perform other tricks.
Children Need Help
Many people end up buying a puppy for a child, because that child loves dogs so much. However, you have to understand that raising a dog is a job for an adult. Children can help, but an adult must bear the responsibility and the costs of keeping the dog. And what happens when the child tires of the pet?
Grandparents may be more likely to purchase a puppy or kitten for their grandchild. After all, these furry creatures are probably the best Christmas present a child may ever get. And while the puppy will eventually make a great pet for the child if trained right, a puppy is rarely a good companion for a young child.
Giving a puppy to a small child requires constant supervision. For example, a puppy may nip the child when it’s being playful. A child may pull the dog’s tail and risk getting bitten in turn. You should never leave a puppy alone with young children, because harm could come to either or both. Neither the puppy nor the child knows how to interact properly with each other without causing harm. Additionally, the child can’t read the puppy’s subtle cues that it’s feeling overwhelmed.
You Won’t Pick the Right Pet
Even if the new dog owners are delighted to have this new dog and willing to care for them, you may have made a mistake in getting them a puppy for Christmas. It could be the wrong breed. For example, a family in the suburbs may enjoy taking a little dog for a walk each day, but they’re not prepared to ride their bikes for miles to meet the physical activity requirements of a hunting dog. The puppy may also not have the disposition. Maybe the dog doesn’t like cats or is bred to chase them, but the new dog owner already has several cats in their home.
Shelters Are Full of Adoptable Dogs
Christmas is a happy time for humans, but a few weeks afterwards, the shelters will be full of unwanted pets that were given as presents. The problem is that these dogs are not off to a great start in living together with humans peacefully. When you give someone a puppy, they probably have no idea how to care for it. By the time that dog ends up in the shelter, because it wouldn’t stop chewing up everything or urinating inside the house, it will be difficult to un-train these bad habits. On top of that, it’s emotionally difficult for the puppy, who doesn’t understand why it’s being rehomed.
If you really want to give someone a dog, you can help them adopt one, which allows the new dog owner to pick the characteristics they’re looking for in a pet. You may even have them do it after the holiday stress is over, because that’s easier on the new dog.
Puppies Require Commitment
Puppies are adorable. But even the people who purposefully adopt a puppy for themselves can be surprised with how much work they are. They can be troublesome, because they’re still teething when they’re young. They’re also very playful and have a lot to learn. This includes things like toilet training and teaching them not to chew on shoes.
Taking care of a puppy properly requires a lot of time. If the recipient has a full-time job, there must be someone to let the dog out during the day. The owner also needs to spend some time during the day to encourage the dog to engage in physical activity. That includes throwing balls or frisbees or taking them for a long walk.
Having a puppy also costs money. Puppies usually need to be spayed or neutered when they’re old enough. They may destroy some items of value, which can get costly. The owner may also need to pay for dog training classes to teach the dog how to walk on a leash, sit, come when they’re called, and perform other tricks.
Children Need Help
Many people end up buying a puppy for a child, because that child loves dogs so much. However, you have to understand that raising a dog is a job for an adult. Children can help, but an adult must bear the responsibility and the costs of keeping the dog. And what happens when the child tires of the pet?
Grandparents may be more likely to purchase a puppy or kitten for their grandchild. After all, these furry creatures are probably the best Christmas present a child may ever get. And while the puppy will eventually make a great pet for the child if trained right, a puppy is rarely a good companion for a young child.
Giving a puppy to a small child requires constant supervision. For example, a puppy may nip the child when it’s being playful. A child may pull the dog’s tail and risk getting bitten in turn. You should never leave a puppy alone with young children, because harm could come to either or both. Neither the puppy nor the child knows how to interact properly with each other without causing harm. Additionally, the child can’t read the puppy’s subtle cues that it’s feeling overwhelmed.
You Won’t Pick the Right Pet
Even if the new dog owners are delighted to have this new dog and willing to care for them, you may have made a mistake in getting them a puppy for Christmas. It could be the wrong breed. For example, a family in the suburbs may enjoy taking a little dog for a walk each day, but they’re not prepared to ride their bikes for miles to meet the physical activity requirements of a hunting dog. The puppy may also not have the disposition. Maybe the dog doesn’t like cats or is bred to chase them, but the new dog owner already has several cats in their home.
Shelters Are Full of Adoptable Dogs
Christmas is a happy time for humans, but a few weeks afterwards, the shelters will be full of unwanted pets that were given as presents. The problem is that these dogs are not off to a great start in living together with humans peacefully. When you give someone a puppy, they probably have no idea how to care for it. By the time that dog ends up in the shelter, because it wouldn’t stop chewing up everything or urinating inside the house, it will be difficult to un-train these bad habits. On top of that, it’s emotionally difficult for the puppy, who doesn’t understand why it’s being rehomed.
If you really want to give someone a dog, you can help them adopt one, which allows the new dog owner to pick the characteristics they’re looking for in a pet. You may even have them do it after the holiday stress is over, because that’s easier on the new dog.
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