The Christmas Puppy-Why you shouldn't get one.

[fireworksinjuly]

http://www.slate.com/id/2132035/?GT1=7428
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Christmas morning. Jimmy and Susie rush down the stairs in their pj's and shriek with delight. Santa has finally yielded to their incessant requests: A sweet, wriggling puppy is waiting for them beneath the tree, adorable in his big red bow. It's love at first sight. The puppy slurps the kids' faces then curls up on their laps. The children beam. The camcorder rolls.

This could be a mess.

Even if your kids don't pester you all year for a dog, which they probably did, TV ad campaigns and treacly movies will make sure you can picture how lovely it would be to bring a puppy home for the holidays. Don't succumb.

Why is a Christmas dog a mistake?

First, because no animal should be a surprise. The arrival of a dog changes a household considerably—for years. Someone has to take responsibility for their daily needs—feeding, exercise, health care, grooming. The decision should be thought about, talked about, negotiated. A new dog, not necessarily a puppy, either, should be the result of a process, not an impulse.

Kids can be unreliable; kids change. The puppy melts their hearts for a few days or weeks. But then it needs to be walked every day (in the rain). It needs careful attention to its feeding and eliminating if it's going to be housebroken effectively. It needs to be taught not to jump on Grandma. The kids oohing and aahing under the tree will soon move on to IMing and texting their friends. Few children outside of 4-H programs and Future Farmers of America want to be tied down to conscientious animal care, and their parents are often no more enthusiastic. Reality will soon supersede the Christmas morning fantasy.

The bigger problem with the Christmas pup is that good dogs are usually unavailable for holiday giving. Hardly any ethical dog provider will support the idea of a dog as a surprise present. Good breeders have carefully constructed breeding programs that are rarely tied to the idea of seasonal gifts, unless arrangements have been made with people they know well far in advance. Breeders don't want their dogs to end up in households where nobody understands the work involved in raising them. Experienced rescue group volunteers and shelter workers hate the whole idea of the Christmas dog because they know many of those dogs will be coming back to them.

The dogs that are readily available at Christmas are the kind you probably don't want. Puppy mills grind out thousands of puppies to meet holiday demand. They're the dogs you find in pet stores and malls—cute as puppies but often inbred, poorly socialized, and more prone to genetic health problems like allergies or bad hips or to behavioral difficulties like compulsive barking or chewing.

For Christmas, get the kid an Xbox 360, or an iPod. They'll love it and use it. You don't have to clean up after it, and if they lose interest, you won't have to walk it in the middle of a snowstorm.

If you and your family really want a dog, choose it carefully, and take your time. Get one from a reputable breeder, an experienced rescue group, or an established animal shelter. Ask lots of questions about the dog; expect the breeder or staff to ask you a lot, too. If they don't, be wary. A store clerk or amateur breeder who simply hands you a dog in exchange for your credit card is not your friend. Experienced dog people know the dogs they sell and the people they are selling them to. And don't worry if the dog comes to you in April instead of on Christmas morning. It will be just as adorable without the tree and the bow.


Related in Slate
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Jon Katz outlines which dog breeds pose a biting threat. He delves into the world of obedience training here. The pet expert weighs the term dog "owner" against the newfangled, more politically correct dog "guardian" here. He writes about dog owners who love too much here and explores the emotional lives of dogs in another story.

Jon Katz is the author of Katz on Dogs: A Commonsense Guide to Choosing, Training, and Living with Dogs. He can be reached at jdkat3@aol.com.

[Tiffany0204]

Great article!

It's so sad, I see SO MANY ads right now advertising how pups are ready to go "Just in time for christmas". Poor little things. I hope more people read the articles and put some more thought into it and wait.

[TribalRats]

I purposely try to not have any litters this time of year.
I really would rather not have to take a pup back six months from now because people didn't realize they actually have to take care of the dog ALL year, not just Christmas morning.

[crazy_puppy]

Urgh, the idea behind Cristmas puppies SICKEN'S me.
People need to realize that dogs are not items you can buy and throw away when you dont need or want them anymore....they are living creatures that feel,pee,poo,eat and love like the rest of us...
I dont want to turn this into a rant so I'll leave it at that.

Great article.

[Crossfire Bulldogs]

Every year around this time my email just shoots through the roof with people asking about puppies and how so and so wants a puppy for Christmas or how great it would be to surprise little Johnny Christmas morning with a new puppy.

I usually avoid winter litters but do have a litter currently. I never have and never will consider placing a puppy from November on through January. Too many people looking for pups for all the wrong reasons.

[BellFounder]

Thanks for posting that. I wholeheartedly agree, the only time I would ever give a dog for christmas would be to my husband and only if we had discussed it first and decided a new dog was definately what we wanted (or needed in the case of the working dogs) and only if we could find a good puppy from a good breeder who we knew and trusted.

[AlaskanKristen]

Excellent article! I think that if you're determined to get a Christmas dog, do some research and talk to a bunch of responsible breeders. Then maybe give your kids or whoever the puppy's papers for Christmas, and then take time to prepare for the dog and get it later. I personally believe that not very many kids are ready to take complete control over the dogs. The parents shouldn't expect it from younger children, and should take care of the dog and maybe do shifts for the kids (one kid walks the dog one day, then feeds it the next day, etc.). Then as the kid gets older and, hopefully, more responsible, more and more dog-care can be left up to them.

[PawNclaws]

That was a great artical.

I see SO MANY ads right now advertising how pups are ready to go "Just in time for christmas"

Same here- I counted 3 that said the puppies were ready to go Dec. 24th. How odd is that, that 3 litters in the same state will be ready to go the very same day- odds are high. I think some lie about age during the season as well, they say 6 week old pups are 8 weeks or 5 week old pups are 8 weeks. It is sad, the pets section last sun. was 3 colums long and usualy its only 1 colume long. I'll be reading a lot "free to go home" ads after the Christmas puppy starts to grow, chew, eliminat in the house, jump on the babie, destory the house, and get into the trash- that will be a sad time for shelters around here - every where for that fact. I've also seen ads saying " wanted cute puppy fro X-mas" or "puppy wanted as X-mas gift for kids"- some people have no common sence that puppies grow into dogs that need daily care and just cant be tosses aside.

Oh while on this topic(kinda), how does one ask the news paper to run warnings about free to go home ads or selling for christmas(buying too) ? All ads cost money, money I wont have since we will be getting into full gear come spring. I alread said I would help my parents- we have to re-do the back yard(re seed), still have to finish our puppy play ground, then we are going to prepare for our new puppies arrivale(bed, carrier, vet check, etc) lots to do- so little time lol) I just want a warning posted in the local papers that its Not ok to give a pet away nor is Christmas a good reason to buy/sell a puppy/dog/cat/rabbit/eany animal - do I just write them and ask or do I have to pay for the ad/warning ?

[shaerenae]

Ok, I agree, even though Rus and I might be an exception to this rule...LOL We have gotten each one of our dogs (granted, we show ours AND they are pets) around Christmas time. That seems to be when we have the most time to work with a new puppy through the crate training and housebreaking, and when we're around the house the most. Rus has the luxury of being able to come home for an hour every day at lunch, too, so a new puppy only has to be in a crate for up to 4 hours max at a time. So far, this has worked out wonderfully for us, BUT, we also don't have any small children, and our dogs ARE our children. We know our responsibility when we purchase or adopt a dog, so there are exceptions to the rule. Our dogs all sleep with us at night, travel with us where ever we go, and we go to shows about twice a month, and all of them (well, there's only 3) go with us, whether they are showing or not. I couldn't bear to leave any of them behind!

Merry Christmas, all!

[TribalRats]

My husband bought me one of our dogs as a Christmas present...in July. However this is not the usually "Johnny wants a puppy" situation. We are adults who have discussed how many dogs and our future plans...all of that and this was a dog I had wanted if she had ever come up for sale.
As everyone knows we show our dogs as well but more then they they are our pets and while conformation and breeding play a big part in our selection of a new furry family member there personality plays the BIGGEST part. I mean after all these poor dogs are stuck with US for like the next 15 years we would like for them to be happy the match!
I would NEVER buy a dog for my KID and expect for them to take care of it and all that good stuff. Charlie our pound puppy who is now over 10 years old was adopted by us about 2 weeks before Christmas and was a "Christmas gift" to my then 6 year old daughter however I had no delusions about poopy scooping and potty training. She was SIX for heavens sakes. After all I have enjoyed Charlie every bit as much as she has. He slept in my bed for 4 years then he decided he loved her more and has not left her bed since. In fact now she is the one who poopy scoops and assists in training as well as shows the Rats. Then again she will be 12 in two weeks so she is not a "little" girl anymore. She also receive 1/2 of the price of a pup when a litter is sold for all of her hard work with the dogs throughout the year and when a litter is on the ground.
Umm sorry about that I seem to have gotten off track....

[brandysmama]

My local Humane Society had a suggestion for those who were intent on getting "Christmas puppies." (BTW, they wouldn't let anyone adopt from November through January.)

If you want to surprise a child with a puppy for Christmas, put some sort of gift certificate under the tree that says "Good for one puppy." Then go to a reputable breeder or animal shelter AFTER the holidays and pick one out together. By then, some of the excitement may have died down, and you can tell whether or not it's something that's a good fit for your family.

[TribalRats]

I should add that I had taken Cass (my daughter) over to the shelter where she met Charlie and a few other dogs we were there to "play" with. I then put a hold on Charlie after he and Cass had some time to play.

[Spike]

Shelters around here close during the holidays, and most of the pets go to foster homes for that time, gives them some love and attention and time away from the shelter. I looked into that, but my schedule just wouldn't work. I have a hockey tournament and would be gone for 3 days. I'm not dumping the dog on someone else, not fair to me, the person or the dog.

My puppy is my Christmas gift, but I'm 20. I've been asking for one for about 2 years now. I take care of him, 2am, -30, he's my responsibility. I got him November 22nd, so he wasn't exactly a Christmas puppy.