Of all the viral holiday videos to make their way around the internet, there’s nothing quite as heartwarming (and adorable) as watching someone meet their brand-new puppy on Christmas morning. It’s easy to see why many families feel inspired to get this surprise present for their loved ones, but should you show up with a new furry friend during the holidays?
Getting a puppy for Christmas can seem like a special, even life-changing gift, but the cleaning and work accompanying them aren’t as cute. Many families — especially kids — aren’t prepared for the effort and expense of raising a dog, which unfortunately leads to pets being dropped off at shelters not long after the holidays.
If you’re considering gifting a puppy to your family this Christmas, do the research and consider pet parenthood’s obligations. Here’s what you’ll need to know.
Why getting a puppy for Christmas isn’t always smart
Although raising a dog can be a rewarding and joyful experience, it also requires work, patience, and responsibility. Is your family ready to take this on? Are you willing to pick up the slack if they prove they’re not?
According to the shelter staff at the Marion County Humane Society in West Virginia, shelter admissions tend to increase at the end of January every year. Unfortunately, many of these pets are Christmas gifts families weren’t ready to care for.
“People that got a new puppy or a new kitten, and they expect their young child to take care of them,” one shelter tech told WDTV. “Of course, if the kid doesn’t do it, the parent doesn’t want to take care of them, either.”
A lack of research is also a huge factor in unsuccessful pet adoptions. Not all dog breeds are easy to train or appropriate for certain lifestyles, so consulting an expert or doing some reading is vital before taking action. And remember — a cute, tiny puppy can still grow into a huge, rambunctious dog (depending on their breed), so you’ll need to be prepared.
It’s also important to consider where you’re adopting your new pup from because not all breeders are reliable. As awful as it is to acknowledge, some people sell sick and injured dogs for a quick buck. Needless to say, a dog with health concerns can be as loving of a companion as any other — after treatment, of course — but you have a right to be informed about the condition of your new friend, including information about the puppy’s parents and health history. Consider this one more reason not to support backyard breeders.
Shelters can help you get to know your pup before bringing him home, but rescued dogs will still need some extra time to adjust to their surroundings. The honeymoon phase may not be as happy-go-lucky as you expect, especially if there has been any past trauma for your pup. If this is the case, don’t be upset if your new dog isn’t matching the Holly Jolly spirit! It can take weeks, even months, before an adopted dog feels 100% at home.
What to consider before getting a puppy for Christmas
Identifying your expectations before bringing a furry friend home for the holidays is important. Who will feed the dog, and when? Who will walk them and clean up accidents? Can your partner, parents, or children take on these responsibilities? Just as importantly — can you?
Every pet deserves access to reliable healthcare, food, water, shelter, exercise, and love, so you must ensure your family can provide all these resources. This may include multiple mealtimes and walks per day, frequent restocking of food and supplies, and lots of training. It can be difficult to keep up if there’s no one at home all day or if the pet’s primary caregiver is a younger child, so this is certainly something to think through.
Do your research into the average price of dog food, vet visits, and any other costs of dog ownership to ensure your pet never has to go without care. Budgeting for a pet sitter, kennel service, groomer, and any other extra pet necessities is also important. They can add up to more than you think!
Most importantly, you and your family must be prepared with patience and an open mind. No two dogs are the same, even within the same breed, so it’s impossible to predict exactly what your new fur baby will behave like. It will take some time to get to know one another, no matter how old your pup is.
Fostering for the holidays
Whether you’re feeling confident or on the fence about a lifelong commitment, you may want to look into fostering a shelter dog for the holiday season. Not only is a foster home a life-changing gift for the dog, but it creates more room in shelters to save other dogs, too. You’ll get the chance to help a rescue dog decompress and gain confidence in a home environment, and you don’t need to make a decade-long commitment right away. Besides, ‘foster failing,’ or adopting your foster dog, is always an option!
To see if fostering is right for you, you’ll want to look up your local animal shelter. Many shelters and rescues provide foster information and applications online, but you can always call or visit with extra questions. Before you know it, you’ll have four more paws at home to help you ring in Christmas.
Alternatives to a Christmas puppy that require less work
Instead of purchasing or adopting a new four-legged friend as a Yuletide surprise, you can use the holiday season to help get your family used to having a pet around. To keep the element of surprise, you can announce to your family that you’re ready to get a puppy on Christmas morning. This way, they can have the holiday excitement while still being involved with the entire process.
For kids who still need some practice before caring for a dog, gifting a stuffed animal can be a great way to go. The plushie will symbolize the responsibilities and love to come while still providing the comfort and joy that animals give. Older kids may even be ready to take care of a pet with fewer needs, such as a pair of goldfish, though please do your research to ensure you can give any animal a happy life.
If you’ve concluded that you’re not ready to add four more paws to the family, animal lovers might appreciate a donation to a local animal shelter. You can even go shopping for dog toys, treats, blankets, and anything else shelter pets could use. A shelter dog’s Christmas gift could change so much for them!
Although some Christmas puppies end up surrendered to the shelter, many also end up as loving (and loved) lifelong companions. These success stories are often filled with patient and knowledgeable dog owners, though even the best pet parents encounter a few bumps in the road — that’s normal! Once you think through all these necessities, you’ll likely have a pretty good sense of whether getting a puppy for Christmas will be a smart idea for your home.
