Christmas Puppies
Christmas is probably the most beloved and celebrated holiday of the year. A great time for feasting, gift giving, joy and family gatherings. However, it may not be the optimal time to add a puppy to your family.
I strongly advise against giving a puppy as a gift to an adult without letting the receiving party be part of the selection and decision process. I also discourage giving a puppy to children if you expect they will diligently care for it after the novelty has worn off. As with any other time of year, the addition of a furry family member takes work, love, patience and time. (on a side note, I have given many puppies to my husband as gifts, that he happily surrendered back to me after one week... but that was the plan all along ... just saying)
If you have decided to add a puppy to your family during the holiday season, I have some suggestions that will help make a smooth transition. If you are going to do a lot of visiting with family and friends at your home or theirs, I would wrap a picture of the puppy in a box for gifting and pick the puppy up when your home has resumed a normal environment. It should be planned in advance with your breeder when the pick up day will be if it is significantly past the 8 week "go home" date. I would take a surveillance of the environment for electric cords, decorations, toys and other hazards. Just like a human baby, puppies put everything in their mouth. No matter how you encourage the cooperation of extended family... Uncle Joe or Grandma Bev won't be able to resist the temptation of feeding them some treats from the dinner table which at the very least can cause diarrhea but can cause much more serious reactions. Additionally with multiple people comes multiple germs, noise, smells and excitement. All of these factors cause stress even in an adult dog, but a puppy in a new environment can get off to a very difficult start.
Now if you are homebodies like us, that will share a quiet meal with the kids then the scenario is quite different and you will be able to give your puppy the welcome home and attention they deserve right from the start
I strongly advise against giving a puppy as a gift to an adult without letting the receiving party be part of the selection and decision process. I also discourage giving a puppy to children if you expect they will diligently care for it after the novelty has worn off. As with any other time of year, the addition of a furry family member takes work, love, patience and time. (on a side note, I have given many puppies to my husband as gifts, that he happily surrendered back to me after one week... but that was the plan all along ... just saying)
If you have decided to add a puppy to your family during the holiday season, I have some suggestions that will help make a smooth transition. If you are going to do a lot of visiting with family and friends at your home or theirs, I would wrap a picture of the puppy in a box for gifting and pick the puppy up when your home has resumed a normal environment. It should be planned in advance with your breeder when the pick up day will be if it is significantly past the 8 week "go home" date. I would take a surveillance of the environment for electric cords, decorations, toys and other hazards. Just like a human baby, puppies put everything in their mouth. No matter how you encourage the cooperation of extended family... Uncle Joe or Grandma Bev won't be able to resist the temptation of feeding them some treats from the dinner table which at the very least can cause diarrhea but can cause much more serious reactions. Additionally with multiple people comes multiple germs, noise, smells and excitement. All of these factors cause stress even in an adult dog, but a puppy in a new environment can get off to a very difficult start.
Now if you are homebodies like us, that will share a quiet meal with the kids then the scenario is quite different and you will be able to give your puppy the welcome home and attention they deserve right from the start