I want a puppy for Christmas!

 ”I want a puppy for Christmas (or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or Solstice)!”  How many times has the average parent heard that request?

Unfortunately, the holidays aren’t usually a good time to introduce a puppy into a new home.  In fact, lots of responsible breeders won’t sell you a puppy during the holidays!

How come?

• Puppies need calm, quiet and a steady routine to help them settle into their new house.  The holidays tend to be filled with parties, late nights, house guests and lots of noise and bustle.  Fun, oh yes – but not for a little puppy who’s away from their littermates for the first time.
• House training a new puppy takes a lot of care and attention (and multiple trips through the night to make sure puppy doesn’t have an accident.  Do you want to add that extra stress into your busy schedule?
• Dogs are a commitment of ten, fifteen or sometimes even twenty years.  It’s a relationship that needs a lot of planning and preparation!

Your family has done their research, talked to a responsible breeder and is ready to bring a puppy into your home… after the holidays!  What are some options for something you can put under the tree?

• Buy a stuffed dog in the same breed as your new puppy.
• A nice collar and leash with a name tag.
• Photos of the puppy’s mother (dam) and father (sire).
• An age-appropriate book on dog and puppy care.

Take the time to introduce your new puppy into your family – and you can enjoy them next Christmas, and the next… and the next…

image: Stock.xchg