The Christmas season is a time when many parents decide to surprise their children with a new puppy. While it is wonderful to bring a new member to the family, the holidays are not usually the best time to do so. Liz Gruen, owner and head trainer of Kamp Kanine … besides some good cats, offers a few reasons why this is not the best time to bring home a new puppy.
1. The holidays are too hectic. Puppies need time to adjust to their new home. The holidays are a time to visit, guests to come, and for some homes, widespread chaos! Puppies require a set schedule for feeding, walking, exercising, and sleeping. Since many of us are after hours right now, it is best to wait until after the holidays when the schedules return to normal and your pup can easily acclimate to his new surroundings.
2. There are too many safety hazards. Ribbons, tinsel, ornaments, electrical wires, Christmas trees, and chocolate all pose a threat to your pup. With all the activities going on, it is sometimes difficult to pay attention to all the safety hazards your curious new pup could get into.
3. Choosing a new puppy should be a family decision. Your new puppy should be chosen by the whole family to make sure he is compatible with your family. While you may have researched which breed is best suited to your family, dogs, just like people, are individuals with unique personalities. It is best if this decision is a family decision.
4. Don’t be fooled by holiday movie trends. Movies have a great influence on the choice of dog that a child wants. 101Dálmatas brought an increase in Dalmatian sales as surely as the Hollywood movie Chihuahua will do for Chihuahua sales. The dogs in the movies are well trained, which helps them look so cute on screen. The new puppies are not trained. Again, it’s a matter of understanding the breed and choosing the dog together before bringing one home.
5. Training must begin immediately. With so much going on, there probably won’t be enough time to start a consistent training program with your new puppy and training should start sooner rather than later. Most of the time, parents end up being the primary caregivers of the family pet, but parents should analyze the responsibilities their children will have before choosing a pet.
Children should know how to feed, exercise, handle, care for, and train their new puppy. The joys of having a pet in the family are many, but a well-trained dog brings even more happiness. Before even bringing the puppy home, consider enrolling your children in a training class, such as Kidz & Kanines, a program offered at Kamp Kanine, so they can be ready as soon as your new dog arrives.
If you’re sure you’re ready to add a pet to your family, be sure to check with your local animal shelter first.
Many wonderful dogs stay there and most just require proper training to make them a loving addition to your family. Also know that most of the dogs sold in pet stores generally come from the deplorable conditions of a puppy mill. And, if you want a purebred dog, be sure to research the breeder to know for sure that they don’t get their dogs from puppy mills.
