The holiday season is a time when many parents decide to surprise their children with a new puppy. While it’s wonderful to bring a new member into the family, the holidays are often not the best time to do so. Liz Gruen, owner and head trainer at Kamp Kanine…aside from some good cats, offers a few reasons why now 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 of visits, visits and, in some homes, general chaos! Puppies require a set schedule for feeding, walking, exercising, and sleeping. Since many of us are off-hours right now, it’s best to wait until after the holidays, when hours return to normal and your pup can easily adjust to his new surroundings.
2. There are too many security risks. Ribbons, tinsel, decorations, electrical wires, Christmas trees, and chocolate all pose a threat to your pup. With all the activities going on, sometimes it’s hard to pay attention to all the safety hazards your curious new pup could get into.
3. Picking up a new puppy should be a family decision. Your new puppy should be chosen by the entire family to ensure that he is compatible with your family. While you may have done some research on which breed is the best fit for your family, dogs, just like people, are individuals with unique personalities. It is better that this decision be a family decision.
4. Don’t be fooled by Christmas movie trends. Movies have a great influence on the choice of dog that a child wants. 101Dalmatians caused a surge in Dalmatian sales just as surely as the movie Hollywood Chihuahua will for Chihuahua sales. Dogs in movies are well trained which helps them look so cute on screen. New puppies are not house trained. Again, it’s about 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 caretakers of the family pet, but parents should discuss what responsibilities their children will have before choosing a pet.
Children need to 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 you even bring the pup home, consider signing your kids up for a training class, like Kidz & Kanines, a program offered at Kamp Kanine, so they can be ready as soon as their 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 dogs sold in pet stores usually come from the deplorable conditions of a puppy mill. And, if you want a purebred dog, be sure to research the breeder so you know for sure that they don’t get their dogs from puppy mills.