Is Santa leaving a new puppy for Christmas?
Are you thinking of giving a puppy this Christmas? A puppy can be a wonderful gift and presenting one at Christmas can be a memorable experience for you and your loved ones. However, it is important that you count the cost and determine if you can handle the new little bundle of joy and all of its many needs. Adopting a puppy is a lot like bringing home a new baby. From the start, a puppy will require constant training, constant supervision when young, limits, high-quality dog food, grooming, and frequent visits to the vet for vaccinations and check-ups. You may experience some sleepless nights as the puppy adjusts to her new home and living situation. There will be potty accidents as you take the puppy through potty training. That’s a pretty long list, and remember, you’re agreeing to take on all this extra responsibility at a very busy and confusing time of year.
Without proper planning, it’s easy to find yourself stressed and frustrated with a dog that has developed bad habits and negative behaviors due to too much wrong attention, lack of training time, and poor socialization. This is the main reason why so many dogs that start out as a cute little puppy under the Christmas tree end up as problem animals in shelters in the spring. However, a negative result is entirely preventable with a little education and planning ahead.
If after considering the options you feel you can take responsibility and would like to proceed with bringing the puppy home for Christmas, here are some tips to get you off to a good start. It won’t be easy, but if you put in the time and effort and put your plan into action, your vacation pup can be off to a great start.
Have essential supplies on hand before arrival.
Before your new canine bundle of joy arrives, make sure you’ve purchased the essential supplies you’ll need to keep him well-fed, contained, and safe. These supplies include a properly equipped plastic or wire dog crate with a good cover, high-quality dog pillows and beds, and cozy dog bedding. Nested or bolstered dog beds work especially well for new puppies, giving them the feeling of being close to their littermates or next to their mother. Have a variety of chew toys (nylon bones and pressed rawhides) and play toys (a ball, wind-up toys, and stuffed toys) for the puppy to play with. Have a food and water bowl ready, along with a properly fitting collar, leash, and sturdy pet gate.
Make sure you get the right breed
You may have a breed or type of dog that you’ve always wanted and imagined having as a part of your home, but before you go ahead with adoption or purchase, do your research and make sure you can handle the energy and traits of breed personality. and grooming needs. If you have children, make sure that particular breed is good with children. Some breeds are notoriously agile and agile with little ones.
Can you handle the investment of time and money?
Determine if you can afford the financial and time commitments involved in raising a dog. Annual expenses include good quality food, regular grooming, annual vet checkups and vaccinations, boarding, essential dog supplies, the right kind of dog pillows and beds, a quality dog crate, dog houses, toys, and more.
The puppy will need a primary caregiver to provide constant attention, training, and make sure its needs are met. Be honest and ask yourself if you can commit to being the primary caregiver once the novelty of having a puppy wears off.
Do you have the space to properly care for the dog?
Determine where the dog will live and sleep and if there is adequate space in your home to allow the dog to be part of your family. Dogs are social creatures and are happiest when they can live with us in our homes and be a close part of our family, sleeping at the end of the couch on their comfy pillows and dog beds instead of being chained up in the backyard, or worse still, that they are allowed to run in places that are not secured and where they can escape and injure themselves.
Have a plan for how you will handle the puppy when guests are around.
Keep in mind that the holidays are a busy time for families, and new puppies don’t feel comfortable being surrounded by too many strange people and noise. If you have guests over, you’ll want to have a plan for how you will manage your interactions with the new puppy. For example, it is very important to ensure that guests do not disturb the house with the puppy and allow bad behaviors, such as play biting, the dog biting hands, taking things from the puppy, etc. This is setting the stage for problem behavior that will only get worse over time. If you have the pup outside when guests are home, keep a close eye on them. Never leave the dog alone with children of any age and if you see the dog becoming wild or overstimulated, put the puppy away immediately. Too much attention at a young age can be detrimental to the dog and can lead to fear, aggression and misbehavior. Keep any interactions short (10-15 minutes at a time) for the first few weeks and always end them by putting the dog back in his crate.
Line up puppy training ASAP
Finally, last but not least, try to enroll your puppy in training classes as soon as possible. You don’t want to miss that initial training. It is much more difficult to retrain a dog that has already developed bad habits. You can also train the dog yourself if he has the right book, video, or other instruction, but make sure you can follow it and be consistent with the training if you plan to go this route.