Giving a Dog or Puppy as a Christmas Gift
By: Tippy & Alfred
Giving a dog or puppy for Christmas is never a good idea unless
the recipient is fully aware of what pet they are getting and
how to take care of it. Often parents will give their child
the gift of a puppy only to take the animal to a shelter
within a few weeks or months because they didn't realize how
much work it would take to care for the dog. In fact many
animal shelters dread the Christmas season because of this
problem.
Animals are not toys. Any animal kept in captivity requires
a good amount of care, training and time, and dogs in
particular, as pack animals that have been bred to bond with
humans, have emotional needs as well as physical needs that
must be met if the animal is to remain healthy. And unless
the recipient of the gift is fully aware of how much care,
training and time they will have to put into the puppy you
intend to give them they often will not appreciate the gift
and the puppy will not get the care it needs and may end up
at a shelter not that long after Christmas.
Sometimes also people will give the gift of a puppy to their
boyfriend or girlfriend and when the couple breaks up the
puppy is sometimes fought over or abandoned, depending on
the couple. In either case, ultimately it is the puppy that
suffers.
It is better to think of animals as similar to babies that
you will have to take care of than as a toy or gift. You
will have to clean up after them, spend time with them, and
train them. If people would look at animals in this way they
wouldn't give a puppy as a Christmas gift. And if parents
really want to give a puppy to their child as a gift, they
should first be willing to take full responsibility for the
puppy should their offspring fail in taking care of it.
Never give a puppy to someone who isn't aware that is what
they are getting for Christmas. No one I know wants an
anonymous gift to which they will have to dedicate ten years
of their lives and to which they will need to provide daily
care. Essentially, animals are not items to be gifted and
should not be treated as such. Puppies are a responsibility.
They are companions that will care for you if you care for
them. They will be loyal to you for all of their lives and
give you their love and adoration.
So when you want to give the gift of an animal for Christmas
first notify the person and see if they want it. If they do
want it, then determine whether they can take care of it,
and if they can't care for it, commit yourself to taking
care of the animal. If you don't or can't do these things
don't give a puppy as a Christmas gift. It isn't fair to
you, the recipient or the puppy.
All About Christmas
