What parent out there has never heard this endearing plea from a doe-eyed little child, possibly with real tears in their eyes? I would bet a huge percentage of us have. While I love my children and want to give them what they want for Christmas (or what ever specific Holiday you chose to celebrate at this time of 
year) it is also my job as a parent to make sure what they get is a responsible gift, and they are ready and able to take on the responsibility inherent in potential gifts.
year) it is also my job as a parent to make sure what they get is a responsible gift, and they are ready and able to take on the responsibility inherent in potential gifts.For the vast majority of children out there the answer to this question is simply, no. They like the idea of a puppy, but then the every day responsibility of feeding, grooming, walking, and of course the poop pick up. Generally once a child begin the tedious day to day they honeymoon quickly wears off. This then means there will either be fights with your child to feed the dog and walk the dog, or YOU mommy and daddy will become full-time dog owners. You will be walking the dogs before and/or after work, you will be feeding, and of course, let us not forget the post-feeding ritual that also involves a little clean up.
For those parents that DO have a child that is responsible and ready a few words of advice:
- As always and in all things, do your homework FIRST! Do NOT let your child fall in LOVE with a cute little puppy that is going to grow into a 120 pound monster that needs daily grooming and 3 miles of road work twice a day. Find out what dogs YOU as parents can live with, then sit them down and have a discussion about breed X, Y, and Z, and completely steering them away from the monster that sheds.
- Please, when the time does come, rescue an animal instead of buying a Pet Shop puppy (Puppy Mills are SATAN!) When you rescue an animal you save a life, pure and simple. There are thousands of rescue organizations out there and there are breed specific organizations as well. So no matter what kind of dog you decide on, there is one out there in a shelter ready for you to come get them.
- Learn all you can about crate training as this will be your best friend. The ability to have Hondo go to his 'den' and be happy to sit in there while we go out when he was young was invaluable. Your house will not be at risk of disaster, and your dog truly will be happier.
Every year right AFTER Christmas the shelters are flooded with puppies that were briefly loved, then became an unwanted nuisance and were dumped into some shelters lap, or worse. So in truth, if you really want to let your child have a dog, and really think it is a good idea, please do it AFTER the Holidays, and you will have your pick of a lot of young dogs, and you will be really helping a shelter. Give the gift of life to an unwanted dog, adopt one AFTER the Holidays!
Thanks for the timely article! Christmas and Easter are tough times for shelters... There are so many advantages of getting a rescue dog!
ReplyDeleteWith many rescue organizations, the dog in question is pre-screened for socialization by a professional, then FOSTERED to a loving family for a month or so before being offered for adoption. What this means is that not only are you getting a healthy and mentally stable pet, but because the animal has been living with foster parents for a little while, they can tell you things like if it gets along with other dogs, or cats, if it barks at men in hats, or is pre-house trained and other information that can help assure you are bringing the RIGHT animal companion home to join your family...
My friend CAT who works for the County asked me to pass this along:
ReplyDelete"The LA City shelters have GIFT CERTIFICATES so you can still give a pet, but it allows THEM to pick (ie. bond) it out. Also they can look for a new companion after the hustle, bustle and confusion settle down. The gift certificate can also ...be wrapped along with basic necessities like a food bowl, water bowl, collar, leash & toys so it is still a surprise!
remember, the animal you pick may be great for YOU, but maybe the person you are giving it to might prefer a different breed. or species."
Thanks Cat for a great tip I should have included!