Growing Good Dogs

GIVING A PET FOR CHRISTMAS? DON'T DO IT!

Think of all the times you’ve received a gift you didn’t want or like. Now, imagine that the unwelcome gift is a pet -- a living, breathing creature who needs care, feeding and constant attention. Now what!? The choices are few: either the recipient returns the pet or reluctantly keeps her.

Because dogs are my specialty, I’ll discuss them specifically. Here are some reasons this is more of a problem than a simple inconvenience.

If the dog is returned:

The dog now has a history of being returned and is harder to re-home.
The dog was away from the adopting agency or breeder when potential adopters were looking and may have missed an opportunity for a good home.
If this puppy was between the ages of 7 and 16 weeks, part of her critical socialization period was missed or worse, damaged because the recipient probably didn’t want to spend any extra time with her.
Finally, and most importantly, this emotionally complex animal has just experienced rejection, and the stress of changing “homes” several times.

If the (unwanted) dog stays:

If the dog is a gift for a child, think about how long it takes a child to tire of her toys. (A dog is not a toy!)
Who will take care of the dog when the child loses interest?
Chances are pretty good that the recipient won’t bond well with this dog, because he wasn’t part of the selection.
The dog may not be the right match for the person; too active, too sedentary, too big, too much grooming required, etc.
The recipient may not have enough time to spend with the dog which would likely lead to problem behaviors.
Puppies require a LOT of work to raise them properly. You must:

Socialize extensively between 7 and 16 weeks of age
Housetrain
Crate-train
Train them for manners
Exercise them sufficiently
Teach them what they can and cannot chew on
Teach them to enjoy grooming
Give them adequate veterinary care

Adding a pet to one’s family is like adopting a child. This is a personal, time- and research-intensive choice made by an individual or family (everyone should be involved in choosing just the right dog or puppy for the family).

If you want to get something special for that pet-loving person in your life, here are some suggestions for giving:

Gift Certificates. Most shelters and probably breeders have gift certificates for their animals

Your loved one can pick out his own pet.

Felted Wool Husky from AmberRose Creations

The pets available during holidays may not be the right ones for your recipient.

Pet portrait. If the recipient recently lost a pet, check out the many excellent artists on-line (e.g. PerlillaPets) who produce beautiful reproductions from photographs in many price ranges
Felted wool pets. Amazingly realistic, just about any animal or breed you can think of can be reproduced in felted wool. (e.g. (AmberRoseCreations)
Life-like toys for children