by Steven Koch

Created on: February 03, 2010

Its Christmas morning; your children can’t wait to see the tree with all the presents laid out underneath it. In the center of the pile there is a large wrapped box and there is a noise coming from inside. You get the camera ready as your children are set to rip off the paper and reveal its living contents. Inside they see for the first time a tiny puppy that just can’t wait to be set free. Your children squeal with delight. The pictures you take are magic and will forever remind everyone of your children’s joy when they saw that puppy for the first time. It is a perfect Christmas moment.

And that is all it is: a moment. Once you have brought your puppy into your house, you have made a commitment to care for that puppy for the rest of its life. In a way it’s like having a baby. After three months you can’t say “I’ve had enough, let’s bring it back to the store”. At least you shouldn’t be able to. Unfortunately returns are made – and sometimes other options that are even worse are chosen.

People who have never had a puppy before or adults who only remember the good times they had with their dog when they were growing up are unaware or don’t remember all the difficulties that are associated with the commitment of owning a pet. It is more than just feeding Fido everyday and taking him out for a walk.

The first surprise is when you begin to find little puddles on the floor and little piles on the carpet. Puppies, like babies will go to the bathroom whenever they feel like it but unlike a baby, puppies don’t wear diapers.  The next surprise is when you take your pet to the vet for the first time. You can’t believe that this will cost you a couple of hundred dollars for a checkup and some shots and then you learn that have to come back again for more of the same.

A puppy will also demand a lot of attention; you can’t just put a puppy into the closet when you get tired of playing with it. When you leave the house, you can’t let the puppy stay loose, unless you don’t mind seeing papers ripped apart, shoes chewed on and little presents all over the floor when you return. Do you like to go away for extended vacations? Not all places take dogs so what do you do with him when you are going away? And then there is the hair. If you don’t like dog hair all over your clothes well that’s too bad, that too comes with the territory when owning a dog.

The other thing about puppies is that they grow. How can something that began so small grow so fast? If you live in an apartment, you will wonder what you were thinking six months after purchasing that German shepherd puppy.  

Dogs make wonderful pets. They can bring you a lot of joy. Each one is unique, with a distinct personality. Anyone who owns a dog will tell you they become a big part of the family. That being said, buying a puppy as a Christmas present for the “perfect Christmas moment” is a mistake. That is an emotional decision and the decision to own a puppy or a dog is not one that should be emotional. Too many times thinking goes no farther than – won’t the kids love opening this present at Christmas. Yes they will, but they will also expect to make a lifetime of memories for many Christmases to come.

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