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Reasons You Should NOT Buy a Puppy This Christmas
While the urge to surprise a loved one with a bundle of fluffy joy during the holidays is understandable, you should hold off on that initial temptation. While a puppy symbolizes everything that is good and joyous about the holiday season, it really is not the best idea to give one as a present.
Here’s why:
Puppies go through several developmental stages before reaching adulthood. Their first stage is known as the fear/avoidance stage. During this stage, exposure to traumatic, stressful and scary situations can severely affect your pet. These events can be hard to overcome even with professional help. The anxiety and traumatic experiences can carry into your puppy’s adult life. Puppies need a nice, quiet introduction to their new surroundings and while Christmas Morning may be fun and joyful for many, it is one of the most chaotic events your puppy can imagine.
Additionally, your decision to adopt a puppy is a huge one. It will become a lifetime responsibility. It won’t end when the child becomes bored in February. You need to look at adoption of a pet as an addition to the family. Prepare and ensure all members are on board and that everyone bonds. You should research different breeds. Understand what personality temperaments they usually display. Set in place a plan for training the dog and get all family members schooled on just what goes into the raising of a puppy. Just because you may love the puppy does not mean he will find you to be his perfect match. So springing a puppy on someone isn’t always the best – all members involved should be a part of the process of selecting the pet. Everyone needs to be on the same page.
If you find that someone you love is truly looking to add a pet to their family and you want to give them this amazing gift, do so via a gift certificate. Pay a visit to the local shelter or rescue organization and pay the adoption fee ahead of time. Then allow the gift recipient to go and meet and greet on their own terms as well as in the dogs terms. After the hustle and bustle of the holiday season is over.
So, don’t be tempted by emotion and wow factor this holiday season. Make smart decisions when thinking about bringing home another family member. It’s huge and could have unfavorable long term consequences if not done the right way.
