It is the holiday season. You are baffled. What do you get for the kids? They have begged for years to have a puppy. You have visions of this cute wrinkled ball of fluff sleeping with the kids, frolicking in the yard, chasing errant toddlers. Maybe along the way, the kids learn a little responsibility. After all, it is their dog. You can assign them chores to walk the dog, perhaps pick up the poop in the back yard. The new puppy may even teach the kids about life and death. Wouldn’t it be great to have that beautiful family picture hung over the mantle with mom, dad, the children and the family dog looking majestic and royal. The perfect family Christmas card that will make you the envy of all your friends.
You are totally deluding yourself!!!
Do not get me wrong, owning a dog and having one as your companion is one of life’s greatest perks. Your dog will show you complete unconditional love. The exuberant greeting as you walk through the door, the late night head in your lap, the licks when you have a bad day, being able to bury your face in his fur…is all wonderful.
However, it comes with a price.
That puppy is going to go through a teething stage where anything and everything gets chewed on. Your walls, mouldings, new shoes can all fall victim. Sure, he will run after the kids in the yard but puppy teeth are sharp. The kids will quickly tire of little Fido chewing on them. When Fido grows, the children will be screaming at you because Fido is now knocking them over. All those chores you figure your kids would do because it is their dog…get real. The kids cannot make sure their room is clean. You really think they are going to walk the dog every single day? Remember, this has to be done rain, snow, sleet and hail. All those chores are going to fall to you. You are going to have to deal with potty training, teething, teaching your puppy manners, obedience, vet visits, dog walkers, daycare….the list goes on.
Your finances will take a hit. Puppy swallowed a sock and needs emergency vet surgery. Thousands of dollars later, puppy is brought home, your vacation savings are gone, puppy turns around and swallows a bunch of the kids legos…back to the vet! You want to have your friends over for a family get together but there is hair on all the furniture, the dog steals food unless it is nailed down, charges the door whenever guests come to the house, jumps on them as soon as they sit down….this dog is crazy, get real.
But, but…the family picture would be so cool.
Ask any photographer, they will tell you most of the pictures people get are quick snap shots in time. The dog is looking regally at the camera because the picture was taken in that split second where the ball in the photographer’s hand was able to capture the dog’s attention at the same time that all the kids were looking at the camera and nobody was screaming for the puppy to come back as it darted across the field doing it’s best impression of an overstimulated lunatic on a sugar rush. It is an artificial snap shot in time even if it looks very convincing.
What do I hear? You object. Your children are responsible. They are different than other kids. They are more mature, wiser, and can handle the responsibility.
Sorry, kids grow. As they do, their priorities change, they jump from interest to interest. What is important one day is not as important the next. The responsibility is still going to fall on your shoulders. It will be there regardless what your work schedule is. You will still need to walk your dog even if you just punched in a ten hour work day, the kids are waiting for their supper, homework needs to be done, Johnny has piano lessons to attend and Suzie has karate on the other side of town.
“But I don’t need to walk him every day, the big back yard will be a place where the dog can go and work off all his energy.”
That is a nice sentiment but try it yourself. Pick a week, you cannot go anywhere other than your house and backyard. See how you feel. Couple of things to keep in mind though; when you are in your backyard, you cannot really do anything other than run around. Anything that would come natural to you like tending the garden, mowing the lawn, doing the chores is out. Why? Because things that would come naturally to your dog like digging, eating the flowers, chewing on the fence, barking at people outside the fence…are all off limits to your dog. Imagine how stir crazy you would be after a month of that. That is the life you are committing to your dog.
Keep in mind too that Christmas is usually a crazy time of the year. Lots of people visiting. Many late nights. Puppies need stability. Christmas time is definitely a hectic time of the year for most families. Bringing home young puppy that needs to get on a set schedule is probably not the best idea. This is just one of the reasons why most reputable rescues refuse to adopt out animals over the holiday period.
So before you jump the gun and get Fido or Fifi, please consider all of that. Realistically look at yourself and your family. Think about where you will be in the next fifteen years. Consider your employment, your living situation, your finances, the time and commitment you have and will have. Factor all that in before you choose to bring a dog home. Social media is full of ads written by people just like yourself that elected to get a dog but now “can no longer give my dog what he needs due to change in circumstances”. I am sure these people were well meaning but most disasters start with good intentions. Do not make a rash decision because it is the holidays and you want the kids to have something really special under the tree. Take the time, consider the responsibility, and when you make your decision, think again. Do a trial run with a friend’s dog for a week. See how it fits. Talk to dog knowledgable people. Ask them what their days look like.
If you do all of this and still choose to bring a dog home, welcome to life with your dog. It will be challenging. It will be frustrating. It will mean some sleepless nights and some tiring days but if you are committed, the rewards are incredible.