No matter how cute they look, don’t be tempted to buy a pet for Christmas. Photo: Nynke van Holten.
Here’s a hard truth nobody ever wants to hear – the majority of people are not equipped to raise and train a puppy. Another one – buying pets at Christmas is rarely a good idea.
I’m used to being the grinch when it comes to most common pet ownership practices, so I’m okay with bearing the bad news. It’s only in recent years that we’ve even started to acknowledge the complexity of properly caring for a puppy, and the need to not only be prepared for a puppy’s basic needs (the right food and environment) but also their psychological needs as you raise them.
Unfortunately while awareness might be growing, it’s definitely not growing fast enough and we still see young dogs given up to shelters or rescues – or just becoming increasing difficult to handle in their homes – as a result of a lack of knowledge.
This is made worse when people buy pedigree or designer bred dogs that are completely unsuitable for their lifestyle. I’m always surprised when people in my own circles get a puppy, most often from breeders or Gumtree ads, and then spend the next several months bemoaning how hard it is.
My question is, what did you expect? You just took a baby animal from its only known home and its mother – that animal is going to be stressed and needy, and will require a lot of support to settle in.
And then, once it has, you have to manage its behaviour as it grows and learns about its own body, expels its energy, and discovers the world. It was never going to be easy.
And because you went out and chose an oodle or a German Shepherd or a Golden Retriever on the basis that you like their vibe without necessarily understanding their breed type and likely behaviours, you’re dealing with a bunch of things you had no idea were on the cards.
Now your dog has separation anxiety and is struggling with spending eight hours alone during the work day, shows aggression to other dogs when you walk them and destroys your furniture. Well these are all preventable behaviours, but only if you’ve committed to the right training from the beginning or invested in professional help.
If, on top of the lack of preparation, you decide to introduce your new pet as a Christmas gift, you’re in for a rough time. Puppies need stable and calm environments, especially in their first days in a new home. Being passed around like a toy and suffering the pats and attention of more people than usual is stressful.
The one good thing about introducing a puppy to the family during the holidays is having more time with you at home to settle them in – but that only works if you’ve done the necessary prep and are ready to focus on them during your time off.
My rescue dog Charlie is often complimented for his excellent behaviour (though he did get his paws on the Christmas turkey last year – we’re still trying to figure out how he did it). This is despite people arguing with me that rescues aren’t for everyone, and come with their own issues. Charlie is a perfect example of this not always being the case.
The great thing about getting a rescue dog is that our rescue organisations, especially in Canberra and the region, do an incredible job of getting to know the dogs in their care and matching them with families. You end up with a dog you know a lot about – their behaviours, preferences, medical history etc, and that means you can care for them equipped with that knowledge.
We have a kelpie living in a townhouse – and it works because we spent ages chatting to the rescue to understand Charlie, who had horrific hip dysplasia and was a less active dog. He has had surgery to fix his hips, and is very happy sleeping on the couch and going for his two long walks a day. Most kelpies would struggle with the small environment but we found one that needed a calmer lifestyle, that we have been able to provide.
People often argue that getting a puppy is a blank slate, so you can mold them to your family. That only works if you have a clue what you’re doing, and even then, if you haven’t bought from a reputable breeder, you may be inheriting issues as a result of the trauma of their first environment that you have no idea about.
This Christmas, please don’t put a puppy under the tree. And if it’s too late and the plan is already in motion, sign up for puppy school, do your breed research, and commit to raising your new little family member with the time and patience required.
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