Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To want to buy Ds a puppy for Christmas?

57 replies

minifingers · 08/12/2013 15:05

He is 10. He is caring and loving towards our 9 year old Labrador bitch who we got when he was 1 (who could do with a bit of doggy company herself), and would enjoy taking it to training sessions and walking it. I am at home all day and have a dog to walk anyway, so it's not a massive extra burden.

But where do you get puppies from if you want to avoid the whole puppy farming nastiness? I'd prefer a terrier type cross - nothing too big and strong as Ds isn't big himself. Don't want an older dog as would feel obliged to get one from a rescue and I worry about their background (have an 8 year old who can't be entirely trusted to be completely sensible around dogs all the time).

Is a dog for Christmas REALLY such a bad idea for a dog loving child/family?

OP posts:
squoosh · 08/12/2013 15:08

Not a bad idea if you're genuinely committed to looking after the dog for 15 years to come, which it seems you are.

Here's some info on how to avoid farmed puppies.

www.pupaid.org/puppy-farming/what-can-i-do-to-ensure-i-dont-buy-from-a-puppy-farm.html

purplebaubles · 08/12/2013 15:09

Yes, because it sends the message that it's a 'present'

A dog is for life. It's a commitment. You should get him a normal present for Christmas. If you want to get a dog, great. But get one at another time of the year after consideration and research.

BohemianGirl · 08/12/2013 15:09

Does he want a dog? does he want the responsibility of looking after it?

If you want a puppy, then buy one for yourself.

Personally, I think its a bad idea. Responsible dog owners research their breeders and wait for the right pup to come along.

D0oinMeCleanin · 08/12/2013 15:10

YABVU, animals are not gifts, they are sentient beings, not to mention that 2 weeks before x-mas they only place you will get a puppy from would be a puppy farm.

Santa doesn't do livestock and I prefer my kids to have cruelty free presents.

minsmum · 08/12/2013 15:13

If you wait till Feb you will find a lot of the puppies given as Christmas presents in rescue. It's not a good idea for lots of reasons

squoosh · 08/12/2013 15:14

The OP has specifically said she won't be getting a farmed puppy.

D0oinMeCleanin · 08/12/2013 15:17

She will be if she gets one before x-mas. No responsible breeder in the whole entire world breeds right before x-mas, nor do they ever have puppies ready to go in 2 weeks.

OP will be buying from a puppy farmer or BYB if she gets a pup for x-mas, those will be her only options. Even rescues do not home dogs this close to x-mas unless the re-homing process was started months ago.

tracypenisbeaker · 08/12/2013 15:17

I'd wait it out until after christmas to be honest. Dogs are not 'presents.' If you don't feel the same excitement about getting a dog just because it is no longer the festive period then you know that your reasons for getting one were all wrong.

Also, if you know from experience that your eight year old can't be trusted around dogs, maybe you shouldn't make the situation worse by getting another? Maybe try to fix that situation first?

SoupDragon · 08/12/2013 15:18

I thin kit's a bad idea at Christmas, yes.

It sounds like the dog isn't for him though - your post is about what you would like!

LambinsideaDuckinsideaTrout · 08/12/2013 15:18

Can't you get a dog from a rescue shelter? Take your son, he'll learn a valuable lesson visiting a shelter.

JumpingJackSprat · 08/12/2013 15:18

I would buy him dog collar and stuff for the puppy for Christmas then a few weeks after get the dog. I'd get a rescue or a young dog if you want a crossbreed. The only reason to buy a pup from a breeder imo is if you want a specific breed. I'd also start training the younger child now to be considerate of the puppy and that when it goes to its safe place ie. Bed or crate they are not to bother it. Bad idea to get a puppy in the middle of the Christmas frenzy is to much for a puppy to absorb. You want to give it the best possible start so bringing into a house full of over excited children at Christmas is a bad bad idea.

heidihole · 08/12/2013 15:19

you will find a lot of puppies in rescues Jan/Feb which may be a better idea? You get your puppy AND helping the rescue?

whereisshe · 08/12/2013 15:24

I agree with the posters saying an animal shouldn't be a gift. Not necessarily because he wouldn't look after it or lose interest in it since by your description that's not likely to be a problem, rather because of the connotations. A dog becomes part of the family - it feels wrong to start that as a present (ie in the same category as other gifts), it should be a more significant one-off selection process. Anyway, pragmatically you'll struggle to find the right puppy so quickly - it took months for us to find our dog.

kitsmummy · 08/12/2013 15:25

Yes give him the collar and a "voucher" for a puppy or similar, the knowledge that he is soon getting a puppy will be nearly as exciting as getting one on Xmas day.

Ps Many Tears always have loads of rescue puppies, thomas is a terrier cross looking for a home, perhaps an early Xmas present?

SoupDragon · 08/12/2013 15:26

I think a pet should be a family pet, not a present for a child who probably doesn't want to sign up for 15 years of dog ownership.

Bowlersarm · 08/12/2013 15:26

You sound as though it isn't on a whim, as you already have an older dog.

I don't think it is a great to be feeding the puppy breeding frenzy surrounding puppies being Christmas presents, but how about for his next birthday present?

I wouldn't though.

One negative I can think of; what happens if your resident labrador doesn't take to having another dog in the house? Or if they don't get on once the puppy is older? If a puppy is specifically your sons dog, it might cause huge distress if his dog has to be rehomed. It would be much easier to just buy a puppy at a time you are all ready, for the whole family, not just in a rush for Christmas.

Original poster
minifingers · 08/12/2013 15:26

I don't think it matters whether he sees is as a 'present' or not, as long as the dog is loved and well cared for, which it will be.

I do take on board the points about getting a puppy in time for Christmas, though surely puppy rescue places are looking for homes for their animals all the time? Obviously with breeders it's different.

OP posts:
Madratlady · 08/12/2013 15:29

Could you buy him a book on training a puppy and some things he'd need for it, with the promise of going to a rescue centre in a month or so after the Christmas period is over?

HedgehogsRevenge · 08/12/2013 15:29

As mentioned upthread no decent breeder/seller will sell a puppy in December. It's a very bad idea getting a dog at Christmas, too much excitement going on. Please wait until January. The other obvious question to consider is can you afford another dog? Do you plan on purchasing pet insurance? Remember in a few years your children will lose interest as they gain independence.

bochead · 08/12/2013 15:30

Dogs trust do a very good family matching service. They foster dogs in family environments - the only way to truly assess how an animal will behave in a family home as kennels are a strange unnatural
environment. It's well worth waiting to get the RIGHT animal. However a good book dog training and an invitation to visit a rescue in the new year suits your concept.

We got a yearlng when DS was 4 - old enough for her character to be clear (DS has SN) and from a foster home so had been fully assessed. She wouldn't suit every home, but for us she's been perfect. (We used lurcher link). It took 6 months and she was the 4th dog we viewed but the rescue was as keen as we were for a good match. I was a bit paranoid as my previous dog lived till he was 18 - that's a long time if you make the wrong selection!

Original poster
minifingers · 08/12/2013 15:34

Re: younger child - he isn't cruel and doesn't 'tamper' with dogs, but he has ASD and is less tuned in to them. I'm always watchful with him around my mothers rescue dogs.

Am thinking about whether it would work with my lab. She is regularly exposed to other dogs in the home environment - my family all own dogs and bring them round and she is well socialised. But that's no guarantee I know.

OP posts:
FatherHankTree · 08/12/2013 15:35

If your DS is fully committed to looking after a dog, then look around RPSCA or Dogs' Trust, with a view to getting a puppy/young dog in early January.

We have a Patterdale cross: she's fantastic with kids and DD has been fine with her. Dogs' Trust assess dogs' suitability for living with children, but be aware that the rescue places don't really know the behavioural history of the dog.

BrownSauceSandwich · 08/12/2013 15:35

Please, please don't.

It's two weeks till Christmas. There is no way in the world you can choose an appropriate breed (as a terrier owner, I can promise you, not all terriers are suitable for all families!!!) and then an appropriate and responsible breeder, who just happens to have puppies ready, and who'd be willing to hand one over to a complete stranger as a Christmas present for a child.

I feel really strongly that a dog should be a commitment on the part of the whole family. And getting the breed right is critical. What I suggest is that you do some homework, meet some owners of the breed. The kennel club runs a brilliant event twice a year, once in November at earls court, once in march at crafts (Birmingham), called discover dogs. You can meet dogs of every breed, talk to their owners honestly about whether you can give the dog what it needs, and get some good advice about how to find a puppy, or a rescue dog if thats what you want. Get tickets for the whole family for Christmas, with the understanding that you'll all make a decision together to get a puppy at your leisure next year.

Monetbyhimself · 08/12/2013 15:42

Some reputable animal rescue centres refuse to rehome animals in the lead up to Christmas to avoid thr issue of puppies for life, not just for....Wait til the end if January- rescues are full of unwanted puppies and dogs by then

Original poster
minifingers · 08/12/2013 15:44

Hedgehogs - we couldn't afford NOT to get pet insurance. after having had to fork out 8K on surgery for our at the time uninsured Labrador we have learned our lesson about this

OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread