Getting a dog for Christmas

[TheHodgeoftheHedge]

Just wanted to post this in case it opens anyone's eyes.

news.sky.com/story/thousands-of-puppies-smuggled-into-the-uk-for-christmas-rush-11125675

And while we're on the topic of dogs and Christmas, any breeder who lets you take home a puppy at Christmas is NOT A GOOD BREEDER. Christmas, for most people, is a busy, chaotic time. It is not a good time to bring a puppy into the mix.

Please remember that a dog is for life, not just for Christmas.

You beat me to it, I was going to post about the same thing!

Having puppies that are ready for their new homes during the Christmas period isn’t necessarily indicative that a breeder is dodgy (they have no control over when their bitch’s seasons are after all) however I would absolutely agree that no good breeder will let a puppy go to a busy family home just in time for Christmas Day. A decent breeder who does happen to have a litter near Christmas will offer to keep them on until things have quietened down.

I would also add that a good breeder will want to meet the whole family (including children) before selling someone a puppy and certainly wouldn’t allow a puppy to go as a complete surprise for someone they’ve never met.

Great minds @CornflakeHomunculus ! And yes, you've phrased it far better than me!

I was talking to a chap at the park this weekend who was wrangling a (very bouncy and appealing) young dog that they'd bought for Christmas last year. It had arrived on Christmas Eve, gone down almost immediately with some gastric disorder and spent a week at the vet's on a drip.

I admit, I judged.

Absolutely!

Dogs should never be a surprise to anyone in the household, and for the majority of people, christmas is the very worst time to introduce a puppy

So glad someone has posted this. The pre-christmas chuck out has started early this year, people booting out their old dogs ready to get a cute puppy. Then in January comes the post-christmas kick out because said puppies chew/mouth/pee everywhere.

I hate people

Yes agree dogs are for life and dogs also require a lot of care and training throughout their life. Breeders should not sell to persons over the Christmas period as again its chaotic and it is more likely a gift for someone.

I have two dogs, both rescues. Our second dog was collected by us from his foster home 2 days before Christmas. He had a lovely relaxing Christmas with us. He was not a christmas present, he just happened to come in to rescue in December. No responsible rescue would allow a dog to be bought as a Christmas present if they weren't certain of the owner's intentions and experience in looking after dogs. Definitely not a good idea to get a puppy at Christmas around very young excitable children.

I agree Monty, ddog1 came to us from his foster home a few days before christmas, but we were doing nothing and have a very quiet life - plus his foster mums were going away and their dogs were going elsewhere so he would have had a lot of disruption.

And now we foster ourselves, and last year one went on Dec 22nd - but to someone where it was just her and her adult daughter. They'd been waiting for a long time for a cat friendly pointy, so the timing was coincidental

Who knows what will happen this year - or which puppy will be with us! One certainty is that the rescue is full to bursting right now

I ended up fostering one chap just before Christmas once. He was a 2 year old black lab type and the family had decided to get new sofas for Christmas and he dumped him as he no longer matched the furniture. Seriously.

I can't believe that people still think puppies are a good idea. Where do the ones that don't end up in a home end up?

Kennels or dead sadly

I am guessing that they are sold via the pet ad websites mustbemad17?

Thank God. I clicked on this expecting some idiot getting their kids a puppy as a Christmas surprise.
We brought our girl home at the start of December. It was a hard few weeks. Introducing her to the existing animal and human family just before Christmas would have been almost unbearably hard.

I had heard an ex-vet say that just before Christmas they tend to see an increase in dogs put to sleep and not for 'good reasons' such as a poor quality of life which is totally the right reason. I guess it's the same for adding to rescues.

I did get a puppy close to Xmas (end of November) but that was a blessing as it meant I was able to spend more time at home settling him in and we have no children and don't do much for Xmas so it's just another day. However, thinking that lots of dogs get booted out to make way for the new makes me so sad

when I saw the title of your thread I screamed in my mind; ffs, you don’t buy dogs for Christmas. Thanks for this thread, finally someone said it. I hope it gets where it should.

There’s never a quiet time in rescue, but the pre Christmas dumping of dogs is exceptionally busy. It’s then followed by the July- August dog dumping by people who can’t be arsed to sort out dog care before they go on holiday. :(

Oh and when I spoke to the dog trainer about booking our puppy in I made a comment about Christmas puppies. He said no they won't be training early in the new year. It'll be some months before it all goes wrong and they decide to start considering training (or dumping) the dog.

I got one of my dogs as a Christmas Present.
I did choose him and he came from a reputable breeder. We picked him up on 27th AFTER we took the tree down. Needless to say he is a healthy happy chap and still wanted 5 years later.

A black lab that didn’t match the furniture

Just basically cunts I want to jump up and down on their testicles until they’re pate

The giant breed that um grew too large and was returned to breeder.
Fuckwits. You met the parents. Did you not realise the baby would bloody grow?!?!

Puppies that chew.
No shit Sherlock.

The teen dog that's being a bastard.
Welcome to being the owner of a teen dog. (Might've been a BIT better if you had done any actual you know um training!)

so sad that people STILL get a puppy (cute of course) for Christmas
the pet selling sites are full of puppies of all types and designs.

It makes me so cross.
As I am tentatively looking to get another 'lurch' (or other pointie hound) to fill the dog shaped hole in my life I will see if any lovely hounds end up in rescue or for sale in the months after Christmas. I am specifically looking for an older dog so I am hoping there is one 'unwanted' who would welcome a comfy bed and a loving home

Ollie there’s a ten week old lurcher for sale on pets4homes where the owner says their daughter is allergic. Looks like a lovely dog.

I’m willing not to judge, they might have made a dreadful mistake. I’m more concerned at how cheap the dog is - £145

Ollie I don't know where you are in the country but I met some gorgeous pointy hounds at a recent charity event.

Ollie, we have a rescue full of pointies, and the older dogs are especially hard to rehome. EGLR does their best, but Ricky (who is only 2) hasn't even had a phone call of interest since he came in in July. And Maddie and Jess have been over a year now

Ricky looks lovely - what a gorgeous dog