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.

He is absolutely gorgeous - I met him on Saturday. Jessica is one of the oldies (she's 9) and she's just come in, but I understand is a lovely dog

I am keeping a keen eye on EGLR (I live in Herefordshire) so it is on my 'local' rescues list. I am not quite ready for a dog YET as the grief is still too raw from losing my beloved dog. After Christmas seems like a good time to start looking (I can offer rural walks/runs and a comfy sofa )

I agree that no one should ever get a puppy just because it's xmas or that the choice should in any way be determined by what puppies are available at the right time. However for some people it is a good time. My dh office shuts for at least a full two weeks over xmas and combined with my leave of the period it is often the time that we have the longest stretch of is being off. Although xmas itself is busy it's generally doing family things that we could easily have adapted to include a pup. I would find a pup arriving during the summer holidays much more difficult (other then toilet training) as we are far more likely to be out and about and doing things.

I didn't get either of our dogs at xmas and would never have got one for xmas as such, but had the right pup from the right breeder come along at that time, it would actually have been a good time for us.

Ok. In the interests of full disclosure it was an ELGR event!
I'm so sorry for your loss.
A comfy sofa and lovely walks. Sounds like pointy heaven!

Alas, there will still be dogs waiting to inhabit your sofa then Ollie.

Number yep, scumtree is usually the favoured. Or dogs are dumped. We have seen far too many tied to trees out of the way. Or handed in to pounds as strays. Or as above, people take their perfectly healthy dog to the vet for the needle.

I've fostered for the last five years, christmas has been the worst time. This will be the first christmas without a furry 😔

My mum got my brother a dog for Christmas one year. It was actually a happy story (for us) as she had to leave her family (poorly owner) so I spent time with her and walked her/got to know her before hand. Then she slept in my room Christmas eve and surprised my brother Christmas day.

It was all very lovely but I appreciate it could have been very different, we had, had a dog previously and knew rehoming this one would be fine.

Makes me very sad how many people get dogs without truly understanding the work and commitment.

It's the same old story with other animals too; rabbits or chicks at Easter. I remember there was a spate of people buying owls after the Harry Potter movies. People are idiots & sadly see animals as disposable. I know people that get pets like they get shoes; i'd love to make them spend a day at a pound being there when the poor souls are PTS purely because their time is up 😔

Yep, we've had a number of the pre-Christmas oldie 'throw away ready for new puppies' in in the last week or so, fecking barstards who treat a 16 year old dog like that!!

Disgusting isn't it 😔 People need shooting

Also I did some work voluntarily in a animal sanctuary and many owners did not have time or dogs were brought in purely because the dogs were bought as presents to children/teens or other adults and they couldn’t be bothered caring for them.
It is a disgrace the way parents buy their young ones pets and then they end up in homes
I mean I was bought pets like a hamster when I was a youngster but always made sure food water was in cage and it was clean I also regularly exercised and handled my hamster and took great care of her but No one should buy any pet just to please their child for Christmas as many become bored and then who is expected to look after the pet?

We have a rule in my house. The only pets that we take on are pets that I will happily take control of. We don't even have fish because i just cannot stand the thought of cleaning them out!! My five year old isn't going to do it 😂

I have puppies that will be eight weeks old on Christmas Day. I couldn't believe it when I looked at the calendar and calculated the dates. One is going to experienced owners of the breed who compete in dog sports, one is staying here, and the other is going to a family who have been waiting two years for a puppy from me and have already cancelled their holiday to be around after Christmas, I'll probably let him go to them about the 30th.

A few years ago I had a knobhead ring me and demand a female puppy, with perfect markings, exactly eight weeks of age on Christmas Day, oh and I would need to deliver (two hours away) as it was going to be a surprise for his three year old. He got quite the mouthful from me, but I had to laugh because here I am three years later with puppies that will be 8 weeks on Christmas Day. Anyone who gets a puppy from me generally waits at least 2-3 years, so emailing me in November and wanting a Christmas puppy is never going to happen anyway.

We are getting a puppy just before Christmas, but only because our older dog has died unexpectedly and we want our DD, now at uni, to have some proper bonding time with the new pup. Otherwise I might have been tempted to wait for a few more weeks. It won't be a case of what has been reported in the media, though. I do know that the breeder is keeping a couple of the pups for new owners, until after Christmas, so that it is less manic in the home. Ours will be a family Christmas present.

Midnite you sound like a really decent breeder. It's nice to see people actually give a damn about the animals they bring into this world