This is why you DON'T get Dogs for Christmas.

As a young child, I had always wanted a puppy or a dog for Christmas. It was my literal dream. It would be on every wishlist, I would ask my parents every day, and it was in the back of my mind all the time.

Of course, that never happened. I ended up being so desperate for a pet that my family ended up settling on a fish. It wasn’t the same as a dog, but for the first week or so, kept me occupied.

Now, If you’ve ever owned a dog, you would know they’re not exactly a walk in the park. It takes a lot of time and effort to own a dog. People don’t seem to realize that dogs are, well, living beings. They need care and time. Often, dogs are impulse-bought from places for holidays, such as Valentines’ Day, Christmas, or even Easter or the recipient’s birthday.

So during the holiday season, a lot of dogs are returned because people just can’t care for them. If your child wants them, you should get them a video game or electronic device, not a living, breathing animal. That’s why I’ve gathered together a list of why you DON’T want to get a dog for Christmas.

1. Time

I’ve discussed this in my Puppy Blues post, but dogs take a lot of time. During the holiday season, this is time you will have, but after the first weeks and you go back to work or school, you won’t have that time anymore. So, either your puppy is rampaging through the house while you’re at work, or locked in the cage for eight hours a day (not counting bedtime after you come home) which is an obvious no-no.

If you’re going to get a dog, this has to be something agreed upon by every member of the family. It could take weeks to prepare for such a big decision. After all, dogs can live for the past 10 years. It can’t be a “surprise”– everyone needs to help and have hands on board.

Dogs need food, water, proper exercise, and socialization (I will probably be doing a “pandemic puppy” post later on), training/housebreaking, but in general, time. Lots of time. Time you may not always have.

2. Preparedness

If you’re gifting a puppy to someone for Christmas, chances are you want it to be a surprise. But if you’re getting a dog, it can’t be just a random decision you make. This is a very important choice you’re making, so your house must be prepared for it. When I took care of a puppy, she would eat everything: sofa, house plants, curtains, rocks, chunks of bricks, cigarette butts, woodchips, sticks, leaves, and even rabbit and deer poop. I can’t say your dog will be the same, but it’s always best to be prepared in case your dog chews a cable, but you can’t be if nobody knows about your surprise.

Dogs need food bowls, food, a dog tag, a dog collar, a dog leash, a harness or gentle leader for walks, a crate/cage, a hairbrush, a bed, bags for walks, toys, yearly veterinary visits, and much, much more. You may also need to move your garbage can so they don’t eat out of it, or other things may be moved or moved on a high shelf. My dog figured out how to open doors, and I’ve seen videos where dogs climb on counters and open ovens, microwaves, drawers, and cabinets. You need to be prepared! This cannot happen if you’re keeping it a surprise. Most people underestimate the planning and preparation you need to do to own a dog.

3. Money

Dogs are expensive! Replacing things that have been chewed or broken is costly. Food needs to be bought consistently. What if your dog chews up their bed and toys? Most cheap crates are upwards of fifty dollars, and the luxury ones can go up to $500. And we’re not even talking about the veterinary visits or medication! Parasites and vaccines can be expensive. You or your recipient may not be prepared for this huge expense you will have to put aside for your furry friend. No matter how much we love our dogs, we can all confidently say that we’ve all had to splurge a little bit for Fido. This is a major reason why people return dogs. They’re not prepared for all the money they need to spend on the dog. It adds up to a lot of money, and you may be surprised with how much it ends up being.

4. Attention Span

Most of the time, when you’re getting a dog for Christmas, it’s for your child–but I recommend you do not do this. If you know anything about kids, they are not responsible at all, and no, they will not “walk and feed the dog every day.” After a week or so, they will probably lose attention and forget about the dog, and your dog will just become a nuisance around the house without any training or walks. We all know kids have low attention spans, so I recommend you just give them the ps5 or iPad they want, but animals are not a good idea.

5. Not interested

The person you are buying a dog for may prefer something else. This is a big reason why dogs are returned during Christmastime. The receiver may not want a dog in the first place! They might hate dogs and you don’t even know it.

In conclusion, I think it's pretty clear that dogs are not for Christmas. They are live animals that need constant care and will be with you for at least 12+ years. This isn't a spontaneous decision you can automatically make. It has to be all hands on board for this type of thing. And that's why animal shelters are full for New Years.

What should my next post be on?

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• 0%Debunking Pit Bull Myths
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