On 12/3/01 there was a debate on a dog list I am on.
I wrote an editorial of sorts. I was asked to put it on my site, so here
it is...
No Christmas Puppies Here
The health and welfare of "MY" puppies (and as long as they are in my home,
they are MY puppies) is my greatest concern. Only I will determine where
they go and why.
Do I send puppies home for two weeks before to two weeks after Christmas?
NO.
Why? It is an unsafe time of year for many reasons.
Impulse buying.
Household chaos
Unusual dangers.
Many, not all, buyers during the holidays are impulse buyers. The kids
want a puppy, so they start looking. It is seldom a well thought out, well
*talked* out decision.
Households are busy during the holidays. WAY too busy. Puppies add to that
chaos. It is a bad mix. Puppies in stress = puppies in distress = potentially
sick puppies. Families are stressed. A puppy adds to the stress. Another
bad mix.
Tinsel, garland, and ribbon are really interesting to a puppy. Tinsel,
garland, and ribbon can easily be swallowed and cause a bowel obstruction.
Mix that with family chaos on Christmas morning, a puppy eating these items
may not be noticed.
Ask breeders who have been at this for any length of time if they know
of a puppy chewing Christmas tree wires and burning their mouths badly.
Yes, I have. Ask me if I know of a puppy that went home to hang itself in
Christmas tree lights? Yes, I do. How much chocolate (poison to a dog) is
hanging around on low tables during the holidays. How much See's candy is
under the tree? Lots of it. I don't want my baby Labrador sick, injured
or dead from those accidents waiting to happen. Can they happen at other
times of the year? Of course. However, the holidays have more dangerous things
all in one place at one time than any other time of the year.
So, what have we done? We give the family a list of "puppy things" to give
to the children. "Santa" has called children and explained why their elf's
had to deliver a puppy old enough to go home a couple of weeks before Christmas
(It's too cold for a little puppy on a sleigh at night). The written instructions
to the child in the special letter from "Santa" tells the child that more
is to come for the puppy, but during the busy hustle and bustle of the days
around Christmas, the puppy is to be kept in the special "puppy room" that
Mommy and Daddy have made ahead of time. It's safer for the puppy. Because
the 'new' of the puppy will have worn off in two weeks, it is easy to keep
the puppy in a more controlled environment, and the puppy has had time to
settle in.
"Santa" has called on Christmas Eve and Christmas day, and mysteriously
known the name of a puppy that a child wants, and explains to a child that
he or she needs to put up a stocking for "Max" the puppy, who will be delivered
by a helper after Christmas, because the puppy was too young. Santa promises
to bring lots of important things for the puppy, to include a picture, and
pedigree. Santa has delivered certificates on Christmas morning with a picture
of a pregnant mamma dog, with the promise of the child getting to experience
the joy of seeing their newborn puppy grow in the weeks following Christmas.
There are many "work-arounds" that a breeder can do to make a family happy
and do the right thing for a puppy. And I can tell you that "Santa" has
kept many wonderful letters from children who were so happy with their late
Christmas puppy, that came home after the tree came down, after the house
settled down, to a home ready with everything a puppy could ever need, and
the smiling face and waiting arms of a child who has put down all of the
other Christmas toys, and is ready to give all of their attention to their
new friend. Some of the parents swear that after that Christmas Eve phone
call from Santa, the kid will believe in him until the age of 40 or so.
Dian Welle
Permission to reprint granted if author and http is provided
Blue Knight Labradors
www.blueknightlabs.com
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