The stockings were hung by the chimney with care ... (photo courtesy of Gentle Shepherd Farms)

There’s nothing cuter than the image of a fluffy little puppy under the Christmas tree, big red bow tied around is neck, surrounded by brightly wrapped packages, just waiting for your children to pad downstairs in the their little jammies as they cry out with delight. Oooh! Aaaah!! A puppy!

That, my friends, is one dangerous image.

Christmas is not the time to introduce a new puppy to the family, especially if it’s a surprise gift. Unlike the ugly sweater Aunt Edith sent from Peoria or the rock tumbler Grandma Jones thought your spouse would love, a puppy isn’t a product that can be returned if it doesn’t fit. The same goes for kittens and gerbils and hamsters and lizards and fish and sugar gliders …

Here are 5 reasons why puppies make terrible presents (and, at the end, one fantastic way for you to give a pet for Christmas and do it in a humane way that benefits the gift recipient and the animal):

Too cute! But he's only going to stay this way for very little while.

1) That adorable little fluff ball everyone falls in love with today will very soon turn into an adolescent canine with more energy than brains and after that a full grown, adult dog with adult dog needs. Sure, today you can stick little Fido in a basket where he’ll fall asleep for 20 out of 24 hours (the other four he’s peeing or eating). But after about a week of that he’s going to be awake and ready for action. And after that, he’s not going to be 5 lbs anymore. He’s more likely going to be 40 lbs or 60 lbs or more.

That cute fluff ball becomes this drooling giant. Lovely and wonderful - if you know ahead of time what you're getting into.

A St. Bernard puppy is cute; a St. Bernard dog is still cute – but it’s a drooling, shedding, giant poops in the backyard for a decade kind of cute.  Make sure you’re being realistic; a cute puppy lasts a few months, but an adult dog sticks around for years. Make sure that when you’re adding a pet to your family - whether it’s a dog or cat – you understand that you’re making a commitment for a decade or more. A physical, emotional and financial commitment. [Read more...]