Christmas is a wonderful time of year. Filled with bright colors and excitement. Spending time with family and friends. Memories of a special Christmas is often attached to a special gift or experience. For some of us, it was our first bike, a Holiday vacation, or a beautiful happy puppy.
Goldendoodle Kennels has been helping families create lifetime memories for over 15 years. We’ve also learned a lot about the pros & cons of getting a puppy on Christmas Day and perhaps a better way to do it.
As adults, we can understand that puppies have special needs that require preparation to create the best experience for the puppy and family. Children only see the excitement and joy of finally having a puppy. The Christmas Holidays are full of family gatherings, church events, visiting friends, and travel to spend time with loved ones. Our homes are decorated with beautiful tree with ornaments and wrapped gifts. All are beautiful to see but also temptations and dangers for an energetic and inquisitive puppy.
We suggest getting your Christmas puppy either a few weeks before or after to enhance your experience with the puppy without all of the holiday commitments and distractions. This will allow time for the family and puppy to adjust to each other and their new home.
If you believe it won’t be as much fun for the children if it’s not on Christmas morning, we have found that not to be the case. A puppy arriving slightly before or after can easily be explained in a conversation discussing the benefits to “the puppy” with the children and family. Remind them that the puppy will have just left their mother and siblings and it is a stressful time for them. A quieter setting will allow the puppy time to adjust to their new home in a more “normal” setting without so many other activities and people. Additional activities, sounds, and people can affect the puppy’s eating, and digestive system and make it difficult to establish a “new routine” of feeding, potty training, and sleeping. 8 week old puppies are “babies” and should be treated as such. Once the puppy arrives the entire family will have new responsibilities in caring for her.
If you get your puppy a few weeks before Christmas, children can be told that the puppy is “for Christmas” but was ready to go home early. This will be better for the puppy and give us time to get used to the puppy before the busy Christmas time. Additional puppy items (i.e. puppy toys, new collar or brush) can still be wrapped and placed under the tree for Christmas morning.
We’ve had many families wrap a picture of their new puppy and place it in a box so the children have it to open on Christmas morning. Sometimes the anticipation and excitement can go on for weeks till the puppy is ready to go home. This adds to the whole experience.
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We also highly recommend a book titled “The Puppy Primer” available on Amazon. It is an excellent resource for learning about how the puppy will grow and develop during their first year or two. We suggest copies for the children and parents, that way the family can read it together and discuss it at dinnertime. This can also be wrapped as an additional Christmas gift.
This can make for a wonderful Christmas morning and provide the family the necessary time to prepare and learn more about their new family member. The education process is very important for both children and parents to maximize the joy of raising your new puppy.
Goldendoodle Kennels has a comprehensive list of supplies to help you prepare and raise your new puppy.
Feel free to contact us for other suggestions and ideas for caring for, training, and enjoying your new puppy during the Holidays.
A puppy is fun, and educational and creates lifelong memories.