I recently saw a post on FB about puppies being given as presents for Christmas, lots of sentiment and tears. Which breeder in their right mind would sell a puppy as a Christmas present? Just a money making fiasco. I have had puppies ready at Christmas  but would never let them go to their new homes until late Jan.

Christmas and New Year are only a week so I don't really see the issue of keeping puppies for an extra week or two.

There is an advert in my local paper tonight for jack Russell's ready to go for Xmas day aaaargh!

Puppies being given as surprise Christmas presents - I agree a very bad idea. But what's the problem in letting them go at Christmas if it's an experienced home without children??

We brought home a new puppy 2 days ago - wasn't planned for this time of year it's just the way it happened, Christmas is just another day as far as we're concerned, with the one advantage that we've already got time booked off work! I have several friends who are experienced dog owners who have also brought new puppies home in the last week or so, my facebook feed is full of puppy photos! (from experienced owners).

Make a point of finding out the situation in 12 months time.
A coincidence that 'several' people you know buying in Christmas week, they cant all be treating this holiday as just another day.

It may work out for them but in my experience its not so likely to end well.... not least that VERY few ethical breeders sell puppies at this time.

> Make a point of finding out the situation in 12 months time.<br />A coincidence that 'several' people you know buying in Christmas week, they cant all be treating this holiday as just another day.<br /><br />It may work out for them but in my experience its not so likely to end well.... not least that VERY few ethical breeders sell puppies at this time.

They're all experienced owners with existing dogs, who compete in agility, obedience, showing, etc, and are all from ethical breeders!! As is my new pup! The fact it's December is irrelevant!

The fact it's December is irrelevant!

Unless you don't celebrate Christmas it's totally relevant. I have just put up my Christmas tree -and put a puppy pen around it. I've had to be extra careful when doing all the baking as I have been using chocolate and raisins, and my 17 week old pup (not even an 8 or 10 week old, and a pup who was not planned at all but needed a home) is into everything and not above trying to steal. I'm having to plan carefully what to do tomorrow on Christmas Eve when there will be 9 of us here, with so much food, so much wrapping paper, and so much busier than usual. It's certainly not an ordinary day and a mischievous pup can easily get into trouble. Adults too! I remember one year when we were having our dinner and had put the dogs in the kitchen, we came back in to find they had got bored, had opened the kitchen cupboards and found rice and pasta and also what was left of the paper plates and cups -now that was a right mess to clear up!

I am also having a right job protecting my mother who is staying for Christmas. As many elderly people she has very thin skin and all it takes to get a bad injury is a scratch by a playful paw, let alone sharp puppy teeth. Last time she stayed she had to go to the doctor just because a dog jumped up to say hello, without even using teeth.

I've just seen an add for staffys ready Christmas day and in the add it says they would make "Excellent Christmas present but remember a dog is for life"
I can see why many breeder won't let puppies go at Christmas as you can never know if what a puppy buyer tells you is 100% true unless you personaly know the person, even doing a home check is no guarantee the person who is telling you all the right things is not just going to give the puppy to someone as a surprise gift or something.
Some People are going to see adds like the above online and just see the cute puppies and think how fun a puppy may make the Holliday as after all if the majority of dog owners were responsible we wouldn't have so many problems in the dog world.

>Some People are going to see adds like the above online and just see the cute puppies and think how fun a puppy may make the Holliday

True!  These are the puppies sent to the dogs home at the end of January.  Reality sets in and people don't want the hard work that puppies bring.

True!  These are the puppies sent to the dogs home at the end of January.  Reality sets in and people don't want the hard work that puppies bring.

Yes and from the pic of the parents and what they say in the add these pups are going to grow into the type of dog you realy don't want in the wrong type of home/owner.

Saw advert on online site this morning 2 large breed pups (rare guarding breed to the uk) ready for christmas. 14 weeks old . No mention of socialisation in ad. These are a very specialist breed. I dread to think of the consequences for these pups :( at 14 weeks old they would need to have already been introduced to a whole world of positive experiences. I just hope the right people buy them. Irony is the "right " type of owner would never buy this breed from this site. Poor poor pups

Their only hope is that as  they are not cute or fluffy (right up my street) so families will not choose them as surprises for the kids on Christmas morning.  Feel sorry for all the little bichon, Maltese etc who will be presented with bows round their necks as gifts from Santa.

I don't know how you stop this because for years now, it's been advertised about NOT bringing a puppy into a new home over the Festive Season.   Yet people still do this - with the result Shelters are filled up within weeks of Christmas being over.   I suppose it starts, and probably should end, with the BREEDERS.    Yes, although we rarely had a litter ready at this time of year (most of our litters were planned to be born into the better weather), I would allow a puppy to go home to a knowledgeable family, probably with no kids, and which was going to be quiet at this time of year.   I'd do this other than at Christmas - keeping mine back to 10 weeks usually, unless I knew the people and the home in which case I'd make an exception and let them go at 8 weeks.   Again assuming I felt the puppy was ready for the outside world.

Those of us in the 'know' can only keep banging the drum re Christmas puppies.

The fact it's December is irrelevant!

Unless you don't celebrate Christmas it's totally relevant.

True.

It would be really helpful if you couldn't advertise the sale of puppies in te month of December. While I understand responsible breeders are likely to choose responsible owners I do feel that all these free ad's and similar on the net and in FB should ban this. One of the local pet groups I belong to have done this and are deleting and banning anyone who breaches this.
I think this would help immensely..
Fine if by your own website or FB page but to advertise to the masses it needs these companies to ban the sale of all pets in december

Sue law **LIKE**

>ban the sale of all pets in December

I'd say all adverts for pups ready December.

I would hope that adverts for puppies just born would be permitted so they can be homed in January/February.

I have had a couple of November litters over the years and and a 1st October.

Unfortunately bitches don't 'come in season always when tis' most conevenient and waiting another 6 - 10 months may not be appropriate.

Due to showing I always prefer my litters to be born in the winter, that way I have minimum neighbour issues too.

I think it boils down to the breeders knowing their puppy buyers.. I have no problem with letting puppies go at Christmas, it's a great time of year for Gun dogs to come home, lots of ready situations for good early socialisation, hunt meets, shoots, beating etc and with most people being home for a few weeks too. It's the puppies that are going to pet homes on the spur of the moment as Christmas 'presents' that I think are the problem.

I've just come back from my second dog walk today - I went around our local park - it is wet and rainy and steadily the rain was getting heavier and heavier, colder and colder - my dogs don't mind the cold or the rain and they don't much like ever wearing a jacket so its rare for me to do so-  yet I still put a small waterproof on each of them today because the weather was bad and looking like it would get worse- and yet in the park I counted 9 families all with new puppies - families all walking in warm clothes and each with an umbrella but dragging around slow and trembling puppies clearly on their first ever walks, wet through and clearly cold - 3 of the families didn't have the pups on the floor but carried them around instead - presumably due to their not yet being old enough to have had their shots.  I felt a little sick to the stomach seeing them all with their new bundles of fur, taking them out in hideous weather for their first ever "walks" ...... I'm sure they all buy pups with the intention that even though they have them for Christmas that they will keep them for life - but watching them all this morning I realised that it is likely that half of those puppies wont be with the same owners their whole lives.. sad sad sad.

I agree with labgundogs if going to the right people, for the right reasons,then the time of the year should not matter.

Of course the time of year matters. You are taking puppies from their mum and siblings and placing them in an environment that is full of excitement and noise that they are not used to. My puppies are born and raised in the home, they are used to other dogs, my old retriever, my cat, usual household noises, vacuum, washer, dishwasher, tv. They are not used to screaming children, lots of people oowing and awwing and excessive fussing. FFS give them a chance.

Not every house is like that at Christmas, I have two children and mine is reasonably quiet, we have a great time but we still use 'indoor voices' and there are only three of us....my litter of pups have no problem with it and it would be a great time for a puppy. I agree that some homes would be unsuitable but not all....

>They are not used to screaming children, lots of people oowing and awwing and excessive fussing. FFS give them a chance.

That doesn't sound like my Christmas at all - even when my children were young!  I'd happily arrange my Christmas around a new puppy if a planned litter just so happened to arrive at this time. I'd want the pup to come home at the optimum time for its needs:  after all Christmas comes every year but a puppy is going to be a member of the family for its lifetime!

Good breeders will vet their potential owners I'm sure and realise that we aren't all to be judged so harshly. 

Not every house is like that at Christmas, I have two children and mine is reasonably quiet, we have a great time but we still use 'indoor voices' and there are only three of us....my litter of pups have no problem with it and it would be a great time for a puppy

Whether there are 3 or 13 of you, many of the problems I outlined earlier will still exist, such as baking ingredients dangerous to dogs being used, chocolates being around -not to mention that any Christmas tree would have to either be penned or the puppy kept in a pen. Then there is all the extra time needed to cook the meal. Like I said earlier, unless you don't celebrate Christmas at all, there is no way it can be described as an ordinary day. NOT suitable for a puppy unless you are a single person without visitors.

I still have to disagree, certainly in my house....

I've penned off my tree before and would do again, we don't eat raisins, grapes, onions, nuts or drink much alcohol. Chocolate is always a risk but most people eat it year round, my current lab is such a proficient thief that all goodies are kept in a high cupboard anyway and with a little care it's easy to keep her safe, would be no different for a puppy.

Cooking the Christmas meal takes me no longer than a standard Sunday roast and most puppies sleep for long periods when young, it could be planned around that easily.

Yes Christmas can be a terrible time to bring home a puppy, but it can also be a fabulous time. It's too easy to make generalisations.

'FFS' just about says it all.

>Good breeders will vet their potential owners I'm sure and realise that we aren't all to be judged so harshly.

I'm sure those who have been on a breeders waiting list for some time and pups happen to be ready around Christmas and they aster prepared to work around the needs of a pup rather than the needs of Christmas, that is rather different.

Having any potential new owners that just might have decided to have a pup on the spur of the moment, possibly to coincide with any celebration, would not be something I'd be happy at any time of year.

I have had an enquiry from someone who thought their period of maternity leave would be the ideal time to 'fit in' a puppy.

I have also had a family come to pick up the puppy they had planned well in advance and announce that she was in fact just confirmed pregnant after having tried for a long time. 

After careful consideration and much soul searching the latter did get their pup and have since had their second child and the four year old dog is a well cared for member of the family whose needs are defiantly well taken care of.

>Yes Christmas can be a terrible time to bring home a puppy, but it can also be a fabulous time. It's too easy to make generalisations.

This brings back memories of 6 years ago when one of my litters was arriving on Christmas day. :)

I took the other dogs out for a good long walk and came back to find my husband with phone in one hand (friend had called for whelping progress report), and new-born first pup in other hand while he was in the middle of cooking Christmas Dinner.

Good breeders will vet their potential owners I'm sure and realise that we aren't all to be judged so harshly.

We do try. Not all puppy buyers are honest so the best way is to make a general stance and say NO, not at Christmas IMO.

One of the best ones is "I am on holiday from work so can be there while the puppy settles". What happens when they go back to work?

So are you now saying that people with pups should not work.Many of the breeders and prominent contributors on this forum have many dogs but still work.

Christmas would be a perfect time for a new pup here - if I could. Just me and my mum with dementia, I do all the cooking etc and she just falls asleep in front of the TV. We are a small family so no visitors, no friends coming round. It's not much different to most weekends really, except that it took longer to cook the dinner!

we don't eat raisins, grapes, onions, nuts or drink much alcohol

British people seem to be very fond of Christmas pudding and mince pies and Christmas cake, do you not eat any of them either? As all include raisins.

I'm sure those who have been on a breeders waiting list for some time and pups happen to be ready around Christmas and they aster prepared to work around the needs of a pup rather than the needs of Christmas, that is rather different.

I did have a litter ready at Christmas a few years ago. Most of the new owners sensibly opted to wait until AFTER Christmas to collect their pups. Because they were experienced and planned ahead. (It certainly made for an interesting Christmas here, with several pups around!)

>British people seem to be very fond of Christmas pudding and mince pies and Christmas cake, do you not eat any of them either? As all include raisins.

Yes of course. And because I know of the dangers they are kept well away from the dogs. Wouldn't be any different if there was a puppy around.

No, I don't eat mince pies, Christmas pudding or Christas cake.

Interesting comments from Wood Green - " if a person is having a quiet Christmas at home, it can be a good time as generally people have more time off to spend settling the dog in." "If you are thinking about offering a home to a dog please don't rule it out just because of the time of year"

http://www.woodgreen.org.uk/news/3179_dispelling_the_christmas_myth

I was allowed to take a pup on 23rd December several years ago. We knew our Breeder, had a pup from her before and she was happy for us to take her. There are only 2 of us, no visitors on Christmas day and only the odd couple throughout the entire holiday as we lived quite a distance from family then. Worked out perfectly for us as we were off work for 2 weeks and plenty of time to spend socialising a new pup.  As for baking...LOL, not likely!!!

As for baking...LOL, not likely!!!

Blimey LOL. To me the Christmas baking IS Christmas and matters far more than the meal and the presents put together. :) I cut it down a bit this year but still made 7 different cakes and 2 different types of bun plus two different types of biscuits. Vital! :) But then of course what I bake you can't go out and buy in English shops. I don't think I could cheat and buy ready made even if I still lived in Sweden though, as to me it is strong tradition.

The problem is unless a breeder personaly knows a puppy buyer they won't know if their home is quiet at Christmas or not for sure. So it's a case of better safe than sorry.

Here Christmas is no different to a weekend except we get presents, I don't bother to decorate anymore, we don't get visitors, just me and my mother and I don't bake allthough I did this year bake a gluten free Christmas cake for my boss as a present they can't eat gluten.

No breeder, unless they carry out home checks with no notice and thoroughly reference a puppy buyer can know for sure what type of home their puppy will have Christmas or not, many homes are hubs of activity, people have parties, live differently to others, make messes, lots of things that can be hazardous to pups. 

>The problem is unless a breeder personaly knows a puppy buyer they won't know if their home is quiet at Christmas or not for sure. So it's a case of better safe than sorry.

I'm happy to go on a waiting list - for many months for the right pup/mating - and delighted to be asked as many questions as the breeder needs to reassure themselves of my intentions.  Many bitches please themselves about timing a season so puppy buyers such as myself reconcile ourselves to the dates the pups might arrive, and be ready to come home, so we'd be in regular contact throughout.   If, after that, the breeder isn't prepared to take my word for it that the puppy's needs would be well met over the Christmas period, holiday season etc then I'm not sure it's a breeder I would want to deal with.  Trust goes both ways after all...

I completely agree that a puppy for a Christmas present is an abhorrent idea BUT a puppy over the Christmas period - for the right home - shouldn't be a deal breaker. 

We don't go in for Christmas much , or Hogmanay for that matter, and if it was a choice between no Christmas, and a puppy, a puppy would win hands down every time .

We had a litter once born Christmas eve morn three days early, last litter were ten weeks old
December 23rd we did not sell until ten weeks kept the litter of seven till the new year our choice made for a busy Christmas they were sold at thirteen weeks fully vaccinated and chipped all new owners were informed puppies would not be sold until New year and all were happy with it

So are you now saying that people with pups should not work.Many of the breeders and prominent contributors on this forum have many dogs but still work.

Depends on hours of work. Is it really fair to buy a puppy and leave it alone for 8 hours a day. I THINK NOT

Why do you think it prudent to shout? All capital letters = shouting. Hardly necessary?

I work and have dogs, as do thousands of others all over the world. That's what doggy daycare, professional walkers, lunch breaks, split shifts and in house care is for. 

Who said anything about leaving a pup alone for eight hours a day.

Up until I had 3 dogs I was in the Army so I worked from 8.30-5pm every day. We would give them a good walk before and after work and go home every lunch time to them and during the day if we had chance, on occasions they came into work with us but that wasn't always possible. My dogs are all ok. It wasn't until about 5 years ago that I was able to work part time and now im self employed so home most of the time. Not everybody is that lucky.

In an ideal world we'd all like our puppies to go to homes where someone is around all the time but in the real world that doesn't normally happen. I have sold puppies to homes where the owners work full time. They put in place arrangements so they can have a dog, dog sitters/walkers, coming home at lunch time etc. Two sets have one person who is a teacher so they are around a lot in the holidays, I think dogs are pretty adaptable to situations and I haven't had any worries with the care of my puppies. They have become well adjusted, social dogs. If someone really wants a dog, and in my breed you have to normally go on a waiting list for up to a year, they will work at it.

>No, I don't eat mince pies, Christmas pudding or Christmas cake.

Me neither - and I'm none too fussed about turkey either. At this stage of my life I could never have a puppy at Christmas, we alternate with my family and my hubby's. This year was a total nightmare, 3 days with 2 overexcited and out of control young children hurtling around the house having a temper tantrum every 2 minutes about something or other. And the sister-in-law is terrified of dogs, so our dogs live in the granny annex and have a fenced off bit of garden to go and wee in. We visit them and take them for walks obviously so it's no worse than a normal working day, but I always dread the years we go to the in-laws! And the alternate years are pretty tiresome too, most of my family aren't doggy so they complain about dogs that want to sit on laps and deposit dog hair everywhere! I will of course miss my family when they are gone, but part of me can't help but look forward to 10 or 20 years time when it will be just me, hubby & dogs for Christmas, we can have a turkey crown to keep him happy and go out for a lovely long walk with the dogs, then relax quietly watching some new DVDs or something. And that's the time when I might be suitable to have a puppy at Christmas! :-)

Have had a couple of littles with pups leaving just before Christmas and also bought in pups and brought them home just before Christmas. Not read all comments but for me it is about what the home situation is like not the date. We have no children, don't do parties and if we have pups or young dogs never put up decorations ( have a tree up first time in about 7 years this christmas !  )  In fact other than OH being off work for two weeks nothing in our home is any different to any other week of year. Lots off opportunities to get baby out for a bit of socialisation as town is busy, hunt meet on Boxing Day etc. By the time nights are getting lighter the pup is old enough to benefit from evening training sessions ( we do gundog work), puppy working tests in summer  and by following shooting season basic established and can be introduced to game, being shot over etc.

Puppies as gifts are NEVER acceptable be it christmas, birthday, anniversaries etc etc when I have had pups in October they bcan stay until after Christmas period no problem if new owners have busy Christmas schedules, but most of time mine have gone to people who have waited a long time for a pup and they would rather cancel Christmas :) As with most things in dogs a "one rule suits all" rarely works IMHO 

>I took the other dogs out for a good long walk and came back to find my husband with phone in one hand (friend had called for whelping progress report), and new-born first pup in other hand while he was in the middle of cooking Christmas Dinner.

Oh Barbara.  I do like your style.  :-)  :-)