Christmas is right around the corner!

[angeles]

Me and my ex haven't talked about who has my son on Christmas. I know exactly what I am getting my 6 year old boy. I'm getting him a dog. His own dog. The last dog we had he really showed me that he could take care of a dog (ie. feeds, walks, plays...). The only thing that I have to do is house training him/her. I don't find that too hard. I can't wait to get that puppy and watch his eyes just light up. :)

xo, angeles

[where'smyhalo?]

my bf wants to get our son a dog.

he'll be 6 months old. :r

i'm like, how about a mobile or something, you know?

[supernova]

I think my son would love a dog, but I don't want something else to take care of right now. The vet bills ($$$!!), the training, taking walks twice a day, food/water, the dog hair all over the house, dog poop in the yard, integration with our two cats, etc. etc. When he's older I might consider it if he's interested. But not now.

[katz]

My dog was a present for 2 young children who wanted a Disney Dog for Christmas. she made the rounds at the humane society and rescue groups before we finally took her in. Why was she dumped after only 2 months of ownership with this family? The parents were too busy to take care of her because their kids were too young for the responsiblity of housetraining, obedience class, walking, cleaning up after her etc.

Christmas is the worst time of year to get a pet of any kind. The stress and hectic schedule of the holidays keeps people from being able to focus on the attention and needs a new puppy or kitten has.

some informational links on "gifting animals"

http://www.pets-unleashed.com/aspca.petsasgifts.htm
http://www.petrescue.com/library/no-pups.htm
http://cyberpet.com/cyberdog/articles/lexi/cmgifts.htm

[instant piano]

my bf wants to get our son a dog.
he'll be 6 months old. :r
i'm like, how about a mobile or something, you know?

Sounds more like your bf wants a dog. ;)

Those are some good resources, katzwhyskerz. One of my co-workers was considering getting her child a dwarf rabbit for Christmas. The two office animal people, another co-worker and myself, took some time to talk to her about it. She has decided to wait, and get the rabbit during a less eventful time of the year. :)

[where'smyhalo?]

Sounds more like your bf wants a dog. ;)



exactly. :)

[dormilona]

what katz said. gifting animals is always something i have a problem with anyway. the person who is taking on the responsibility of a pet needs to be involved in the decision making. they're people too and take a lot of your time.

[Autumn]

My dog was a present for 2 young children who wanted a Disney Dog for Christmas. she made the rounds at the humane society and rescue groups before we finally took her in. Why was she dumped after only 2 months of ownership with this family? The parents were too busy to take care of her because their kids were too young for the responsiblity of housetraining, obedience class, walking, cleaning up after her etc.

Christmas is the worst time of year to get a pet of any kind. The stress and hectic schedule of the holidays keeps people from being able to focus on the attention and needs a new puppy or kitten has.

some informational links on "gifting animals"

http://www.pets-unleashed.com/aspca.petsasgifts.htm
http://www.petrescue.com/library/no-pups.htm
http://cyberpet.com/cyberdog/articles/lexi/cmgifts.htm

This bears repeating.

To buy a puppy, you're going to have to shell out some money. Money for shots, a collar and leash, food, dishes for food and water, toys, treats, etc. If you plan on leaving the dog at home alone at any time, you will need a home with a yard or you will need to purchase a kennel. If you don't, be prepared to come home to a disaster - poop and pee everywhere, trash cans knocked over, anything chewable will be chewed, etc. I had a dog knock everything off counters, unroll toilet paper rolls, destroy everything leather in sight, and completely scratch up a door. I'm surprised that you don't find training a dog too hard. In fact, it's quite hard and not something to be taken lightly. You have to be willing to devote a lot of time to training a puppy or else it will never learn. Your son will not be able to do that at six years old, so the responsibility for that will be on you. You will also be responsible for purchasing everything the dog needs on a regular basis - food, grooming, shots, etc. You will need to plan to take about an hour out of your day each day to walk your dog if you live in an apartment, and about 30 minutes a day if you have a home with a large yard. What if your dog gets sick? Will you have the money and the means to get the proper care for him?

There are many things to consider before adopting a puppy. Please think of what would be best for the puppy.

[Cheri]

I have to agree with everybody here. Dogs do not make good christmas presents.

[angeles]

Well, I know my son. he is 6 years old. We had a dog, pit bull/boxer mix - sweetest thing alive! But we had to give her up, not for financial reasons, not because she wasn't disciplined, not because no one was there to take care of her. We gave her to a home that could provide the medical treatment that she needed (she was a stray who had mange... We could not provide for the shots that she needed). My son knew it was his dog thus it was his responsibility to take her out walking and to use the bathroom, to make sure she had food and water in her bowl, and that the food and water was put up before we went to bed. He was EXCELLENT with the dog. And he didn't bear all the responsibilities. Of course, I had to provide the food, I had to pick up after her accidents, I had to discipline her. But we were able to do it. This time I plan on getting a smaller dog (even though I do like big dogs), and I will be taking care of her just as much as my son. And being an only child, it helps him to have somebody around even if it's a dog. I know what I'm doing. I don't need to be advised that christmas is the worst holiday to adopt, I already know that. I know my son too, and I can't wait to see his joy when he finds that puppy, his puppy, at the christmas tree this year.

xo, angeles

[Autumn]

But we had to give her up, not for financial reasons... We could not provide for the shots that she needed.
xo, angeles

Um. Huh?

[instant piano]

angeles, you're heaping a lot of responsibility on a six-year-old boy. No doubt he will be overjoyed to find a puppy under the tree, but what if you have to get rid of the puppy later on down the road because it develops a health problem that you can't afford to have taken care of? Your son will be crushed.

What about the puppy's first year shots? If you want a healthy dog, you need a healthy puppy, and with pets there is no guarantee. I'm speaking from experience, and a $300+ vet's bill that I had to take a short-term loan to pay. Not fun.

[katz]

not to mention a puppy is way more responsibility than an already grown dog.

[Autumn]

This is so very frustrating. You know it's the worst time of year to buy a puppy, but you're going to do it anyway? Nevermind if the puppy suffers as long as your son is happy for a few moments?

Here, read a few articles about it. If you need more articles, plenty more exist. We're not crazy, here.

http://www.petrescue.com/library/no-pups.htm
http://www.cyberpet.com/cyberdog/articles/lexi/cmgifts.htm
http://members.aol.com/regalbeag/pups.htm
http://www.dogscouts.com/xmas.shtml
http://www.dachsie.org/gift.html
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_km2912/is_200411/ai_n8613864
http://www.wonderpuppy.net/xmasrush.htm

[angeles]

The puppy will not suffer. And it's not only my son's responsibility, it's my own too.

And I will refrain from explaining any further the complications we had with Beethoven as it really isn't any of your business. It will be funny to look upon this thread in a year because I know that the dog will be looked after very well.

xo, angeles

[SMMY]

This is so very frustrating. You know it's the worst time of year to buy a puppy, but you're going to do it anyway? Nevermind if the puppy suffers as long as your son is happy for a few moments?
Here, read a few articles about it. If you need more articles, plenty more exist. We're not crazy, here.
http://www.petrescue.com/library/no-pups.htm
http://www.cyberpet.com/cyberdog/articles/lexi/cmgifts.htm
http://members.aol.com/regalbeag/pups.htm
http://www.dogscouts.com/xmas.shtml
http://www.dachsie.org/gift.html
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_km2912/is_200411/ai_n8613864
http://www.wonderpuppy.net/xmasrush.htm
don't bother. reasoning with angeles=[bang]

[Autumn]

Eh, I figured it was a worth a shot. For the puppy's sake, anyway.

[supernova]

The puppy will not suffer.

He'll only suffer if he has a medical problem that you didn't anticipate. Then he'll be out the door because you can't provide for him. Dog number two. And then your six year old will be totally and utterly devastated.

For Christ's sake. If he wants a pet to take care of, why not start him out with something cool but less expensive, like his own goldfish or beta or something?

It's quite possible everything will work out wonderfully, and perhaps we'll all be eating our words. But it seems to me that you are too excited about this prospect to really think things through properly. There's a risk involved, one that involves your own son's emotions, which you'd think any parent would spare given a choice.

There are so many other ways of getting involved with animals if you feel your son would benefit from it.

[garoux]

How about rather than getting your son a pet the two of you make it a point to spend some time together every weekend volunteering at an animal shelter? That way he will truly be well-equipped to be responsible enough to take care of a dog when it comes time for him to have his own pet.

A lot of people get the idea of, "Oh, getting a puppy is just going to make Johnny's day! I can't wait to see the look in Little Johnny's eyes when he sees that puppy under the Christmas tree! Johnny will love me forever because I got him a puppy!" Unfortunately, a lot of people think only of the instant gratification of seeing their kid's face light up and don't really consider the long-term commitment to bringing an animal into the house. It's usually a 10-15 year relationship for which you are responsible for seeing to it that that creature has best life possible. I really believe that people shouldn't be allowed to get a high-maintenance pet such as a dog until 1) they have the living quarters that can happily support a pet who needs space to live and play, 2) have the time and emotional wherewithal to train your pet and attend to its emotional needs, and 3) have the financial means to take care of the pet (not only the basics of food and toys but also the emergency vet trips that can run into 100s of dollars). Do you want to have to explain to your son that you had to have his dog euthanized because it ate something it shouldn't have and you couldn't afford the surgery that he needed to save his life? Of course not, but it could happen and you would have a broken-hearted child to contend with. You really, really have to think all these through before you go about bringing an animal in your home.

I think it's great that you want to make your son happy. It's what all parents should want for their kids, but I can't agree that a dog is the best way to achieve your goal. As Supernova said, why not start him out with something small? If fish or birds aren't your cup of tea and you want something furry, maybe a guinea pig or a gerbil will suffice (that is, if your son knows about being gentle with small, delicate animals).