Me and my wife were thinking about getting a dog this summer. But were starting to figure, why wait. Should we get a dog for Christmas for wait?
2007-11-20 10:46:02 · 12 answers · asked by fisherperson1 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
Wait until you see all the purebred puppies in the local shelter about three to four weeks after Christmas. People get them for their kids and have no idea how much work a puppy is. I got my puppy from petfinder. Best thing ever.
2007-11-20 12:09:05 · answer #1 · answered by abbacchus 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Dog are a long time commitment.... Discipline, health care, food, time for walk (a must). lots of love. This is for a 10 to 15 year period. If you are not going to make the commitment don't get an animal. But the love you get is worth every penny spent. Consider getting an insurance policy. I have one from PetSmart and it has saved me thousands of dollars.
Do some serious research on why dog would be good for you. Some dogs are working dogs and really need a job and can drive you crazy if you don't keep them busy. Some dogs are great lap dogs but still need walks. Some dogs shed some do not (but they need to be groomed and cut and brushed)
You can find some wonderful dogs at the rescue sites and some are past the puppy stage and you don't have to the do the house breaking thing.
I have an old man cocker spaniel and I'm already planning my next partner. I'm thinking Dalmatian, or greyhound???
If you don't have a lot planned for the holidays, go ahead and start looking. If you have company coming and travel don't do it yet. Don't buy from a pet store unless they are having a promotion for the shelters. Pet store animals usually come from back yard puppy mills and you can get some serious health problems. Check with www.petfinders.com and the ASPCS web sites.
2007-11-20 19:01:58 · answer #2 · answered by Lyn B 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would wait until after. All the hustle and bustle of the Holidays may be too much for a dog who is in a new environment. Not to mention, if you have plans to be away from home a new dog would make that hard.
Also, figure out how much work you want to put into it. Do you want a puppy or already housebroken older dog. You can get puppies from breeders or rescue groups. Most adult dogs (1 year or more) are from rescues. You can find a lot of rescue dogs on petfinder.com and specifically in your area.
Do you have kids? The reason I ask is my husband and I do not have kids. We adopted a then 4 year old Dox mix and he was already housebroken and crate trained. He has been a breeze! THen we decided to adopt a puppy from the SPCA 6 months ago. To get her crate trained required a hired dog walker for the work day, and an alarm to take her out at 3:30am...puppies can't go all night without a potty break! She is now crate trained and housebroken but she gets into everything and we have to let her have a good hour run at the dog park to get her energy out (she is a small beagle mix)
Just know puppies are a lot more work, and they have a lot more energy. And find the breed that works for you and your lifestyle....but either way, after the holidays would probably be less stressfull for everyone.
2007-11-20 19:02:09 · answer #3 · answered by Mandy25 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Thats right why wait. Spend the holidays with a dog I got my dog one month before christmas and it was great! You can get the pick of the liter because its true alot of people are going to get dogs for christmas.Good Luck!
2007-11-20 18:53:08 · answer #4 · answered by beagle_owner 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you are home alot I would get a dog but if your not I wouldn't.
If you don't have any children why tie yourselves down. They are alot of work and worry but I love my two puppies. A year old tomorrow. My daughter and I enjoy them and play and walk them. If it wasn't for her I wouldn't have them because it is like have two little kids. They are just finally figuring out what they are allowed to get away with in the house. It has been a fun 9 months but alot of work. Maybe you are lucky and have people that will watch your dog if you choose to go away or come walk it when you can't make it home. That would be ideal.
2007-11-20 18:53:54 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Are you financially prepared for a dog? Is someone going to be home to let the dog out during the day? Do you have the time to spend on training, socializing, bonding, etc with the dog?
I think these are more important questions than "Should we get a dog for Christmas?"
If you've answered all of these questions affirmatively, then there's no reason to wait.
2007-11-20 18:59:13 · answer #6 · answered by That's not my name 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I would wait, to get a dog after the holidays. Just to tell you ... I was to get a dog, over the holidays last year, and so i went to the shop .. and they were all sold out. And for the holidays ... all the people buy pets for someone else, or their kids. So .. i would wait after the holidays.
Best Of Luck!! ⺠⥠...
2007-11-20 18:57:19 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Before you get a dog I recommend that you go to a libary and get dog care books on how to train and take care of a dog. If you haven't already.
2007-11-20 19:02:12 · answer #8 · answered by Stitch 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i would get it sooner because there is like no dogs in time by christmas because that is when every one gets one and yes u should get it early because u have more responsibility and u can get the love to them that they need!
2007-11-20 18:50:24 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i would wait AFTER christmas because you know a million people are going to get dogs this holiday and ditch them soon after
2007-11-20 18:49:37 · answer #10 · answered by Ajaxnl 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋