Things to consider Before You Get a New Puppy for Christmas

Here are the things you must consider up front before getting your puppy out for Christmas

1. Choosing The Right New Puppy
When considering getting a dog for Christmas, think about a puppy that would suit both you and your lifestyle. Ask yourself, “Would I really prefer an older dog or a new puppy?”

For instance, an older puppy’s character and personality are easier to see so you can tell, for example, if the puppy is on the lazy side or is a real firecracker!
Another good thing about older dogs is you won’t have the headaches associated with ‘potty training’ which is very time-consuming and requires almost your constant presence.

Other things to think about are the size of the puppy (strength and feeding), the amount of shedding (cleanup), as well as the amount of energy your dog will have. Please take your time in making this decision.

2. Time commitment
The time requirement needed for a dog varies considerably from dog to dog and also varies over the dog’s lifetime. As you would expect, more time is needed for puppies up to age 2. Older dogs tend to be content to just sleep and lie around all day.
How much energy a puppy has is vitally important to consider when making your choice of puppy because you also have to keep in mind how much exercise your new dog will need.

3. Prior setting up of the home
One thing you do NOT want to do is what many new dog owners do… bring your new puppy home and then realize that you need to construct a fence, close openings in an existing fence, or put other safety measures in place to keep the puppy from escaping from the yard. If your puppy can’t run around the yard, this can prove to be extremely stressful for both you and the puppy and therefore should be taken care of first before the new dog arrives.

Other important things to consider are:

If you’re bringing home a puppy, you will need to provide a small area for containment. Consider purchasing a new puppy pen or cage or create a safe place where your puppy can sleep or go when you simply need a break. This could be a washroom, bathroom, or laundry room.

Also, consider getting some chew toys or other items that would be safe for your new puppy to chew.
Decide early which areas will be okay for your dog and which will be considered out-of-bounds. While training your puppy, you’ll want to keep any possible destruction or damage to an absolute minimum.

4. Remember that training begins as soon as you arrive home
Here’s a word of caution: Don’t be fooled! puppy can often seem tame when you first get them and then completely change when you get them home. For the greatest chance of success, prior preparation and planning are not only crucial but smart!
Getting your new puppy home first and then looking for problems is what most people do and later regret. This lack of planning only helps your puppy to develop bad habits that you’ll spend unnecessary time and energy working to correct.

5. What if you work full-time?

If you work full time you many need to hire a professional pet sitter.  Your pet sitter can come to you house midday and walk your new puppy.  this is also a great option to help potty train your new puppy.  If you are in the Union County are of North Carolina, give Love and Kisses Pet Sitting a call to discuss your daily dog walking needs. 

If you follow the advice in this article, getting a new puppy for Christmas will be a decision that will bring you and your new puppy much joy, happiness, and love for many years to come.

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