Holiday Puppies

Getting a puppy is such an exciting time, especially for children.. But did you know that bringing a puppy home as a holiday gift isn’t the best time to do this? With all of the commotion that goes with the holidays, families visiting, traveling, wound up children, this can be quite terrifying to a new puppy. In addition, with so much going on, training can take a back seat to all of the activities. It is also not recommended that you take a young puppy on your travels. Puppies need consistency in their day to day routine and the first 5/6 months of their life is key training time. It is also when their immune systems are the most vulnerable. Vets recommend that puppies stay at home (or in a home training environment) until they are fully vaccinated, which is not until 16-18 weeks of age.

As a puppy trainer, it’s stressful enough when the household is quiet and you are introducing a new puppy. Puppies go potty every 10 minutes wherever they stand and with no notice. They get overstimulated easily and will nip, bite and jump for attention, especially with children. The more the children are running around, the wilder the puppy gets. This is all magnified ten fold when you add in the holiday crazies.

I highly suggest waiting until the holidays are over before bringing in a new puppy. If you have children, a video of your puppy or photos can be a great gift.

Consider having your puppy stay with a trainer if it’s ready to leave the breeder close to the holidays. Enjoy your family time and prepare for your new arrival.