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A Dog for Christmas
xmas dog
As always I am wondering where this year has gone, as the Christmas decorations and advertisements remind me that another year is coming to an end but sadly I see that dog rescue centres are full to capacity already, a fact that cannot be attributed to the practice of "buying a puppy for Christmas", which makes me look at the real problem.

 

I completely agree with those who say that a dog is for life and not just Christmas but this statement seems to be misinterpreted and brings people to believe that this is the only inappropriate time or occasion to prompt getting a puppy.

 

Getting a puppy this time of year isn't necessarily a bad thing as there is also the reality of the sincere and very responsible person or family that are bringing a puppy into their home during the holiday period, purely because it was born a couple of months before and is the right age to bring away from its mother and siblings. As long as you can provide the essential calm environment and give the necessary attention and time to these vital early days then there is no problem, just as my dear friends Wendy and John plan to do, following the lost their much loved girl a few months ago.

 

If we tell such people that they must not get a puppy then this is a judgemental arrogance on our part, which is based on a misunderstanding of the reality of 'whim' buying and perhaps once we direct our thinking to the real problem then we can help rescue centres in the future.

 

The 'whim' purchase includes the 'fashion accessory' dogs, when designers make vast sums of money creating handbags, matching capes and hats for dog and owners and now these little dogs are being discarded at an alarming rate, as the 'fad' comes to an end and just as the craze for the designer 'chicken' which was started by 'celebrities' in California a few years ago, what next Elephant?

 

I remember a couple who bred Irish Setters, at a time when they were one of the most popular dogs in the UK. This couple also owned a boarding kennels near a popular holiday resort and they would tell me how people would call on them asking if they had any puppies, as the enquirer thought that acquiring a pup would be a good thing to do whilst on holiday.  Fortunately for the dogs the breeders advised against this practise and politely sent them back to the beach inviting them to get back in touch in a month or so, at which time they would be happy to discuss the possibility.

 

'A dog is for life and not an acquisition when the mood takes us' would be a more appropriate mantra but as always it depends on the human understanding of what a dog really is and above all what they need and deserve from us.

 

Jan Fennell

30th November 2011