Puppy under the Christmas tree logistics

[Anonymous]

I'd have a stuffed animal puppy in a box for the kids to open for Xmas morning and then pick the dog up with the kids on the 26th.

[Anonymous]

Please don't do this. Christmas is such a stressful time, and the kids will be so easily distracted by other stuff.

My parents put a letter about the puppy in a box under the tree, and then we went as a family to get the puppy from the breeder. Not only was that better for the Christmas morning experience, but it let the kids be involved in picking out supplies and getting the house ready - all that anticipation is fun too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Awful.

Puppies are not toys. They are A LOT of work.

They need to be taken out every 20 minutes. You have to sleep near them. They are constantly nibbling with sharp teeth.

A 12 week puppy doesnt need to go out every 20 minutes!

But it does sound like a horrible time to introduce a new puppy, over Christmas break. Sure, you are home a lot, but you won’t be able to do much else other than puppy stuff. Those poor kids.

[Anonymous]

lol at “the breeder will find a puppy to suit our family”

Lady, that breeder will saddle you with whatever puppy they have on inventory. They don’t have a supply of puppies with a range of personalities to fit your bespoke lifestyle. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I get the impulse to do this because your pick up day is so close to Christmas. But I would caution against it.

The puppy is not a toy - he’s a member of the family. And the kids should respect it as such.

Also, the puppy needs to settle into his new house and routine from the get go for a successful integration. He’s leaving his the only people/pack he’s ever known to join yours and live in a totally foreign environment. If you want to bond correctly, he needs to connect with you all right away. 12 weeks is on the older side for getting a puppy. Those first 100 days of puppyhood are absolutely key for how he responds to people/kids/other animals.

I would take the kids to the breeder with me to pickup the puppy. It can still be their special memory of Christmas time this year. They don’t need a puppy in a box on Christmas morning.

This! All of this! Is and I would get the dog earlier if you can! You are missing out on key puppy socialization weeks by not getting it at 8 weeks. Are you sure you are ready for a dog? You don't wrap a living animal like a toy.

[Anonymous]

Get the puppy the days before Christmas and your kids will be thrilled to wake up with a member of the family. You can even get a fuzzy tree skirt and your puppy will stick itself under the tree. I would not present it as a gift since it should be viewed as the living baby it is. Puppies are so much work and energy, it will endlessly nip at everyone when it starts teething, remember its teeth and gums are irritated and chewing is an instinctual remedy it depends on. They need to get the hang of potty training and starting right away before Christmas but during school break when everyone is home to let it in and out and treat it for good behaviors would be a great way to take advantage of the kids' days off.

[Anonymous]

Get it a week before Christmas or after. Christmas is such a chaotic day. You need a whole special puppy adoption day and it will be a good memory for the kids.

[Anonymous]

We (collectivley) picked our puppy up on Dec 20th one year. Then we brought her home and settled her in. The kids were similar aged to yours and were able to go puppy Christmas present shopping by getting her new chew toys and treats. She was next to the tree Christmas morning and helped in the chaos of unwrapping. We got cute photos that way, without the logistics of trying to hide her or put her in a box.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get it a week before Christmas or after. Christmas is such a chaotic day. You need a whole special puppy adoption day and it will be a good memory for the kids.

+1. I missed that the puppy is going to be 12 weeks. Yes, I'd pick it up right at the start of Christmas break if possible. Spend all your time together getting it settled and bonded. Let the kids get a Christmas present for the puppy and get your pictures under the tree on Christmas Day, but adoption day / gotcha day should be a separate thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I get the impulse to do this because your pick up day is so close to Christmas. But I would caution against it.

The puppy is not a toy - he’s a member of the family. And the kids should respect it as such.

Also, the puppy needs to settle into his new house and routine from the get go for a successful integration. He’s leaving his the only people/pack he’s ever known to join yours and live in a totally foreign environment. If you want to bond correctly, he needs to connect with you all right away. 12 weeks is on the older side for getting a puppy. Those first 100 days of puppyhood are absolutely key for how he responds to people/kids/other animals.

I would take the kids to the breeder with me to pickup the puppy. It can still be their special memory of Christmas time this year. They don’t need a puppy in a box on Christmas morning.

This! All of this! Is and I would get the dog earlier if you can! You are missing out on key puppy socialization weeks by not getting it at 8 weeks. Are you sure you are ready for a dog? You don't wrap a living animal like a toy.

Getting a dog for Christmas does not imply the dog is a "toy," but it is an understandably exciting moment for kids and Christmas is a good timeframe, since everyone will have plenty of time to get used to the dog and bond with it. There are lots of special ways to approach it if the Christmas Day logistics aren't feasible, as people have proposed above, but a dog will not be traumatized because it joins a family around Christmas. We have gotten all of our dogs between 12-16 weeks from the pound, and they have all been loving, easygoing, well-socialized pets. Yes, a puppy is a lot of work, but you don't have to helicopter parent a dog.

[Anonymous]

I agree with a pp - tell the kids you’re going out to do a really boring chore, and instead head to the breeder to get the puppy. The kids will be so happy they won’t care that it’s not Christmas. Then Christmas morning put a big bow on the puppy’s collar.

[Anonymous]

I’m surprised all these comments on missing out on bonding. Small dogs have a much longer puppyhood than larger ones. They’re still nursing at 8 weeks. They have bad separation anxiety from being taken from their moms too soon.

[Anonymous]

I think it shows poor judgment. Do it on a different day.

[Anonymous]

OP was it you who dreamed of the puppy under the tree? Have kids expressed that recently? Surely they know Santa is an abstraction, right? That you are getting them the puppy?

I agree get puppy before the holiday or after during the break before NYE. Especially if you are entertaining it will be more stressful for the puppy afterwards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP was it you who dreamed of the puppy under the tree? Have kids expressed that recently? Surely they know Santa is an abstraction, right? That you are getting them the puppy?

I agree get puppy before the holiday or after during the break before NYE. Especially if you are entertaining it will be more stressful for the puppy afterwards.

Op here. All the kids know a puppy is coming. They all believe in Santa. We’ve been asking them what they want for Christmas and all of them say they want a puppy.

Yes they’d know the puppy was from us and not Santa. I’d assume they’d think Santa made it happen though.

We can only pick up the puppy on the December 22 or 23 due to the breeders schedule.

Maybe my post was too flippant but this was a major decision for us and we’ve been patiently waiting for over a year. This isn’t a toy for us.