We adopted a dog in December 2 years ago. We did not do it as surprise. Kids were part of the process of meeting / adopting the dog, who came home with us about a week and half before Christmas Day. We told the kids getting a dog was a big present for the whole family, and Christmas gifts were a little lighter that year. Worked out just fine.

Pets are not presents.

As for the "puppy under the tree" pictures for instagram/vids for the tok, the smart way to do that is to already have the puppy at home, acclimated to family noises, and then take those pics/vids before Christmas, when it's just family and you can use unopened presents as props and an empty, wrapped box for the puppy. You put the puppy in the box multiple times, take eleventy pics of it scrambling out, edit your life away, and post your favorite as the "aww, Christmas puppy" pic/clip you're pretending is your real life happening in real time (nobody posts their actual life to social media).

But if you're trying to get the fake Hallmark presentation as an actual holiday/birthday/event present, you're an idiot and an ass.

Pets are not presents.

It’s an interesting question, and I’ve often wondered how those picture-perfect "puppy under the tree" moments actually play out in real life!

In most cases, surprising someone with a puppy as a Christmas gift isn't the best idea for several reasons. Puppies require immediate care, attention, and training, and they’re not something you can easily “hide” for days without it becoming stressful for both the pup and the family. Barking, accidents, and the need for regular feeding and bathroom breaks make it pretty impractical to keep them hidden for long.

For those who do it, though, they might coordinate with the breeder or shelter to pick up the puppy close to Christmas Day—or even wait until Christmas morning itself. Some also choose to give a creative "puppy IOU," like a stuffed animal or a photo, along with the promise of bringing the real puppy home once everyone is ready and the excitement has settled down.

Ultimately, the best gifts are the ones that have been carefully planned, with everyone involved committed to the responsibility that comes with a new pet. A puppy is a wonderful addition to the family, but they’re a long-term commitment that goes far beyond the holiday season! 😊

My parents gave us a wrapped box with a note inside saying we could go get a puppy. We went as a family to pick one out.
I know a family who did something similar with a note, but was able to go get the puppy on Christmas Day afternoon from a breeder who had timed a litter that way. They've since given up the dog, which IMO is relevant.

Agree with PPs that pets should not be gifts. Everybody in the family should be part of the decision to get a pet.

I think kids should be involved in picking out the pet. My parents always took us along when picking out a puppy. I did the same when we got our cat, we took my son to the shelter with us when we went to look at cats.

Anonymous wrote:I feel like commercials years ago would show them hiding the puppies in the laundry room or bathroom. Kids waking up excited and seeing the puppy in a box under the tree type of situation.

In real life, does this happen like this? You buy the dog and keep it hidden in the house? But it barks no?

Only an irresponsible idiot would do this.

Anonymous wrote:I care about the puppies and everything blah blah.

But also, as a parent, why would you waste Puppy Day on Christmas Day? Give them a collar and leash or something on Christmas and pick up the puppy in late January when you really need Puppy Day.

This. My parents wrapped a picture of our puppy for my brother and me and we picked her up a couple weeks later. We wrapped up a nerf ball thrower for DS and picked up the dog the following week.

I care about the puppies and everything blah blah.

But also, as a parent, why would you waste Puppy Day on Christmas Day? Give them a collar and leash or something on Christmas and pick up the puppy in late January when you really need Puppy Day.

Husband brought our puppy home Christmas Eve and we told the children about 20 mins before he arrived. We did this so they don’t make noise and freak out the puppy. When he arrived they were quiet and sweet and it was a nice introduction to the house.

It's not feasible.

We got a Christmas puppy, in the sense that we drove a couple of days after Christmas to a "restaurant far away", and picked up our dog from his breeder. The kids were so happy. It's not humane to keep a puppy, that you need to potty train the minute you receive, hidden somewhere in your house. What are you going to do when he needs to pee outside? If you keep it at someone else's house, you cannot bond.

Maybe cats are easier in the sense they don't need to go outside, but I presume kittens have social and emotional needs that won't be met if they're shut up in a room somewhere with little human interaction.

Breeders of dogs, cats, and small animals all have "Christmas litters" around the Holidays. But the responsible ones will not hand you the animal for you to hide it until Christmas, and indeed, good breeders will want to meet all the household members beforehand, and won't sell to families with very young children (and they won't ship you an animal either - you have to come get it).

We are getting a pet rabbit from a "Christmas litter", and will pick her up this weekend. No hiding. Potty-training - all hands on board!

Anonymous wrote:Most responsible dog owners and breeders really recommend against this. It's really hard to have the puppy hidden in a way that's not cruel; it's generally bad to bring a puppy into a house and not have it set up where it is going t obe going forward or to have to transition it twice (once into grandma's house, then into your house, for instance) in a short period; plus Xmas morning is already overwhelming so increases risk of injury to the pup or to your belongings (almost certain puppy will poop on your rug or eat someone's new sweater given the general chaos). Most people recommend doing something like a photo of the dog with a note from Santa saying that puppies don't travel well in the sleigh, but you can pick up the dog on such a date in January at such a location.

This! A dog is not a f#^*ing toy!! It is a living thing! You don’t sound like you should have a dog at all.

Most responsible dog owners and breeders really recommend against this. It's really hard to have the puppy hidden in a way that's not cruel; it's generally bad to bring a puppy into a house and not have it set up where it is going t obe going forward or to have to transition it twice (once into grandma's house, then into your house, for instance) in a short period; plus Xmas morning is already overwhelming so increases risk of injury to the pup or to your belongings (almost certain puppy will poop on your rug or eat someone's new sweater given the general chaos). Most people recommend doing something like a photo of the dog with a note from Santa saying that puppies don't travel well in the sleigh, but you can pick up the dog on such a date in January at such a location.

Probably at a friend or relatives house.

My sister did his-she kept two kittens in her room a couple of days and told her kids not to go in because there were unwrapped presents.

I feel like commercials years ago would show them hiding the puppies in the laundry room or bathroom. Kids waking up excited and seeing the puppy in a box under the tree type of situation.

In real life, does this happen like this? You buy the dog and keep it hidden in the house? But it barks no?