How to Say No to Buying Puppy for Christmas or Hanukkah

Your children have been begging for a puppy for months, maybe years, and they’re like bloodhounds on a scent as December 16 or 25 approach. Is this the year you bring home a new puppy? Some of our clients have trouble saying no to a puppy for the holidays even though they are almost certain they have enough on their hands with their families and current pets. Perhaps an adult dog is better suited to the family dynamic, but the kids are focused on the puppy in the window. This blog post is for those parents, soft-hearted souls who need a little help convincing their kids that a puppy is not right for them at the moment.

Is a puppy, an adult dog, or neither right for you?

A puppy is very much like a newborn child. Puppies are completely dependent on you for food, potty training, medical care, love, and proper socialization with humans and other dogs, all of which are very time-consuming. If you have a dog in the house already, introducing a new puppy to an older dog can be challenging as well and requires planning. There are also the added investments of the right kinds of toys, emergency veterinarian visits, professional training, and grooming. Puppies are hard work, which is why we offer a puppy potty training service and special puppy visits.

We typically don’t recommend buying a puppy; we are staunch believers in adoption over shopping. There are way too many dogs languishing and dying in shelters around our country to merit a purchase from a puppy store. Of course, some of you have a love for a certain breed and are within your right to bring that kind of dog home. We’re happy to say our clients with purebred dogs do their homework and bring home their new family members from reputable, caring breeders. Their dogs are wonderful, healthy, and loved. But not every breeder is like that. Luckily, there are many breed-specific dog rescues (Boxers, Bullies, English Bulldogs, Dachshunds, Yorkies) that can fulfill your need for that special breed without supporting the terrible puppy mill system (online or at one of Miami’s ill-reputed puppy stores).

If you have decided that a new puppy is not the right addition for your family life for the moment, congratulations! We know how hard it is to say no to tiny, cute, soft fur babies. Here are some ways to break the news to your children this year depending on your situation, their age, and maturity level.

If you absolutely don’t want a puppy this year:

1. Santa wants us to help all the hundreds of dogs without homes at the shelter, so we’re donating to Miami-Dade Animal Services this year.
2. The puppy you want comes from a sad place. Buying that puppy will keep those bad people in business.
3. We have too many fun events planned this year and we wouldn’t want to leave the puppy out of them. Let’s wait until we have less going on.
4. Having a new puppy is like having a new child. We don’t have time to take care of him/her the way he deserves to be loved.

If you do want a dog this year, but not a puppy, you have a few good options.

1. We can’t have a puppy right now, but we can foster different kinds of dogs until we find the right one for us. That way we help these pups who need a home and we get to know which kind of dog we like!
2. Santa has different plans for our family. We’re going to help one of the needy dogs from a rescue this year. Let’s look online to see who we want to bring home!

We hope this helps. Let us know if you do end up fostering a dog or taking adopting one. Remember, dogs are not presents. They’re family, and their arrival is as beautiful and full of responsibilities as a new baby would be to your pack!

Frankie Berti

A founding member of the Equipaws family, Frankie can mostly be found working behind the scenes, helping co-create online branding, managing several social media accounts, designing brand collateral, writing copy, and managing events. She also fills in for pet sitters and dog walkers when needed in Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, and South Miami. Her own small pack consists of Boots the Shih Tzu mix and Nutmeg the Chiweenie.