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Christmas Puppies Deserve Gift of Training

Contributed by: Steve Caulk on 12/17/2007

This article was written by Dr. Robert Forto and provided by him in hopes of saving puppies from the over-exuberance of some holiday revelers:

Events of this holiday season will have a profound impact on the dog training industry in April. All those cute puppy-in-a-stocking photos prompt unsuspecting people to give dogs as gifts, inevitably resulting in a high rate of premium business for me and my dog-training colleagues.

The season's spirit of love and generosity often plants "Christmas puppies" impulsively under the tree, without the hard self-assessment of the time, energy and other resources required to raise and socialize that puppy. Better to get that new puppy at a less emotionally charged time of the year, when the decision to add a dog to the family is a less impulsive and more carefully considered one, uninfluenced by seasonal generosity of spirit, which might just fade a bit after the tree comes down and the lights are put away.

Sadly, Christmas puppies tend to become pound puppies a few months later. Worse, a year later it is a full-grown dog subject to euthanasia because parents thought they were buying a "toy" for a child who has no actual responsibility for the animal and loses interest. Also, some people have no idea that dogs grow and get bigger, or at least bigger than they expected. Nor do they consider that the dog will require training and they bring them to me at arm's length saying, "Fix my dog!"

Every April I see frenzied clients at my training center at wits' end, dragging their now-adult sized, out-of-control dogs. They have no leash manners and refuse to come when called. They are hyperactive from a lack of exercise, obese from too many treats, and unwilling even to acknowledge their name. By then, the training becomes more difficult because while the dog is learning new habits, he has to unlearn the bad ones.

Puppies need exercise, discipline and affection -- in that order. The best gift you can ever give that Christmas puppy is prompt obedience training. Your generosity will give you the control, leadership and routine that your dog so much desires; and more importantly, it will build a lifelong bond.

If you are absolutely set upon getting your family a puppy for Christmas, consider this alternative instead: Purchase a leash, a collar, a good book on raising a puppy, a gift certificate for a veterinary checkup, a gift certificate for puppy socialization classes from one of the local obedience instructors, a book or video tape on the topic of how to select the right dog for your family (there are several, including even a computer program that purports to help you do this), or a gift subscription to one of the dog-oriented magazines.

Wrap these up and put them under the tree. As family members unwrap the various pieces of the "puzzle," their delight and anticipation will grow, gradually understanding the nature of the gift. Then, after removing the trappings of the holiday season, the family can enjoy the anticipation of selecting a breed, selecting an individual pup, choosing a name, and so on. This approach will increase the family's mutual commitment to the well-being of the newest family member. It will be a family project, which is a wonderful way for any adoption to commence. It will be a better start both for the puppy and for the long-term relationship between dog and owners. A dog with a good introduction to its adoptive family is much more likely to become a long term companion rather than just another tragic statistic.
______________________
Dr. Robert Forto is the training director of Denver Dog Works. He specializes in canine aggression and behavior problems. He can be reached via his website at www.DenverDogWorks.com or by calling 303-752-2810.


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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Steve Caulk

Westminster , CO

Steve Caulk has posted 42 stories and 3 comments since joining on 12/28/2005. Steve Caulk 's average story rating is 4.9.
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