There are many warnings and cautionary tales written about getting a puppy for Christmas, but folks do it anyway.
Let’s go over the list of do’s and don’ts, so the puppy and the person it’s been “gifted” to have the best chance of success.
1. Do your research. The purchase price in no way reflects the quality of the animal. The best purebred puppy comes from a responsible breeder, who has the friendly mother of the pups on site, can show you at least a three-generation pedigree, has raised the puppies indoors, will not let a puppy leave the litter before 8 weeks of age, and can show you health clearances for both parents, such as hips and elbows certified free of dysplasia. Physically and temperamentally sound puppies are not found over the Internet. Don’t support the puppy mill industry by making one of these purchases; research can save you grief and money by ensuring you get a healthy and stable pup.
2. Do your breed profiling carefully. Although Labradors are popular, the family pet type – the mellow, relaxed, easygoing dog – is not what you will get when purchasing a Lab bred to work in the field. Many a dog fancier will tell you that field-bred Labradors have a high energy level, which can make owning them as pets a challenge. The same can be said for many working breeds, including the German shepherd. Anytime a dog is described as a working dog, it generally means the dog has a high level of energy and needs a job to be happy and to prevent you from going nuts. So unless you plan on a high level of training and lots of time spent working the dog in his field of expertise, stay away from dogs with working descendants and working titles in the pedigree, and look for the family-pet-bred dog instead.
3. Look at other venues. There are plenty of adoptable animals at the shelter, and plenty of pure-breed rescue groups with dogs looking for a home. Keep in mind that the majority of older adoptable dogs do have baggage: They often have a few behavior problems to overcome. This isn’t a reason not to adopt, but be prepared to seek out professional advice when bringing an older rescued dog home.