Before you buy a Christmas puppy
By: Shamontiel L. Vaughn
Tags: Dogs, Pet Owners, Christmas Gift Ideas, Puppies, Animal Rights

As much as I love hanging out with family and friends during the holidays, I must admit that quite a few of my favorite Christmas memories involve a dog somewhere nearby. While my mother will give me a guilt trip about it, my father already knows that if there is a dog anywhere near me, you just invited a dog napper into your home. In the very rare occasion that a dog doesn’t like me (less than a handful of times in owning two dogs and walking 80) and I have to opt out of a dog walk, my eyes will very likely stay on that four-legged fur ball running around the room.

But there was one particular puppy who I wish I would’ve laid eyes on a few weeks after Christmas. The puppy was beautiful and comfortably sat in my lap, but I kept hearing him whimper. Even after being bottle fed, he seemed sad in a way that I just did not remember my other two dogs being. Although I was initially terrified of the puppy that became a statue on our basement step for 13 years and ecstatic to see another one who hogged our hallway for 9 years, neither one of them seemed miserable to be around me upon first introduction. No matter what I did with this one, nothing helped.

The next time I saw my brother’s wife, who the dog belonged to, she was dog-less. She said she had to return the dog to his mother for a little while longer because the dog was starving. As soon as he saw his mother, he immediately went straight for the colostrum. According to the American Kennel Club, “Puppies rely on their mother’s antibodies to get them through their first few weeks of life. Puppies start to lose this immunity between six and eight weeks of age, at around the time they receive their first vaccines.”

But the owner of the bitch just wanted to be able to provide safe, happy homes for these puppies, not knowing that she was doing a disservice to them at such a young age. This was the first in many lessons I learned about puppy shopping over Christmas.

Pet adopting and shopping over the holidays

In 2020, social isolation has led many people to become first-time or repeat dog owners. It’s gotten to the point where some shelters have run out of dogs to give away and dog fostering locations were able to find dog foster parents too fast to even get through the waiting list; the ASPCA saw a 70 percent increase in interest alone.

Photo credit: JillWellington/Pixabay

But there are a few additional things that new pet owners should keep in mind when trying to find a puppy this Christmas (and even after the coronavirus vaccine is available to all).

Prepare for a warm, draft-free room ahead of time. Newborn puppies cannot control their body temperatures. Although it seemed odd to me at first to wrap a furry dog in a blanket, they must be kept away from drafty areas. And if you live in a cold-weather climate, you can put them at even more risk. The Merck Veterinary Manual recommends using a heat lamp to keep the new litter warm, as long as you can also keep track of overheating risks, too. Before adopting, ask whether heat lamps or heating pads are recommended.

Newborn puppies cannot control their body temperatures. Although it seemed odd to me at first to wrap a furry dog in a blanket, they must be kept away from drafty areas. And if you live in a cold-weather climate, you can put them at even more risk. The Merck Veterinary Manual recommends using a heat lamp to keep the new litter warm, as long as you can also keep track of overheating risks, too. Before adopting, ask whether heat lamps or heating pads are recommended. Know how to hold puppies for feeding. According to the Veterinary Centers of America, Inc. (VCA), when feeding, hold the puppy in a horizontal, head-neutral position as it would be when feeding from its mother. If you cannot master that, contact a veterinarian immediately to show you alternative feeding methods and assist in tube feeding. If the dog is cold, you also put it at risk of aspiration — inhaling food or liquid into one’s windpipes or lungs.

According to the Veterinary Centers of America, Inc. (VCA), when feeding, hold the puppy in a horizontal, head-neutral position as it would be when feeding from its mother. If you cannot master that, contact a veterinarian immediately to show you alternative feeding methods and assist in tube feeding. If the dog is cold, you also put it at risk of aspiration — inhaling food or liquid into one’s windpipes or lungs. Understand the hygiene needs of newborn puppies. Bottles and nipples should be cleaned and then boiled in water to sterilize them between each use. Additionally, refer to the instructions to clarify how long milk replacers should last. The VCA recommends using it all within 24 hours and to always keep it refrigerated. If you forget, discard any remaining formula after one hour (when it is usually at room temperature).

Bottles and nipples should be cleaned and then boiled in water to sterilize them between each use. Additionally, refer to the instructions to clarify how long milk replacers should last. The VCA recommends using it all within 24 hours and to always keep it refrigerated. If you forget, discard any remaining formula after one hour (when it is usually at room temperature). Be ready for different temperaments of older puppies. The Internet is flooded with stories about why people shouldn’t get dogs from puppy mills. You can do a simple Google search for a flood of op-eds on the topic. (I have mixed opinions on it because the dog is already here. Ditching the dog doesn’t change the fact that it now needs an owner.) However, I have never bought a puppy mill dog. I’m sure I’ve walked a few though, judging from the level of initial aggression, mistrust, frustration and loneliness these dogs usually exhibit from either the owners of the puppy mills or prior pet owners who should not have been allowed within 1,000 feet of anything on four legs.

The Internet is flooded with stories about why people shouldn’t get dogs from puppy mills. You can do a simple Google search for a flood of op-eds on the topic. (I have mixed opinions on it because the dog is already here. Ditching the dog doesn’t change the fact that it now needs an owner.) However, I have never bought a puppy mill dog. I’m sure I’ve walked a few though, judging from the level of initial aggression, mistrust, frustration and loneliness these dogs usually exhibit from either the owners of the puppy mills or prior pet owners who should not have been allowed within 1,000 feet of anything on four legs. Stay in touch with the dog owner — more specifically, the bitch. This is yet another reason that puppy mills are tough. If a “family” claims that they had puppies to give away, but you never get to see the pet parents nor do you see any sign of the dog in a healthy, happy household, chances are this is a for-profit company. That puts the puppy at risk immediately. If the puppy really does come from a family household, you should be able to do exactly what my brother’s wife did — take the puppy back to the mother if (s)he was taken just way too soon. Unfortunately, abandoned puppies don’t have this luxury so you better be a fast learner as a dog owner. But if you do, don’t lose touch. Yes, there is a safe socialization period (6 to 12 weeks) for a dog to get used to the new home, away from his sisters and brothers and mother and father. But there is a drastically different timeline between basic nutritional needs and optional family gatherings.

If any of the above makes you want to run for the hills instead of getting a puppy this young, maybe hold off for a few weeks. Let the initial owners and dog caregivers handle this part. Keep in mind though that as with any living being, you’ll still have to be aware of all health, nutrition and behavior habits. If you’re nervous now, you’ll be nervous later. Get yourself ready to have a dog long before the dog trots into your home.