5 Great Holiday Gifts for New Puppy Parents

Are you searching for the perfect holiday gift for a friend, family member, or coworker with a new dog or puppy? Here are a few of our favorite suggestions for new pet parents this holiday season!

The Gift of Good Behavior

Whether your friend has a new puppy or has adopted an adolescent, adult, or senior dog, enrolling the dog in a positive-reinforcement-based training program will help dog and owner develop a solid relationship based on trust.

Giving the gift of education will help ensure a dog is able to stay in his new home for a lifetime. Gift certificates for training services from a skilled behavior professional or trainer in your area make great stocking stuffers and can be purchased in nearly any denomination.

The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) publishes a handy checklist (PDF) to help you find a good local trainer.

The Gift of Knowledge

Training books and DVDs can also make great Christmas gifts. My favorite sources for training information are Tawzer Dog Videos, Dogwise, and Karen Pryor Clicker Training. Tawzer now offers a Netflix-type delivery service. Annual memberships in programs like these can be a dream for committed dog owners!

Consider giving your friend or family member an annual subscription to the Whole Dog Journal, a monthly independent publication that offers up-to-date information on holistic training, nutrition, and health care.

The Gift of Safety

You need management tools to keep your dog safe and out of trouble while teaching him desirable foundation skills. Crates, baby gates, exercise pens, and tethers are all invaluable in helping your dog adjust to a new household environment.

Susan Garrett’s Crate Games DVD teaches dogs not simply to tolerate, but to actually love time spent in their crates!

The Gift of Zen

Most dog owners prefer a dog who is happy and relaxed at home to one who is rambunctious with an overabundance of energy. Products like Through a Dog’s Ear and Dog Appeasing Pheremone (D.A.P.) help promote a state of emotional well-being in dogs.

Food-dispensing toys are another way to promote mental wellness and reduce boredom-related behavior problems in dogs — we’ll talk about those in more depth next week.

The Gift of Sanitation

While we all love dogs, they can certainly be messy. Appropriate grooming tools make great holiday gifts and will satisfy any neat freaks on your Christmas list. If you know what breed your friend’s dog is, call a local grooming shop and ask what type of tools they use. Adopters of dogs with high-maintenance coats may also appreciate gift certificates for a well-recommended groomer.

Even if your friend or family member has adopted an adult dog who was previously house-trained, dogs may need reminding that the rule “go potty outside” applies, even in a new environment. Clean-up tools, from enzymatic cleaners specifically designed to clean up dog waste like Nature’s Miracle to poop bags and scoopers, make it easier to keep the home and yard clean while new puppies and dogs are being house-trained.

Stay tuned! Next week, we’ll discuss some great gifts for dogs.

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Adults kids, older parents, and gift puppies

Last night’s basic obedience class at Kindred Spirits was the third week in the schedule.

In the previous two weeks, the dogs and owners had been introduced to training skills such as sit, down, stay, watch me, and loose leash walking. Most of the dogs and their owners were showing progress and I was hearing lots of “Yeah! Good job!”

However, one woman was having problems. In speaking with her while we were taking attendance, she said the dog is fine at home but distracted everywhere else. I explained what was going on there, that it was normal, and with practice and maturity her adolescent dog would get better.

But I had a suspicion that something more was going on she wasn’t fessing up to, so I asked my partners at Kindred Spirits, Kate and Petra, to keep an eye on her as I taught the class. Soon, Kate pulled the woman and her dog to the side of class for several minutes.

After class, Kate said the dog, an Australian Cattle Dog, was a gift from her adult son. The woman had not wanted a dog, and she said even if she did, she wouldn’t have chosen a puppy. Additionally, she would not have chosen a cattle dog. Now she’s unhappy with the situation, unhappy with her son, and unhappy with the dog. Not a good combination.

Kate told her that obviously we couldn’t change the situation, but if she wanted to place the dog, we’d help her get in touch with cattle dog rescue. Meanwhile, Kate said “You’re unhappy with the dog and showing your displeasure very clearly, but this situation isn’t his fault!”

This happens far too often. We start two to four new classes a month at KS, and in every class there there are at least one if not two older students who have been given a puppy by an adult child. In the vast majority of the cases the parent did not want a dog, was not given any say as to the breed, and often the breed and/or age of the dog wasn’t appropriate. That just sets the entire situation to fail. How sad for everyone.

Last summer, we had an elderly woman. She told us she was in her late 80s, and her 60 year-old son gave her a Golden Retriever puppy. She would have been happy with an older adult Golden, she said, but not a puppy. Before she came to see us, the puppy had already knocked her down several times, and the last time she was hurt. We told her the best thing she could do at that point was call her son and tell him to come get the dog.

My Mom did get a puppy after my Dad passed away. She debated with herself – puppy versus adult dog – and decided she was still active enough to handle a puppy. She also took the time to research breeds. I answered questions when she asked, but she made her own decision and decided that a Cocker mix puppy would suit her well. It has! Ginger has been great company for Mom.

In many cases, though, I think a dog who is past the puppy and adolescent stage would be a wiser choice, especially if the older owner is having some mobility or health issues. Sometimes, too many people remain stuck in the mindset that only a puppy will do.

I also understand why the adult kids might think that Mom (or Dad) might ‘need’ a dog especially if the parent is living alone. The dog is companionship —  loving and affectionate, tough, security, exercise, and social interaction. I know I’m happy that Mom has a dog in the house with her.

But in my humble opinion, the parent needs a say in the decision. He or she needs to be able to say ‘no’ without fear of hurting the adult child’s feelings. The parent also needs to be able to have a say in the breed or mixtures thereof; the size, the personality, the temperament, and the age of the dog. The best scenario would be if the adult child offers to buy the dog and pay future veterinary needs (and if needed, food and toys and other expenses) and let the parent choose her own dog.

Photo credit: Archer as a puppy, Liz Palika.

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