1996 Moses, G 'Day Mate and Captain all Shetland Sheepdogs or Shelties
My Grandparents D were firm believers that every child should have a dog. They gave me my first dog for my third Christmas back in 1954. His name was Frostie. I have many pictures of him lurking in the back ground, when I am holding a birthday cake. He was probably a mutt, part Collie and who knows what else. I do know that one of my very first memories is of the smell of a dog. I can never remember being afraid of a dog as a child. Growing up on a farm we went through our share of dogs. Some were runners, my Dad would deal with them. A gunshot early on a Saturday morning meant that someone had been dealt with. I learned early on to accept dogs coming and going, weaving their way in and out of my life, but I did not like it. Dogs were expendable, never allowed in the house, and if they ran off with other dogs or chased cattle especially calves in the spring they were soon gone. I would always pitch a fit, and bawl for days after one of them disappeared.
The only advice my parents gave my husband-to-be Far Guy was "Never let her have a dog, you will save yourself a lot of grief if she never has any." It was the truth.
As the Christmas Season approaches, anyone that is thinking about adding a dog or even a cat to your household, or giving a grandchild a Christmas puppy or kitten. Please stop and think. If you want to give a live gift to a child..are they ready for the responsibility...are they old enough to care for an animal? A gift certificate or a promise of a new puppy when school is out seems much better to me, time for kids and puppies to bond and make connections.
I have had three Christmas puppies in my lifetime. Frostie when I was three. G' Day Mate who was part of a litter of our Shelties and was already in our house, I gave her to Far Guy as a Christmas gift because I could not bear to part with her, she was part of our family for eleven years. And Chance, we got him the day after Christmas four years ago. It worked out well for these Christmas Puppies, but usually that is not the case. Puppies should be more than a good photo opportunity on Christmas morning:)
I love the photo of those Shelties.. so sweet!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes - Christmas kittens and puppies is a growing problem.
Amen!
ReplyDeleteDogs are a lot of work. They deserve to be cared for properly. It takes time, money and patience to train a puppy into an obedient pet. A stuffed animal is more pratical for the holidays unless you absolutely know what your getting into. I would suggest checking out some books at the library about training and caring for your new puppy. It will help you out tremendously in the long run.
Thanks Connie for posting this story. I hope you don't mind me adding my two cents here.
Milah, You can add your 2 cents anytime. Dogs and Cats are near and dear to my heart! :)
ReplyDeleteFunny, reading this as I got a kitten yesterday from a rescue group at Petco. And yes, I did think about Christmas not being the best time to get the cat. But I figured this cat needs a home and I (we) have love to give. I took the plunge.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, it is so true that people get caught up in the idea of a cute animal at Christmas, and don't consider the repercussions.
ReplyDeleteAnother bad time for animals is Easter, so many poor little things being dumped.
Jen
The puppies are lovely, but we don't have pets, because they are a lot of work, they do give back a lot of love, and if I was ever on my own I would then have a pup..
ReplyDeleteJust had to say, that "G'Day Mate" is an old Aussie greeting / saying for 'Hello, how are you' people will say it to anyone walking along the street if they smile or nod to them.
Hugs Julia
I used to clean house for a woman who had a Sheltie. I really wanted to like the dog, but it was hyper and they didn't pay much attention to it and it spent most of the time I was there barking at me. I didn't know about Cesar then.
ReplyDeleteI agree.
ReplyDeleteAn animal is your responsibility -- and should not be something that is ever easy to discard.
It hurts so badly.
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ReplyDeleteChristmas animals...puppies and kittens, and Easter animals...ducks, chickens, and rabitts. People really do need to stop and think what have an animal means....food, water, potty training, walks, and lots of love. Not to mention patience and money. People really do need to STOP and think.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, I forgot...I'm preaching to the choir.
Your puppies are adorable!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/
I agree totally with everyone ... Christmas or Easter is NOT the time to get a cute little animal that will probably end up going to the pound or just being dumped.
ReplyDeletePeople need to think! Thank you for bringing this problem up!
Amen, sistah! Amen.
ReplyDeleteI love dogs, but yeah. They are way more than photo ops!