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:)
