Should You Give A Puppy As A Present?

With the holidays in full swing, the gifts are starting to pile up. Hopefully, you have completed your holiday shopping by now, but if not, you might be struggling for a gift idea. If so, the idea of gifting a puppy might have popped into your head, but should you act on this idea?

Before you commit and purchase a puppy, let’s take a look at some situations where it would and would NOT be a good idea to buy someone a puppy for a gift.

Reasons To Gift A Puppy

First, in the spirit of giving, why not look at some reasons to give someone a puppy as a gift.

The person has expressed long term interest in a puppy.

If someone has mentioned that they want a puppy, then a puppy might be a good gift idea. Just make sure that this is not a new interest, this person should have had the desire to be a dog owner for a long period of time. This will ensure that they are not someone who is going to change their mind, because pet ownership is a big responsibility.

The person has the ability to care for a puppy long term.

Caring for a puppy is a huge deal. They will need proper shelter, food, veterinary care and exercise. These things do not come cheap and even though the puppy itself is free, pet ownership will cost thousands of dollars over the life of an animal. Make sure that whoever you gift a puppy has a proper home, the desire to care for an animal and enough money to take care of it’s needs.

Reasons NOT To Gift A Puppy

Now, let’s flip the coin and look for reasons not to give someone a puppy as a gift.

The person has never mentioned wanting a puppy.

This should be an obvious red flag, but some people think that everyone really loves puppies deep down. If the person in question has never mentioned wanting a puppy, don’t get them one. It could turn out well, but it could also be a complete disaster for them, you and the puppy.

The person only recently mentioned wanting a puppy.

Pet ownership is a big deal and a long term commitment. Even short lived dogs like Great Danes can live for 10 years and smaller dogs like the Chihuahua can be around for almost twice that time. This means that pet ownership is something that should be thought long and hard about. If the person only recently mentioned wanting a puppy, they might not have considered the long term consequences yet.

The person can not care for a puppy.

Not everyone who wants a puppy has the ability to properly care for an animal. Some people do not live in a place where pets are allowed or might not have enough green space to make a dog happy. Others might lack the funds to properly care for a pet. That puppy might be free, but it will cost the owner thousands of dollars over the course of their life. Food, medications and vet bills are not cheap.

The person has not told you what kind of dog they want.

As you likely know, dogs come in all shapes and sizes, but their owners come in two basic categories. Big dog people or small dog people. You would not want to gift somebody a Pomeranian puppy when they wanted  German Shepherd.