Should I Get a Christmas Puppy?

There’s a stigma around Christmas puppies—but is it really deserved? Let’s unwrap the myths, the truths, and everything in between about bringing home a Goldendoodle for the holidays.🎁🐾

Well, it's happened. A list is half-full of super excited puppy buyers and the mama dog is a month-and-a-half later coming in heat than expected. I run to the calendar and calculate timing. Then reality sinks in. So, here at Beechwood, I’m having to think hard about our first Christmas litter. What to do? It can be quite the volatile topic on forums, as puppy mills and buyer emotions are in full swing during the holidays. Do I chance continuing filling her list and offering puppies during a time many are more tempted to make emotional rather than rational puppy purchasing decisions? Sigh. It would be much easier to skip a heat. Yet our lists for specific litters begin filling way ahead of time. The inability to perfectly pinpoint timing of heat doesn’t lend itself to an easy answer when all of a sudden I realize a litter go-home date is a few days after Christmas--with a few pup parents already on the list anticipating their long-awaited fur babies.

So, here we go…Dash away, dash away, dash away all… into the Christmas puppy debate!

Every December, you’ll see those “Christmas puppy” warnings making the rounds like fruitcake—passed along so many times they start to sound like fact. But are Christmas puppies really all on the naughty list? Are they always dropped off at shelters? Are the holidays too hectic for a new furry friend? Or is every Christmas puppy just a passing novelty? 🎄🐾 Ho, ho, hold on a second—! 🎅✨ The truth is, there’s no blanket rule. A puppy can land on the nice list any time of year—or on the naughty list, too. It all comes down to your reasons, and whether you put the puppy and its welfare first. So, before you say yes to that fluffy bundle topped with a bow, make your naughty or nice list and check it twice…

Naughty:

A puppy is the perfect novel gift

A puppy is an awesome “surprise”

A puppy is for the kids

A puppy will blend right in with the jingles, baubles, and family photos

Nice:

A puppy is for lifetime, not Christmastime

A puppy is a well-thought-out, prepared-for, everyone-on-board venture

A puppy is the ultimate responsibility of adult caretakers, not kids to learn responsibility

A puppy needs a puppy proof house and carefully monitored socialization with others

You get it. The naughty and nice list could go on and on…

But it all falls under this—a puppy needs love, love, love. If that love is rooted in a commitment to ensure that decisions are based first and foremost with the puppy’s well-being in mind, well, that covers a multitude of checklists for what makes the best owners, the best environment, the best personal timing, and even the best breeders. The latter, by the way, might need a quick refresher. If you’re here on our website blowing through the many, many websites out there, getting caught up in the emotional excitement of getting a puppy—and who wouldn’t—please pause to make sure rationality trumps emotion and you are selecting from a reputable, ethical breeder.

Make sure your breeder is:

• Responsible about getting health tests and clearances on all their parent dogs (hips, heart, elbows, patella, eyes, and breed-specific genetic issues)

• Practicing early neurological stimulation and proven developmental programs

• Ensuring their pedigrees are genetically diverse

• Offering short and long-term health guarantees

• Not over-breeding

• Relying on temperament testing to help in matching pup to buyer

• Committed to each parent dog living a normal life in a home as a loved-on pet (Guardian program)

If you are uncertain or uneasy your breeder is about this, a great way to get a head start in assurance that you are not supporting a puppy mill or falling for a scam, as the danger of both are higher at Christmas, choose your breeder from members of the Goldendoodle Association of North America. Visit here for a GANA breeder list:

https://www.goldendoodleassociation.com/best-reputable-goldendoodle-breeders-and-puppies/

These are not the only great breeders out there, but it is a wonderful list of some of the best!

Are you still hearing sleigh bells and puppy yips? GREAT! You’ll find with all the normal puppy planning and just a little “extra” planning, that actually the holidays offer a few great perks for welcoming a puppy, not the least of which include having the family all together, everyone having time off, and ample opportunities to socialize the new family member with others. Now, let’s talk about the “extra” planning…

“Paws” to Plan

• Think through timing. Some Christmas mornings are peaceful and reflective. Some are full of chaos. If yours is chaos, perhaps arrange to have a picture of the puppy and a couple of puppy supplies wrapped and placed under the tree, then arrange with the breeder to pick up the puppy several days after Christmas, so the day the puppy arrives is a day truly and fully devoted to the puppy.

• Plan your decorations. Hang heavier or glass ornaments higher.

• Avoid tinsel or keep it high out of reach, vacuuming any stray pieces.

• Avoid edible decorations, such as candy canes and gingerbread, to steer clear of tummy upsets.

• Be proactive. Cover and hide wires. Set up a gate to prevent the puppy from even getting to your tree—either blocking the room or adding an attractive gate around the tree.

• Securely tighten mistletoe, wherever it’s hung, and watch for any fallen berries or holly from wreaths.

• Watch out for stray wrapping paper, tape, strings, batteries, Legos, small toys, etc.

• Assure you have two crates or safe enclosure areas—one for the puppy to be near all the fun holiday commotion, and another in a quiet bedroom so as not over-stimulate him or her, and also so your family can have special moments to focus only on each other.

• Purchase “Rescue” spray for extra holiday visitors to spray the bottoms of their shoes before coming inside (or have a policy of removing shoes)

That said, are you still all in?

Are you still "all in," or are you doing a double take?

What do I get with my Beechwood Christmas Puppy?

• An invitation to a Puppy Party Christmas Drop-in the week before Christmas to meet the puppies. A convenient date will be discussed and agreed upon by those on this special waitlist.

• A letter from Santa to any children explaining puppies couldn’t fit in the sleigh and safely make the trip from the North Pole.

• An 8x10 beautiful framed photo of your puppy or the litter to put under the tree.

• A flexible pick-up window to allow for holiday happenings and schedules.

• Lots of my availability to come up with your own awesome personal Christmas puppy plan!

Of course, by the time you read this, Christmas may have come and gone—but the “nice list” of reasons to welcome a puppy lasts all year long. Our fluffy bundles of love are a gift of joy from the very first cuddle, whether it’s under the tree or by your side in July. So whenever you’re ready to add a little magic to your family, check your list, check it twice… and then go ahead and get started!

👉 Apply here