Thinking About Getting a New Pet for the Holidays? What to Consider Before Bringing One Home
The holiday season always brings fun and surprises. For many families, surprises under the tree have four paws and a wagging tail. While the holidays can be a great time to bring home a new pet, once the chaos dies down and life gets back to normal, that dreamy life you envisioned can quickly turn into a stressful situation if you’re not prepared.
The Hidden Downside of Holiday Pets
Every January, shelters see a rise in intakes of surrendered pets. Often many families underestimate the time commitment, new and resident pets not getting along, or the new pet needing more than expected.
By taking the time to plan BEFORE bringing home a new pet you can set your family up for success to keep the pet and live a happy stress free life with them. Planning doesn't just apply to dogs and cats. Considerations need to be made whether you get a mammal, a reptile, bird, or fish.
Making a plan
Here are some tips to set your family up for success with your new furry (or feathery or scaly friend).
Is Everyone On Board?
This includes all humans and non-humans living in the house (or visit often).
For humans, is everyone willing and able to split responsibilities? If not, who is going to be doing all of the care.
What other pets do you already have in the home? They need a say in the decision because they are now going to be sharing their lives with this new pet. Do they already get along with other animals, and if not how will you manage the introduction so everyone stays safe?
Understanding Basic and Additional Needs
All living beings have the basic needs of food, water, shelter, and medical care. We are all feeling the struggle that is the cost of living, this goes for pet supplies and veterinary care too. Make sure to seriously consider if you are in a place where you can provide all of those things and adjust when the pet might need extra special care.
Also consider additional needs for the breed, species, and even age as you are planning to bring home.
Grooming: Many breeds like Doodle mixes need special attention to keep their coats healthy
Health issues: Allergies, hip issues, GI problems, are common health issues and can happen at any age
Species typical behaviors are behaviors that an animal naturally does. Some examples of species typical behaviors are:
Shepherds, Aussies, Border Collies, etc. were selectively bred to herd animals, which means the chances of them chasing and nipping at your kids running around, or other pets are pretty high.
Cats feel safer when they are higher up. So jumping on counters (especially where food comes from) is a behavior many cats are naturally going to do.
Meeting physical and mental exercise needs: Not providing outlets for these can increase the chances of behavioral issues
Pedro Pickles Pascal finds a great hiding spot on top of the cupboards. Photo courtesy of his human Erin Beverly (Heckin Good Dog Training)
Lifestyle Check: Is This the Right Time?
Do you have the time, energy and bandwidth to have an additional life to take care of? Ask yourself the following questions and then consider if you would want to change anything:
Are you home all the time or work out of the house?
Do you have kids or elderly family members living with you?
Do you like to travel?
Do you like to have people over all the time?
Do you have time to do any training that might be needed to integrate the new pet into your home or lifestyle?
Do you have a plan for pet care in case of emergencies?
Now that you know you’re ready for your new pet!
Ask yourself- breeder or shelter? There are pros and cons to both, and no one should ever make you feel shamed for choosing one over the other.
If choosing a breeder, be sure to do your research for one that isn’t just breeding for the look. Genetics for temperament and health should be high on the list. It’s also good to find a breeder that is beginning to work on early and proper socialization while the puppies are with their mother.
Puppies are cute but they are A LOT OF WORK. Between potty training, teething, proper socialization, nap time, and just puppies being puppies it’s exhausting. They then turn into adolescent teenagers and usually have a whole new set of behavior issues arise.
These behavior changes are a normal part of their development growth, but many adolescent dogs (even from breeders) are surrendered to shelters because of their behavior.
Shelter pets usually have unknown histories when they arrive. That means you may need to be a bit more patient and take things slower with them once they come home. Also be aware that even young dogs can develop health issues, so don’t always just walk past the older dogs…they need a loving home too.
Trial Before You Commit: Fostering or Pet Sitting.
After all your thinking and planning, everything seems aligned, except for a couple of areas, which has you feeling a bit hesitant. That’s okay! You can always do a trail run before you fully commit.
Check out your local shelter or rescues foster program. Many times these animals are struggling in the shelter and need to be in a home, but haven’t found their perfect one yet. This can be a great chance to get exposure to different breeds and ages without a lifelong commitment. Foster families are usually given help with food, medical care, and other necessities. Be sure to ask for all the details when speaking with the shelter’s foster coordinator.
Offer to pet sit for a friend or family member. If you know someone with a puppy, I can almost guarantee that they will gladly take you up on puppy sitting to give them a break from those sharp puppy teeth!
Final Thoughts: A New Pet Can be a Present
If you’ve been on social media at all you know that this time of year brings those posts saying that “a pet is not a present, but a life long commitment.” And yes a pet is a HUGE commitment, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be a present to someone you love. Just don’t jump straight into the deep end without putting on your water wings first.
Tigerlily waiting so patiently to rip into her new Christmas dinosaur's while I try to capture a cute photo.
Need help integrating your new pet into your life, or want resources for a foster program? Reach out today to see how I can help!
Hi! I’m Beccy and I’m a professional dog trainer with almost 15 years of animal training experience. I use positive reinforcement and fear-free methods to help dogs and their humans build skills, confidence, and lasting behavior change. My goal is to create a stress free life for you and your dog. I offer in-home training in Maryville, TN and surrounding cities throughout Blount, Sevier, Knox, and Loudon Counties. Online training is available for clients outside of East TN.
