A dog is for life not just for Christmas

This famous phrase coined by Clarissa Baldwin the Dog Trust chief executive in 1986. A dog is for life, not just for Christmas. Came at a time when 10’s of thousands of people thought it would be an amazing gift to give loved ones dogs for Christmas. In fact, around 15 years ago the phrase had to be trademarked, to stop other companies using to their own monetary advantage.

Now in 2022 this phrase is well known all over the world and you may think that this is a problem of the past – but you would be wrong. The problem today is more prevalent than ever. It is a huge issue – both for the beautiful dogs, and for the organisations that deal with the fallout.

The Dogs Trust recently released statistics that revealed that on-line searches for dogs increases by over 44% in the run-up to Christmas and that in the following months, they receive – on average – a call every six minutes from people looking to give up their dogs.

I had the chance to speak with Jenni, Salisbury Dog Trainer’s head behaviourist about this problem as she kicks off a campaign aimed at raising awareness of the problem and using her position as a top dog trainer to caution people against giving dogs as Christmas presents.

Here’s what she had to say.

Hello Jenni, really good to meet you and get your views on this subject.

Hi Ross, thank you for taking the time to cover this important issue.

In a nutshell, why shouldn’t we give dogs as Christmas gifts?

A dog is a living breathing creature and not something that should be gift wrapped. Dogs need a lot of attention and care, and Christmas is a very busy time for most of us and dealing with a new puppy or dog at this time can be very demanding.

What if the kids had begged us for a new puppy?

I do understand that my children have also put me in that situation many times, yet I have never done that and I’m a dog trainer. If I was thinking about a new addition to the family, I would choose to get one earlier than Christmas or sometime in the New Year.

What difference does it make when we get a dog?

Getting a dog is a really big commitment – and that’s something that starts immediately. You really need to plan for your new arrival, making sure you have done your research on the things you will need to start out with, the type of training methods you need to explore. You also need to think about the insurances and other health related appointments like microchips for identity purposes.

For me Christmas is not the day for all this, as I am busy working and shopping before, then I want to relax on my days off over Christmas. I am not sure I want to deal with toilet training like running in and out of the house 10 times a day to avoid indoor accidents. I certainly wouldn’t want to be cleaning up after a messy puppy at this time. Then there is bedtime and the waking up through the night.

This is something that new owners can find overwhelming – suddenly having to give so much time and attention to your dog – it’s not unlike having a new child!

What if we have made all our plans in advance?

If you have done all your research on the breed and planned well in advance and understand the expectations, then maybe you are the kind of person or family to cope with a new dog at this busy time of year. The problem is that a majority of prospective dog owners have not done this, and that is why we see a large number of abandoned/ rehomed puppies and dogs each year at this time. The Dogs Trust say that they get a call every six minutes on average from people looking to give up their new dog. 

Can choosing a particular breed help to lessen this problem?

I would say this comes with the research side of getting a puppy or dog. I have always taken rescue dogs or rehomes, as this helps to contribute towards solving the problem of abandoned and homeless dogs, so I am not personally picky about the breed.

However, if you are keen on a puppy – and one that comes from a breeder – then you should certainly investigate the kind of breed you are planning on. It’s important to take things into consideration with your own lives, like how busy you are and how much time you would have to walk your dog, for example.

Bigger breeds and working breeds may require more walking than smaller ones. Of course, in the beginning they are probably too young to be walking at all, but the day soon arrives as to when they need that valuable exercise.

Also, if you have small children at home, then the larger breeds can cause injuries when climbing or jumping up at them. So having an understanding of the breed certainly helps in the long run.

What about training does that help?

I would say that if you are getting a dog and have had little experience in the past with dogs then you should certainly be getting a good dog trainer to assist you.  Whether that is through puppy training classes, in a group environment or on one-to-one basis, getting it right from the start is probably the key to maintaining a balanced dog, and a balanced dog usually leads to a happy household.

We have all seen the surprise puppy for Christmas, whether on the TV or internet. What would you say to that?

For me, this would be a recipe for disaster. Look I am not saying you should never give someone a dog as a present, we are all capable of making our own choices. However, the surprise dog is unlikely to be planned for. If you heard a family member mention, they would like a puppy at some stage please remember the things I have said and perhaps go with the gift set or socks for Christmas and leave the puppy for afterwards.

What are you going to do to raise awareness on this subject?

I am going use my power as a dog trainer and my website that gets many 1000’s of visitors each month to stay on this subject. I already have experience with working at rescue homes abroad and have seen how money is a big factor in keeping these homes running.

I am hoping to get some published writings in the local media and will also try and get some radio interviews to talk about this subject. I will also be speaking to other dog trainers around the country to see if I can get published posts on their websites so I can reach a wider audience.

Do you think that this will change people’s desire to buy dogs as Christmas gift?

Honestly, I know that I can’t do this on my own, to be fair the Government have a part to play here too. It is about time that laws change in this country. The government did away with dog the dog licence back in the 80’s, at the time it was one of those grey areas that could not be policed.

I know that it unlikely that we will see any kind of measures being re-introduced but the way in which breeders work could be regulated and the awareness campaigns could be bought back in. The dogs trust has a You tube video which was made in 2018 and it echoes Clarissa’s slogan in a comical but meaningful way.

The fact of the matter is just like 8 billion humans on the planet, the dog population will keep rising exponentially, with an online audience that are spending more than 13 million a year on our beloved four-legged best friends, I don’t see a bright future for many 1000’s of dogs this Christmas.

 All we can hope is that people do the right thing and remember “A dog is for life, not just for Christmas.