Where can I find a puppy in time for Christmas . . .

Cherry Blossom

Explain and discuss . . .

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Cherry Blossom

Very few reputable breeders have puppies for sale at Christmas, only so many litters can be bred from a dog and winter puppies don't get the best start in life so it there is no reason why a decent breeder would have pups at this time of year.

Once a puppy leaves a breeder, that person has no control over how that dog is kept and most will not risk the possibility that a two month old pup will be left outside to freeze to death and this is the very fate than many Christmas puppies fall victim to.

Ireland is one of the biggest contributors in the world to the massive problem of puppy mills and backyard breeders ie. people looking to fill their pockets by off-loading sub-standard animals on to people who have fallen victim to their children and the Christmas hype. Please do not become one of them. Thousands of puppies every year are dumped, discarded and forgotten when the novelty wears off. From late January onwards the country is full of these forgotten pets. If you are serious about getting a dog I would advise waiting until then when you can save one of the post Christmas fallout puppies without lining the pockets of people who are nothing short of con artists.

These 'cheap' dogs are rife with problems including aggression and behaviour issues, orthopaedic issues, digestive and skin problems and more serious genetic faults that ultimately are fatal to the dog. Please don't buy your child/loved ones a present of heart-break for Christmas. Quality pedigree dogs do not come easy or cheap. If you can't afford, or are unable to find a good quality pup then consider taking one of the many that were a 'nice' idea that didn't work out for someone else - but get excellent pet insurance if you do!

The people who generally post in this forum are avid animal lovers, you will not find anyone here who advocates breeding and selling puppies over the Christmas period, please don't ask for their advice on finding you a dog in time for Christmas - you won't like the replies you get.

andreac

I would run a mile from a breeder who has puppies advertised as "Christmas Presents" or a nice "Christmas Surprise".

Anyone who advertises puppies like this are just puppy farmers looking to make a quick buck and will just sell to anyone once they get their money.

Squall19

Does every post have to start with "Good Breeders are gods"?

It's pathetic at this stage.

A good breeder is this, a good breeder is that, a good breeder would never do this, a good breeder would never have that, a good breeder blah, blah, blah,blah.

If they were so good, you would think they would give the pups away from the goodness of there hearts, they don't its a business to them as well, finished.

Anyway OP seems like a decent guy, probably has kids, a wife etc and nothing better than for the kids to get a beautiful golden retriever puppy for christmas.

I bought my Alaskan Mal from donedeal and he is still alive and well!!!!

I bet everyone here must be shocked, my god a puppy from that awful place donedeal is doing fine, wow!!!!

scudzilla

Ah but come on, what beats running downstairs on Christmas Morning, diving towards the tree and opening the box that's moving. When ya tear off the wrapper a little puppy jumps out, ya honestly don't know if it's happy to see you or if it's just glad of some oxygen after being stuck in the box for 3 days.

Happy memories, happened every year for us in our gaff :rolleyes::rolleyes:

deisedave

"Pure breeds" My vets have told me numerous times that mixed breeds are far more healthy than full breeds. But I would advise to try and get a dog for free, if your not looking for a particular breed. It saves people making money of dogs and free puppies to a good home are easy to come across.

MrThrifty

Why not wait till after Christmas when everyone's got bored of theirs and are trying to get rid?

On a serious note, I would have thought that animal lovers out there would deliberately avoid giving animals as Christmas presents as it supports the acceptability of it to those families who it clearly would not be a good idea for.

Edit Sorry, this has all been said already - should have read the posts a bit better!

deisedave

MrThrifty wrote: »

Why not wait till after Christmas when everyone's got bored of theirs and are trying to get rid?

On a serious note, I would have thought that animal lovers out there would deliberately avoid giving animals as Christmas presents as it supports the acceptability of it to those families who it clearly would not be a good idea for.

Edit Sorry, this has all been said already - should have read the posts a bit better!

But yeah a puppy for christmas or for a child is a bad idea, unless the parents want the dog. When the child gets bored of it they will be the ones looking after it.

seamus

Squall19 wrote: »

If they were so good, you would think they would give the pups away from the goodness of there hearts, they don't its a business to them as well, finished.

To be fair, properly breeding a bitch is quite an expensive business between the vet visits and the equipment required. Then the pups come along, and each of them carries an individual cost too. So it's only fair that a good breeder has their costs recouped and some small compensation for their time. But asking stupid amounts in the thousands is a sign of someone who's in it as a business.

That's not to say that someone can't be in it for profit, and be a very good breeder who cares about his/her dogs, but if they cared seriously about animal welfare they would only breed for the good of the bloodline/breed and not to make a serious profit.

General rule is that someone breeding properly will not advertise their pups for sale. They don't have to. If you see an ad in any public place for puppies for sale, it's a puppy farmer.

It's worth noting that most animal rescues either completely freeze their rehoming in the month coming up to Xmas, or they rehome on a very strict basis - for example, only rehoming to people who already have a dog, or who don't have children, and so forth.
So if you are considering getting a rescue dog for Xmas, don't bother
Maybe bring your child up to see the local rescue in the run up to Xmas, and see if they still have the same enthusiasm for the animals after Xmas when they're surrounded by their shiny new toys.

If they're still enthusiastic, maybe consider it. But always remember that the dog never belongs to the child, it belongs to you. The adult in the household will be the one who does all or most of the feeding, walking, washing, discipline and cuddling. A child under 18 will not take complete responsibility for looking after a pet, no matter how much they promise they will. So it's more important that you want a dog than your child does.

Mark Tapley

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

Very few reputable breeders have puppies for sale at Christmas, only so many litters can be bred from a dog and winter puppies don't get the best start in life so it there is no reason why a decent breeder would have pups at this time of year.

Once a puppy leaves a breeder, that person has no control over how that dog is kept and most will not risk the possibility that a two month old pup will be left outside to freeze to death and this is the very fate than many Christmas puppies fall victim to.

Ireland is one of the biggest contributors in the world to the massive problem of puppy mills and backyard breeders ie. people looking to fill their pockets by off-loading sub-standard animals on to people who have fallen victim to their children and the Christmas hype. Please do not become one of them. Thousands of puppies every year are dumped, discarded and forgotten when the novelty wears off. From late January onwards the country is full of these forgotten pets. If you are serious about getting a dog I would advise waiting until then when you can save one of the post Christmas fallout puppies without lining the pockets of people who are nothing short of con artists.

These 'cheap' dogs are rife with problems including aggression and behaviour issues, orthopaedic issues, digestive and skin problems and more serious genetic faults that ultimately are fatal to the dog. Please don't buy your child/loved ones a present of heart-break for Christmas. Quality pedigree dogs do not come easy or cheap. If you can't afford, or are unable to find a good quality pup then consider taking one of the many that were a 'nice' idea that didn't work out for someone else - but get excellent pet insurance if you do!

The people who generally post in this forum are avid animal lovers, you will not find anyone here who advocates breeding and selling puppies over the Christmas period, please don't ask for their advice on finding you a dog in time for Christmas - you won't like the replies you get.

While I agree that buying puppies for Christmas can be a bad idea , I think the whole business of pedigree dogs is ridiculous , my dog is a result of random selection and is neither "sub-standard" or poor quality. While I can see the point in breeding dogs that are suited for specific tasks , I think a lot of the time the dogs become fashion accessories.

deisedave

Mark Tapley wrote: »

While I agree that buying puppies for Christmas can be a bad idea , I think the whole business of pedigree dogs is ridiculous , my dog is a result of random selection and is neither "sub-standard" or poor quality. While I can see the point in breeding dogs that are suited for specific tasks , I think a lot of the time the dogs become fashion accesories.

Exactly my family and friends have always had dogs and the only dog that was full breed I got was a King Charles because I wanted that breed specifically and paid a good amount for him.

wolfpawnat

My dog had pups that would be ready for rehoming around xmas time, we waited until mid January to sell them, we put ads in the papers and all, but made it clear they would not be sold before new years. It would have been nothing short of irresponsible.

The best thing about xmas "presents" is that if you are looking for a lovely purebred dog, you can nigh on guarantee one after xmas from any decent animal rescue!!! Only thing is the poor creatures are knocked about by irresponsible idiots!

ppink

seamus wrote: »

General rule is that someone breeding properly will not advertise their pups for sale. They don't have to. If you see an ad in any public place for puppies for sale, it's a puppy farmer.

Really??

andreac

Squall19 wrote: »

Does every post have to start with "Good Breeders are gods"?

It's pathetic at this stage.

A good breeder is this, a good breeder is that, a good breeder would never do this, a good breeder would never have that, a good breeder blah, blah, blah,blah.

If they were so good, you would think they would give the pups away from the goodness of there hearts, they don't its a business to them as well, finished.

Anyway OP seems like a decent guy, probably has kids, a wife etc and nothing better than for the kids to get a beautiful golden retriever puppy for christmas.

I bought my Alaskan Mal from donedeal and he is still alive and well!!!!

I bet everyone here must be shocked, my god a puppy from that awful place donedeal is doing fine, wow!!!!

Em, think you have missed the point of this thread....:rolleyes:

seamus

ppink wrote: »

Really??

For sale, in general, yes. Though in there you will also have people with accidental litters who are trying to sell the pups. Proper breeders typically sell their pups through contacts and via the kennel club. Selling it on a classified ads site means that they've no idea who are getting the pups, when most proper breeders like to keep track of where their pups go.

star-pants

Please do not link to any advertisement of animal sales, thank you.

ppink

well I supppose my image of it is tainted by the dogs I am most interested in (GSD). I would not be trusing the IKC recommedation on them. I dont know enough about other breeds.
I do take your point on knowing where the pups are going though. That is why I would never be able to breed anything, I would be slightly OCD about the home checking.

bridgemond

I got my staffie in early January so more or less Christmas and he is actually siting next to me as I write this and I am 99% sure he is alive.

Christmas is not the best time to get a pup though in my opinion as it is harder to house train them. You dont want to pup them out the back for toilet in the pissing rain so they end up ****ing all over the house.

BengaLover

Pity any poor puppies got as xmas gifts, introduced to a new household, getting pulled about by numerous pairs of hands, strange people coming and going, lots of noise, bright lights everwhere, just not fair!
A gift certificate for adoption of an animal from Dublin Zoo or something similar is a nice alternative.

andreac

bridgemond wrote: »

I got my staffie in early January so more or less Christmas and he is actually siting next to me as I write this and I am 99% sure he is alive.

Christmas is not the best time to get a pup though in my opinion as it is harder to house train them. You dont want to pup them out the back for toilet in the pissing rain so they end up ****ing all over the house.

They are very good lines and the stud was my own staffie who has a few champs in his lines.

This is the father/my fella anyway

Again, you are missing the point of this thread... This is not someone who is ACTUALLY looking for a dog for christmas, its to try and discuss why people SHOULDNT buy a puppy for Christmas.

wolfpawnat

seamus wrote: »

General rule is that someone breeding properly will not advertise their pups for sale. They don't have to. If you see an ad in any public place for puppies for sale, it's a puppy farmer.

seamus wrote: »

For sale, in general, yes. Though in there you will also have people with accidental litters who are trying to sell the pups. Proper breeders typically sell their pups through contacts and via the kennel club. Selling it on a classified ads site means that they've no idea who are getting the pups, when most proper breeders like to keep track of where their pups go.

Well ours was an accident, thankfully she was in with our other Yorkie so we knew who the father was. Both were IKC reg. and so were the pups, but we put it in the paper as we had no idea of what to do (needless to say we neutered her after that!) But as for not knowing where they were going, we on purpose to have them meet us at ours (if they wanted) so they could see the home environment and the parents, then when they were old enough to leave, we delivered them to their new homes. On 2 occasions I saw the homes and told the person outright they were not suitable for homing a pup and left with the pups.

I ended up selling the pups for over 100e less to proper homes (Once I had the cost of the vets, vaccinations, micro-chippings, IKC regging and the bitch's neutering covered I was happy). I was not out to make a profit, it cost a fortune. If you do it right, the costs are astronomical.

I still get updates from them about the "pups" (adults now!) My favourite is an lovely old couple who have their son harassed into emailing me pics and updates monthly

bridgemond

andreac wrote: »

Again, you are missing the point of this thread... This is not someone who is ACTUALLY looking for a dog for christmas, its to try and discuss why people SHOULDNT buy a puppy for Christmas.

Ah didn't relise that. Well I wouldn't say you shouldn't buy a pup at Christmas but there is a extra bit of work to put in.

Also the title of the thread is a bit misleading, I taught he was asking "Where can I find a puppy in time for Christmas...". To which I replied I know someone who might have pups ready in a few weeks...

Cherry Blossom

scudzilla wrote: »

Ah but come on, what beats running downstairs on Christmas Morning, diving towards the tree and opening the box that's moving. When ya tear off the wrapper a little puppy jumps out, ya honestly don't know if it's happy to see you or if it's just glad of some oxygen after being stuck in the box for 3 days.

Happy memories, happened every year for us in our gaff :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Is that sarcasm I detect? You might think this is ridiculous/ a big joke etc, but what you have described there actually does happen in some 'gaffs,' by next Christmas it's no longer a puppy and all it's problems were all 'it's' fault - time for an upgrade to the latest model then so . . . .

scudzilla

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

Is that sarcasm I detect? You might think this is ridiculous/ a big joke etc, but what you have described there actually does happen in some 'gaffs,' by next Christmas it's no longer a puppy and all it's problems were all 'it's' fault - time for an upgrade to the latest model then so . . . .

Yeah, was sarcasm alright, hence the 2 sarcastic smileys at the end.

Discodog

seamus wrote: »

For sale, in general, yes. Though in there you will also have people with accidental litters who are trying to sell the pups. Proper breeders typically sell their pups through contacts and via the kennel club. Selling it on a classified ads site means that they've no idea who are getting the pups, when most proper breeders like to keep track of where their pups go.

Very true & not just at Christmas. A friend of mine wants a Newfoundland. There are only a few breeders that one could rely upon & the waiting list is a minimum of six months. Any "responsible" breeder will of sold the litter before they are even born.

There is a lot of talk on these pages as to what constitutes a responsible breeder. With thousands of unwanted dogs dying every year one could argue that the only responsible breeding is no breeding. I accept that there are some breeders who do so to maintain bloodlines etc but even this seems hard to justify.

It would be a good gesture & an interesting experiment if all breeders agreed to a two year moratorium. Also it would help to get rid of the puppy farms if the responsible breeders formed a national association & used some of their earnings to promote buying from a good source.

I know the originator of the phrase "A Dog is for life & not just for Christmas". We both agree that it could be change to "A Dog should never be for Christmas".

Whispered

I have often asked the same, is there such a thing, at this stage, as "responsible breeding".

My personal conclusion is that yes there is. Most of the breeders I know are involved in rescue of their chosen breed (and others of course) too. They strive to know all they can about their breed and indeed one has passed up breeding from a well shown bitch, with acceptable health scores because they don't breed from anything which is only acceptable. The same person has a standard reply email which they send to enquiries in which they mention rescue as another option to acquiring a pup or dog. They are a wealth of knowledge and push responsible ownership. They are not tarnished with the "preaching" label rescues are when they do so.

I think based on "bad breeders" some of the better ones get labelled wrongly. I would think that maybe there are too many breeders, both good and bad. The issue is weeding out the bad and commending the good. I think your idea of a 2 year break is a good one. But I can see why people, even responsible breeders, would disagree with it.

As for saying a dog should never be for Christmas, I'm not sure I agree. Ok, a dog should never be a surprise gift under any circumstances, but, in my situation Christmastime is the perfect time for us to get a new pet should we ever plan to do so. We are home for 2 weeks, and have a quiet and relaxing home. Few visitors, and they are all adults. We tend to spend the time slobbing around in our PJ's and going walking. I think that rescues and good breeders should be (and some are) a bit more open to re-homing in certain circumstances during the Christmas season. I also think that anybody thinking of taking a dog at this time should expect a certain amount of suspicion!

DBB

Whispered wrote: »

As for saying a dog should never be for Christmas, I'm not sure I agree. Ok, a dog should never be a surprise gift under any circumstances, but, in my situation Christmastime is the perfect time for us to get a new pet should we ever plan to do so. We are home for 2 weeks, and have a quiet and relaxing home. Few visitors, and they are all adults. We tend to spend the time slobbing around in our PJ's and going walking. I think that rescues and good breeders should be (and some are) a bit more open to re-homing in certain circumstances during the Christmas season. I also think that anybody thinking of taking a dog at this time should expect a certain amount of suspicion!

Agree with this 100%:)
I have rehomed dogs around Christmas time to homes just like Whispered describes here, and I know other rescues who do too. This is why the home visit and getting to know the adopter beforehand is so important, because not all homes are mad, dangerous places for new dogs to be at Christmas!
In many cases the adopters would have been waiting for a dog for a while, it just so happened that the right dog came along around Christmas, kicked out of his old home just in time for the festivities:(... and I HATE the thought of a dog not being in a loving home for Christmas, anthropomorphic and all as that may sound:D!
If it's the right dog for the right home, why not?
Anyone looking for a dog specifically for Christmas is asked to fill out their paperwork and we'll get the ball rolling for them in the New Year. If they don't, then we know we were right to be suspicious. If they do, then we know we've got a genuine one!

Discodog

DBB wrote: »

Agree with this 100%:)
... and I HATE the thought of a dog not being in a loving home for Christmas, anthropomorphic and all as that may sound:D!

Ha I knew you were a softy at heart

I once liberated a Spaniel pup for the same reason - it got named Tinsel !

Obviously my Christmas comments were not aimed at responsible owners. I used the "for Christmas" term as meaning a present.

There have been attempts at persuading advertising sites in Ireland not to advertise pups at near to Christmas - but they fell on deaf ears. Many UK publications ban puppy adverts from November till February.

LordSutch

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

Where can I find a puppy in time for Christmas . . .

"A Dog is for life . . .



Not just for Christmas".

The RSPCA & the ISPCA advise strongly against buying puppies for Christmas.

aisher

I think it depends on the household and who the dog is intended to be for. If you are buying a puppy for the kids and expect them to actually take care of it after the initial 5 mins of fun has worn off then I would say No. If however, the dog is something the whole family wants and everyone knows the level of work involved then having two weeks off around Christmas can be a great time to bond with the new pup. I think you need to understand the amount of work involved in owning a dog before you get one - no time is a good time if a dog is bought on a whim just because its cute.

Inexile

my local free newspaper has an ad in it advertising pups for sale with the line "lovely Christmas present".:mad:

Of course its not the newspapers fault its the person who placed the advert. However, think I will contact the newspaper and remind them that a dog is for life....

beertons

My sister is going to pick up a puppy today, I'm a bit disgusted by the whole thing. CKC, in the kitchen every day from 7-7. Doubt she'll be getting many walks, as too tired from commute to Dublin. I expected more of Nearsea's to be selling them at this time of year.

jandm

In addition to all that has been said would like to add that some people are under the impression that if they pay big bucks for a "pedigree" puppy that will be a well behaved example of goodness by comparison as opposed to a dog of mixed breed ancestry.

Pedigree just means you know what the parents are and you will have a better idea what motivates them given their breed. Much easier get a new dog when the days are longer - both of mine arrived around Christmas meaning standing outside in the cold teaching them to go "piddlies" in the garden :-D

laoch na mona

<snip>

Read threads properly before posting on them!

Mr Moxie

Hi

Its great to see so many heartfelt and passionate posts re our animal friends.

However, in my opinion there seems to be a some inexperienced opinions being put forward as fact.
Firstly I am not a breeder, although we do have a (male and female) rare breed which we purchased from the first litter brought into the country a few years ago. We were looking for another companion animal at the time and my better half was the vet who helped to whelp the litter. We decided that it would be great to help keep a beautiful rare breed in the world.
We also have a rescue, we had two until recently but one died after 13 very spoiled years : ( we have a rescued cat, 4 rescued birds (1 is actually being fostered) 4 rescued/fostered goldfish (I know, but our neighbour passed away and they were left in the pond, I will be rehoming them in the spring). I also built a Koi pond in our garden to attract wildlife/birds, it works great. We have no kids, so it is possible to devote enough time to all.

Well said by adrenalinjunkie in the OP, but I would disagree that "These 'cheap' dogs are rife with health problems, aggression..." etc
In my opinion it is more accurate to state that irresponsible 'breeders' of dogs for pure profit are far less likely to notify you of any inherited heath issues that a dog may have, it is always always vital that any puppy is taken to a vet immediately for a health check, no matter how nice the 'breeder' was, if the puppy has a health issue you have got to decide if you are willing/able to care for it for its entire life.
Pure bred dogs do tend to have acute breed specific issues eg. German Shepards can suffer from more hip dysplasia than other breeds etc and it is equally true that crossbreeds can suffer all the same issues, but they do tend to suffer less with acute issues, they are generally a little healthier.
Also, whilst it is certainly possible that a dog is born with aggressive tendencies, it is always a lack of care attention and socialisation or downright abuse that a dog receives that will bring that to the surface, ultimately humans are responsible so I respectfully reject adrenalinjunkie's comment.

I believe that for every irresponsible (thats putting it nicely) breeder out there, there are thousands of equally irresponsible (also putting it nicely) people who will buy them without ever having the intention to care properly for them, I'm sorry to be so blunt but people can be sooo stupid and heartless!
As someone who's involved in the fringes of the pure bred dog world, I believe that most breeders of pure dogs are very responsible in how they operate. However, like with all areas in life there are always the... I'm not going to say what I'd like to so lets just call them the irresponsible ones.
I have come across behaviour that would be criminal in other countries and should be the same here if we had any proper laws against it.
However it would be grossly unfair to say that all breeders who sell their pups are only in it for the money, that is simply not true.

The Bigger Issue.
This rather longwindedly leads me to the main point of my post, the bigger issue in Ireland is the lack of good legislation to protect our animal friends and the proper enforcement of the few laws that we have.
I believe that we need a well funded authority with responsibility for animal welfare that has far greater powers than any today, with the ability to give far tougher penalties to people who act irresponsibly.
In my opinion, what we have at the moment is vastly under-resourced and the funding it receives is a mere token gesture from the government. As a nation we depend heavily on the kindness of volunteer charity organisations who work tirelessly to do what they can.
Its not good enough, but why would the government spend more money and resources on something that is so visible that many many kind individuals contribute their own time and money to?
Q: Who is the minister responsible for animal welfare?
A: There is none.
I say better legislation, better enforcement and larger fines with money going directly back to caring for abused and neglected animals would go a long long way to improving things and as a bonus on top of that, I believe it would actually be less expensive than the current capture, hold, kill policy that our Co Councils operate...

It is up to us, the animal lovers of Ireland to come together and make it happen.
Unfortunately, in my opinion there is more lip service than action on this subject and I definitely include myself in that.
Although I have recently met with ANVIL to discuss a renewed campaign, I have not had the time to do anymore than that : (

All the best

Mr Moxie

scudzilla wrote: »

Ah but come on, what beats running downstairs on Christmas Morning, diving towards the tree and opening the box that's moving. When ya tear off the wrapper a little puppy jumps out, ya honestly don't know if it's happy to see you or if it's just glad of some oxygen after being stuck in the box for 3 days.

Happy memories, happened every year for us in our gaff :rolleyes::rolleyes:

@adrenalinjunkie: Is is possible to ban certain posters from certain forums?
I think it is fair to say that scudzilla has the sort of attitude that contributes to the issue being discussed and should kindly go look for another forum for the humorous comments, one that is less about the pain and suffering of innocent helpless animals inflicted by uncaring individuals?
That is of course unless I'm completely wrong and scudzilla is actually an animal lover with an unfortunately misplaced sense of humor..?

laoch na mona

laoch na mona wrote: »

<snip>

Read threads properly before posting on them!

i did

star-pants

Mr Moxie wrote: »

@adrenalinjunkie: Is is possible to ban certain posters from certain forums?
I think it is fair to say that scudzilla has the sort of attitude that contributes to the issue being discussed and should kindly go look for another forum for the humorous comments, one that is less about the pain and suffering of innocent helpless animals inflicted by uncaring individuals?
That is of course unless I'm completely wrong and scudzilla is actually an animal lover with an unfortunately misplaced sense of humor..?

If you have an issue with a post you use the report post function, which is the red triangle with an exclamation mark in it. A moderator will the review the post that was reported and take action if they see fit.
In this instance I certainly would not ban that poster for their remark. In context it was perfectly fine, they were being humorous but in the way of highlighting the problem that exists of that being the feeling people want to achieve by purchasing 'Christmas puppies'. If you have any further issue on this or other posts, either report them or PM one of the moderators directly. Please do not respond to this post on thread as I do not wish to derail it any further.

Discodog

Inexile wrote: »

my local free newspaper has an ad in it advertising pups for sale with the line "lovely Christmas present".:mad:

Of course its not the newspapers fault its the person who placed the advert. However, think I will contact the newspaper and remind them that a dog is for life....

It is the newspapers fault. They should know that a puppy should never be a Christmas present. If the papers & websites refused puppy ads from October to January we wouldn't have this problem.

Hellrazer

Discodog wrote: »

It is the newspapers fault. They should know that a puppy should never be a Christmas present. If the papers & websites refused puppy ads from October to January we wouldn't have this problem.

True--Ive just fired off a load of emails to most of the adverts sites that are allowing puppy sales(all of them to be honest) voicing my disgust that they are allowing this at this time of the year.

Maybe I`ll get a reply,maybe I wont but I feel that if every user that frequents this forum did the same then that would be a lot of objections and the point just might get to someone in these companies that it shouldnt be allowed.

With some of these sites it cant even be about the revenue its bringing in since they are free to advertise on so the company wouldnt loose anything by banning these animal sales for a few months around christmas.

Hellrazer

Should have also said that looking at some of those puppies on DD and the likes that are "free to good homes" has me thinking.

If I was to hypothetically rehome one of those pups would I be contributing to this whole issue??

Is buying a dog the same as rehoming a free pup??

Answers on a postcard!!

Discodog

I have had quite involved discussions with donedeal & the gist of it is that they would consider a ban but only if other websites & publications do as well. So they will not take the lead.

Hellrazer

Just got a reply back from one of the sites I emailed.

Apparently they are removing any animal ads with the word Christmas in them--fat lot of good thats going to do since everyone knows thats why they are being advertised now.

Inexile

Called into the newspaper offices the other day re the advert. Had to explain why the ad wasnt approrpriate. It seems that the message " a dog is for life not just for Christmas" hasnt reached all corners.:(

DBB

Hellrazer wrote: »

Just got a reply back from one of the sites I emailed.

Apparently they are removing any animal ads with the word Christmas in them--fat lot of good thats going to do since everyone knows thats why they are being advertised now.

I was in contact with one of the sites (okay, it was *that* website ) a couple of years ago about the Christmas puppy adverts, and even then they put a ban on ads which included the word "Christmas".
At which point every ad published contained words like "Xmas", "Festive Season", "Ready in time for Dec 24th", and the like.
But I'm sure the website owners felt they'd done their bit:rolleyes:

Discodog

The annoying & hypocritical aspect is the way that they claim to promote responsible ownership but that goes out of the window when money is involved.

Allgäuerin

Please remember this christmas... Dogs are not presents, should not be given as presents, and breeders should not sell puppies at xmas. Wait until a far less stressful period, when your daily work routines are back to normal and you havent got xmas trees for puppies to pull down, roast turkeys for them to steal and relatives leaving doors and garden gates open. Dogs bought as presents only end up in shelters, so save new additions until after the festive period (this applies to kittens as well)

daenerysstormborn3

I bought my pup before Christmas and collected him on 3rd January 2010. He will be with me 2 years this January. He wasn't a result of the breeder rushing to get puppies ready for Christmas, it just so happens that her last litter of the year was in October and she didn't have a litter at that time the year before nor did she have a litter at that time this year.

If someone is destined to be a bad owner they're going to be one regardless of the time of year.

lilteach

get a puppy from a rescue centre, or an older dog......

Graces7

Hellrazer wrote: »

Should have also said that looking at some of those puppies on DD and the likes that are "free to good homes" has me thinking.

If I was to hypothetically rehome one of those pups would I be contributing to this whole issue??

Is buying a dog the same as rehoming a free pup??

Answers on a postcard!!

Sounds like the discussions re ex-battery hens.

Theory might be fine, but to me, being a practical old soul, it is one more dog rescued from the non-professional breeders who probably could not be bothered to get their bitch speyed and she got caught.

Always would prefer to rehome than buy. As we have done, twice....

ConTheCat

Ok so my dog died of 10 years a few months ago and I am finally allowed a new one! I was wondering can anybody offer me advise on where to go and what to look for?