Are you considering getting a puppy as a gift this Christmas? A puppy can make a wonderful gift and introducing them at Christmas can be a memorable experience for you and your loved ones. It is important, however, that you count the cost and determine whether you can handle the new little bundle of joy and all of their many needs. Adopting a puppy is much like bringing home a new baby. From the get go, a puppy will require consistent training, constant supervision when young, boundaries, high quality dog food, grooming and frequent vet visits for vaccinations and checkups. You may experience some sleepless nights as the puppy adjusts to his or her new home and living situation. There will be potty accidents as you take the puppy through his training. That's quite a list and, remember, you are agreeing to take on all this added responsibility at a very busy and confusing time of year.

Without proper planning, it's easy to find yourself stressed out and frustrated with a dog who has developed bad habits and negative behaviours because of too much of the wrong kind of attention and lack of training time and poor socialisation. This is the primary reason why so many dogs which start out as a cute little puppy under the Christmas tree, end up as problem animals at shelters by spring time. A negative outcome, however, is totally preventable with a little education and by planning ahead.

If after considering the options you feel you are can handle the responsibility and would like to proceed with bringing the puppy into your home at Christmas, here are some tips to get you off to a good start. It won't be easy, but if you put in the time and effort and enact your plan, your holiday puppy can be off to a great start.