PETROPOLITAN: BUT NOT FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Five, Peggy–that’s how many dogs reside under our roof currently. (Am I nuts?) Three are mine, two are my “grand-pets,” and of the five, two are rescues. Every scrap of kibble is welcome–we buy it by the truck load. I’ll pop those pups in the Expedition and line up for treats on Saturday morn. All our dogs are poster pups in the Paws Cause 2007 calendar, though none could make the actual event two weeks ago.

I’m glad you mentioned this, Peggy, because holidays are a time when a lot of families think they should give a child a pet for Christmas. Actually, dog experts say giving a dog as a gift at Christmastime is the WORST thing to do and almost always guarantees training fiasco…

Here’s the deal: The puppy comes home, all cute and furry with a red ribbon around its little neck. The household is in Christmas chaos–tree, tempting decorations, visiting family, company. No one has time to think much less get this little angel started on potty training–and all puppies want to do is chew, chew, chew, eat, pee, and poo. Naturally they will find the Louboutins you kicked off last night when you came home hiccuping at midnight. Puppy chews, pees, poos, everyone gets irritated at PUP, and then, post holiday and $3,000 worth of damaged possesions later, someone says the unmentionable: Let’s get rid of the #@! dog!

When you bring home a new dog, you need to give you and it time to adjust and assimilate to its new surroundings quietly, peacefully, without a lot of commotion. Just like a new baby, actually. The new Dallas Animal Shelter has plans for gentle “ease-in” areas where dogs can be dropped off and humanely integrated into their new surroundings.

And please, do not give a dog as a pet to an unsuspecting person. One of our dogs, Bessie, was a holiday gift to a child with learning difficulties–who was given up to Golden Retriever Rescue because she was “too wild.” Bessie is the sweetest, friendliest, and most intelligent Golden we have ever had and that family’s loss is our gain!