Hello, Hedwig here!
First things first, thanks for putting up with me and Mama’s absence these past few weeks. Mama wants to be a writer and she had to spend all her free time preparing for a Writing Conference we went to last weekend. It was my first adventure since my surgeries and I loved it!
Even more exciting is…. CHRISTMAS IS ALMOST HERE!
I love the holidays because we get visitors, sometimes I get to see other puppies, and of course, Santa brings me a present!
And that brings me to the point of this post… as much as us dogs love Christmas, we are NOT Christmas presents. Each year, dogs are bought as Christmas presents, and by February, they are dumped at shelters. I cannot stress this enough, we are not toys that can be played with for a few days, and then forgotten in a closet!
We have needs and feelings; we need attention and a life-long commitment.
Not a lot of people know this, but I didn’t start my life off living with my Mama. I don’t remember a lot, but I know that I was found on the streets of Philadelphia… How I got there, I’m not sure. My breed is very rare in the States, so Mama wonders if maybe someone bought me from Argentina but didn’t realize how big and strong I was going to get.
Once I was picked up by the shelter, I was pulled by a rescue who got me ready for my forever home. I was adopted… and returned. I was so confused. I thought I had found my forever home, my family, the people who would be my pack… but then I was back at the rescue. They said I didn’t listen…I didn’t mean to be bad… sometimes I just get really excited and I don’t know how to calm myself down. Luckily, I found Mama who understood my breed and learned how best to work with me.
Though I wasn’t a ‘Christmas fail’, I still know what it feels like to be forgotten. No puppy deserves to feel like that! I’ve created this quiz to help you decide if you’re ready for a puppy (or any dog) this holiday season:
1. Is every adult in your household on board with this decision?
2. Are you allowed to have dogs where you live?
3. Can you dedicate the next year of your life to training?
4. Are you ready to essentially baby proof your house for the foreseeable future?
5. Are you okay with having to clean up ALL messes that puppies make?
6. Have you researched the breed you are getting?
7. Will you still want your puppy when they are full grown/an adult/a senior?
8. Is your life conducive to a dog? (i.e. will you have time to spend with the dog? A dog’s life should not be spent in a crate because you don’t have time for them.)
9. Will your life be conducive to a dog for the duration of the dog’s life?
10. Can you commit to caring for a dog for the rest of its life?
I can’t bark this loud enough: IF YOU ANSWERED NO TO ANY OF THESE QUESTIONS, YOU ARE NOT READY FOR A DOG, PUPPY OR OTHERWISE!
I was two years old when I found my Mama, and even though I was grown and trained, coming into a new home was still scary for me. I was in a new place with new people and so I made some mistakes. When I got scared or was left alone, I chewed on Mama’s rug. When she put me in the car, I thought for sure I was going back to the rescue, so I became super sad. My Mama didn’t have a doggy door and I was confused on how to get outside, so I had some accidents in the house.
But look at me now! I’m a certified service dog who never messes inside and I can be left alone with free reign of the house. This was all because my Mama DIDN’T GIVE UP ON ME! She made a commitment to me for my whole life and she wasn’t going to break that promise.
Here I am after the vet said I’m all cleared up! 
Mama stole this picture while I was sleeping! 
If I sit like a human, maybe they won’t make me get off the couch! 
Always got to keep an eye on my Mama! 
Mama’s got the toy!!!!!!
So many people love the idea of a cute puppy wearing a bow under the tree on Christmas morning… but they aren’t prepared for the next day and all the responsibility that comes with caring for another living creature.
Don’t be one of those people!
When you decide to welcome a dog into your family, don’t do so lightly. A dog can give you more love than you could ever imagine but in return, you need to be ready to give them love, stability, healthcare, and a life-long commitment.
Please, keep this in mind this holiday season and share this with everyone and anyone you can. Let’s help save as many puppies as possible from becoming ‘Christmas fails’!
-Hedwig