This May Be the Year to Take the Decorations Down Early

Did you disregard all the logical advice to not get a new puppy for Christmas?

A friend of mine did, and who could blame her – look at that cute puppy she and her family named Lulu. Lulu is an adorable blue merle Welsh corgi. Corgi’s make excellent family dogs and I’m hoping Lulu’s herding skills come in handy with four kids in the family.

Lulu’s family learned the hard way about adopting a new puppy for Christmas, and they asked me to share their insights with fellow new puppy owners.

First of all, even housebroken puppies need to be house trained in their new homes. With Lulu’s family, it’s been a matter of making sure Lulu takes care of business when she’s outside in the bitter winter winds. If they don’t keep her on task, she’s likely to come inside where it’s warm and cozy to do her business.

Secondly, Lulu’s family had a Christmas tree up. Even though they weren’t done enjoying the tree for the year, they had to take it down the day after Christmas. Why? Well, it turns out that having a tree in the middle of your living room is a little confusing for a puppy. Why not just plop a fire hydrant in front of her and tell her “NO!”?

The kids in Lulu’s family have gotten much better about cleaning up their toys, since they know Lulu with chew on any toy left on the floor. Not only that, Lulu’s new mom has been extra vigilant with sweeping to keep Lulu from getting a tummy full of table scraps dropped by the kids.

Having a new puppy certainly adds to the joy of the holiday season. To my friends, Lulu will always be their “Christmas baby,” and they are reveling in their “Parents of the Year” status for bringing home a puppy for the holidays. It’s certainly been fun for them to know that their gift to the kids topped all of Santa’s gifts.

I was glad Lulu’s family told me their story of their new family member. I love to help families with their pets. Do you have pet questions you’d like to ask? Send me your questions and comments!

Let’s talk pets!