Dogs As Gifts?

Some months ago, a woman contacted me for advice on the ideal breed for her 11 year old granddaughter. Mom and Dad weren’t thrilled with the idea of a pet dog, but had decided to relent since their daughter wanted one so badly.

I sent Grandma my blog post, “Which Breed Should I Get?,” but also had to share some tough news: I don’t generally recommend giving dogs as gifts.

Responsibility and Change

Sharing your life with a dog is often a great joy, but it’s also a lot of responsibility.

Taking on that responsibility also means taking on change. It might be something as small as dog hair on the floor or as big as installing a taller fence and hiring a trainer. Living with a dog affects your personal agenda, finances, travel plans, working hours, home environment and leisure time.

People should have a chance to decide for themselves whether or not they want the responsibility and the change.

Investment and Motivation

Very few dogs seamlessly transition into a new home. Problems of one kind or another will happen and fixing them takes work.

Recipients who aren’t thrilled about the responsibility and change that came with their gifted dog will find the problems harder to overcome. Being less invested in the dog, they are less motivated to work through the problems. And who can blame them?

A Word on Dogs for Kids

So what about dogs as gifts for kids? Why was a I such a Grinch about Grandma’s inquiry for her Granddaughter?

If Mom and Dad aren’t enthusiastic about it, getting a dog for the kids can set . Although kids usually have plenty of motivation and desire for the dog, they are still just kids. More often than not, they aren’t mature enough to take responsibility for the dog so Mom and Dad wind up doing the work (either feeding, toileting, and walking the dog themselves, or repeatedly reminding the kids to do the work). Regardless, it’s an added responsibility for the adults.

Safely and successfully housing kids and dog together takes extra effort on top of simply caring for the dog.
Active supervision is best practice for every interaction between kids and dogs. That means we don’t recommend sending the kids out back to play with the dog or walk him around the block unattended. Keeping peace and safety between kids and the dog takes time and energy that Mom and Dad might have spent on other things.

I’m not saying gifting a dog never works and people can’t fall in love with their present, but it’s a definite risk.
What happens if the recipient doesn’t fall in love with the dog? A gifted kitchen utensil that isn’t quite what the recipient needed or wanted can be returned or just left in the drawer to collect dust. These solutions aren’t as viable for dogs.