Your childs nagging and the incredibly precious holiday commercials have finally broken through your defenses youve decided to relent and get Junior a puppy for Christmas.

Dont do it.

Not for Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa or any other occasion. Acquiring a puppy is an event on its own. Dont even try to cram it in with other celebrations.

A wonderful holiday gift for your child is the promise of a puppy. Set a date; spring vacation, when school is out, when you get back from camp; a date when youll have time to devote to acclimating your new family member. For the holiday, give your child some tangible puppy items with that promise: a bowl, a toy, and most important of all: some books about dogs; training dogs, caring for dogs, dog breeds.

Finding the perfect puppy for Junior should be Juniors project. Give him the tools to research different breeds. Every breed of dog was developed for a specific task and that instinct lives on even if most dogs only jobs today are to be wonderful companions. Dogs come in sizes from tiny to huge, with fur from non-existent to plush. Help your child assess your situation and decide on the right dog for your family.

If Junior isnt old enough to do the work Junior isnt old enough to have a dog of his own.

If the puppy is supposed to belong to Junior, then Junior should understand whats involved in caring for her dog. The cuddling and playing fetch may sound great but is she aware that scooping poop is also part of the deal? Check with your local dog training facility is Junior old enough to participate in a class with her puppy?

Dogs and children can be a wonderful pairing. With the right preparation, a dog can be a childs best friend.