A new survey, released today by the Dogs Trust and National Opinion Poll, (NOP) reveals that despite all the warnings, an astonishing 11% of the population would consider buying a dog as a present for someone. In the 15-24 age group, those most affected by fashion trends, the figure rises to 22%.

Dogs Trust Chief Executive and creator of the world famous slogan "A Dog is for Life, Not Just for Christmas", Clarissa Baldwin, comments:

"Giving someone a new puppy for Christmas along with a pair of cowboy boots or a faux fur stole is not something you should do lightly.

"Sadly every year charities such as Dogs Trust have to pick up the pieces when people don't think through the commitment of sharing their life with a dog. Even before the New Year, our Rehoming Centres will already start to count the cost of impulse buying as dogs, old and young, are dumped on their doorsteps.

"Dogs can bring a world of happiness into your life. Fashions change, please make sure your commitment to your dog does not."

If you are thinking about getting a puppy this Christmas, please consider the following:

Owning a dog is a lifetime commitment. The average dog lives for 13 years.

Dogs aren't cheap to care for. You should expect to spend around £8,000 over his lifetime.

Puppies can be extremely hard work for an owner, particularly if there are young children in the house - do you have enough time to spend with your pup?

Dogs don't come fully trained. They can cause a lot of damage to your possessions through chewing and accidents. How committed are you to training your dog?

Christmas is always a very hectic time of year with relatives and friends arriving. This isn't the best time to introduce your new dog to the house.

Last year local authorities collected over 105,000 stray and abandoned dogs across the UK in 12 months and destroyed one dog every hour because their owners could not be traced or no homes found for them.

Submitted by: Steve O'Malley      

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Birdluvr
hmm. I agree that in many cases, dogs should not be given as Christmas presents. However, it seems to me that in some circumstances, there would be nothing wrong with doing so. For instance, many relatives are coming over to celebrate Christmas, it would be a bad idea to subject a puppy to the chaos and possible germs that situation would provide. But, if the person has expressed their wish for a puppy, and has seen a specific puppy they want, or if you know that person very well, they have described what they want in a puppy, and you have an alternative placement if the puppy turns out no to be the kind of puppy that person wants, on a quiet holiday, say one the family intends on spending with just them, or for a lonely person who doesn't have plans, it could be the perfect gift.

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