Pets as Christmas presents should give paws for thought

Four words: A pet for Christmas.

Two more words: Gift certificate.

Adding a pet – or, as many people think of it, a new family member – to a home is “a huge, major life adjustment,” said Annette Patton, executive director of the Stanislaus Animal Services Agency.

It’s an action that should follow plenty of homework, not be an impulse based on a puppy or kitten’s “aww” factor. That little terrier so cute leaping up for attention in a shelter kennel could be a little terror to the toddler at home.

To be clear: Patton wants to see animals at the shelter off Crows Landing Road adopted into “forever homes.” She just wants the dog or cat to be the right fit for its new home. And that might mean surprising the recipient with the gift certificate rather than a pit bull with a bow or a tabby with a tag.

“We encourage the person who will be the actual owner to come in and select the pet, because pets are individual to the person,” Patton said Friday.

“Everyone has a different and unique personality,” she added – a fact true for people and pets alike. “Do you want a big dog that will have you running or walking every day, or just a small Chihuahua you can carry in a purse? It really depends on your personality, your lifestyle and what you bond with.”

It also depends on the physical space in which the animal will live. “We’ll ask certain questions, like if they live in an apartment,” Patton said. “You’d be surprised how many people think they want a German shepherd and live in an apartment.” Perhaps they think they need a great watchdog. “But it’s just not enough space for a dog that size,” she said.

To help folks reach the right decision, animal services has six “adoption interactive” rooms. These are quiet places families can meet with adoptable dogs, to see how they interact with adults and children, males and females. And if the adopting family already has a dog at home, that pet can be brought in to see how the two animals hit it off, Patton said.

It all determines which pet is the best fit. “Maybe it’s a pit bull, maybe it’s a little Chihuahua, maybe it’s a fluffy poodle,” Patton said. “Fluffy poodles have maintenance that maybe someone does not want to deal with and they’d rather just have the small, shorthaired Chihuahua.”

Tom Holliday, vice president of Westside Animals for Adoption in Patterson, said his group also makes a strong effort to ensure that pets and people are a good match.

“If the parents are getting the dog for their child, before we approve the adoption we want to first make sure there is a connection between the dog and the kid,” he said in an email. “Not necessarily an instant bonding, but a connection. Do they enjoy each other’s company? Does the child seem dog savvy? Is he/she sturdy enough and the dog small enough so that the dog isn’t going to playfully knock him or her over again and again?

“And we tell the parents that, even if they’re getting the dog as a present for the child, it’s not the child’s dog. It’s the family’s dog, and everyone has to be on board with this addition to the family. What if after a while the child loses interest? Will the dog still get the love and attention and exercise it deserves? We remind the parents that ultimately they are responsible for the dog.”

Darlene Arden, a Massachusetts-based certified animal behavior consultant and author of books including “Small Dogs, Big Hearts,” would go further than giving a quickly redeemable gift certificate for pet adoption. She advised such pet-preparation gifts as a good book on the breed a family has in mind, or a book on training. Perhaps a pet bed or some food and water bowls, with an IOU of sorts for a post-holidays pet selection.

That’s because the holidays can be a terrible time to introduce a cat or dog into a home, she said.

“Everybody is busy, and the best time to bring a new family member is when it’s fairly quiet,” she said.

There are all sorts of foods around during the holidays that are harmful to pets, she said, and it’s hard enough to patrol that with an established pet, let alone a newcomer.

Also, she said, the holidays can be a noisy time of entertaining – “Dogs and cats have very sensitive hearing” – with lots of people coming and going, and too many opportunities for a new dog or cat to get out of the house.

“There’s not time to get acquainted, to establish a bond, to get to the veterinarian – and vets are so busy with emergencies this time of year,” Arden said.

A family owes it to itself, and to an animal, to learn as much as it can before adopting, she said.

“Never give a gift without being sure it will be welcome,” she said, “especially when you’re giving a living, breathing, sentient being that is a lifetime responsibility that that can last 15, 20 years. You have to consider if you have the time and temperament.”

Aside from breed, home situation and timing of the pet adoption, another major consideration is puppy vs. dog, kitten vs. cat.

Puppies adopt quickly from the shelter, Patton said. But “a puppy is a lot of work right from get-go,” she said.

“It needs to be potty trained, obedience trained, leash trained. It’s like taking on a baby. Previous pet owners get this, and they come in knowing what they want.

“Would you rather have a dog a couple of years older, not that hyper, running-around puppy? How much work do you want to put into it? Like me, I’d say, ‘I’ve done the puppy thing, give me a dog that’s a couple of years older, who wants to go to sleep at night.’ ”

Arden agreed. Even an older dog needs time to learn the rules of a house: when it gets fed, when it goes out, where it does its business. All that can be harder with a puppy.

“I highly recommend adopting something older,” she said. “Do you really want another infant?”

This story was originally published December 4, 2015 at 5:36 PM with the headline "Pets as Christmas presents should give paws for thought."