Why people need to think twice before gifting a puppy this Christmas - Daxa Patel

Until I became a dog person (I still struggle to call myself a dog owner, as I am entrusted with this being to be their guardian) I did not know what having a dog really entailed.

It is serious business with rewards of unconditional love in return. It costs money, time, commitment and energy not to mention a serious commitment to care for a species which does not speak our language.

I find our current laws of protecting society and dogs are not as watertight as they should be.

Having a dog is like being responsible for a powerful turbo engine sports car if you are lucky enough to be part of its life.

Dog ownership is easy, one just pays a breeder, or worse a puppy farm breeder and brings home a puppy. It ought to be as stringent as proving one is fit to drive a motor car. Compulsory fitness test, compulsory training and CPD and compulsory licence and insurance requirements, we need to make it so hard that it is not something we do on a whim.

Not all humans are fit and capable or indeed patient enough to spare the time needed to nurture a puppy so that they turn into well behaved loving family pets.

The human must also show, before they can take delivery, their lifestyle is going to work around the needs of the dog and that they have enrolled themselves and the puppy to come into training classes and have a dog behaviourist on standby for any potential issues.

When I decided to say yes to my German Shepherd, I knew I needed all the help I could get. Being a lawyer meant I did my due diligence and research.

I read books and contacted my local German Shepherd training centre.

Quite rightly I was turned down by the Dogs Trust for a rescue dog as I had no experience of raising a dog, never mind a big breed like this one.

I am glad they turned me down because all the work comes after the dog arrives and we need to be ten steps ahead of the game.

Nowadays, when we have a knowledge gap, Google can help us but for something as serious as being responsible for a dog, one needs a qualified dog trainer and behaviourist specialist in the breed of dog we take on as each breed has certain quirks, qualities and traits that only a trained eye can spot and show us how to deal with.

People asking vets to put a healthy dog down or abandoning the dog because they are going back to work or because they can no longer afford it should be a last resort and not encouraged.

Getting a dog is not like buying a Gucci handbag which we can return on a whim because the colour of the bag does not match our outfit just like the dog no longer suits our lifestyle.

I had the privilege of talking to a knowledgeable person from the Dogs Trust and they told me how they have a long wait as they are struggling to find homes for the dogs already in their care.

Incidents of harm and reckless Instagram reels showing dogs playing with babies are misleading as often it takes only one second for something to go very wrong.

Having a dog is like having a child, just as we would not abandon our naughty teenager who fails to tidy their bedroom, the same way we cannot abandon a dog in our care for which we are solely responsible.

Too often, I have seen a child walking with an out of control smaller dog, with the parent walking and talking on their mobile phone. Or people walking their dogs in parks with their dogs off the lead.

Just like humans’ dogs are facing a housing crisis. Challenges with rehoming of dogs include assessing compatibility, undertaking a risk assessment, dealing with socialisation hurdles and with some dogs being overlooked because they may be reactive or have had an emotional past trauma means dogs that need a home do not necessarily get the best second chance of a forever home.

Dogs are like us humans, they are emotional beings and they have a right to be loved and cared for just like us.

For no matter how well your intentions may be to get a puppy or a dog as a Christmas gift, by association you are just as culpable as someone who is wholly ill-prepared to be a dog human.

Let this not be you and if you are tempted, ask yourself, would you buy a baby as a Christmas gift? I bet you would not.

Daxa Manhar Patel is a leadership coach, author and solicitor.