It seems like something Pavlov might have enjoyed studying; just how quickly after Thanksgiving that American consumers pull out credit cards or checkbooks to begin holiday shopping. For consumers, Black Friday is to humans what the clinging of bells were to Pavlov’s dogs.
According to Business Insider, Americans will be spending something about $900 for the holidays, up around $42 from a year ago. Regrettably, naively, sadly, a bit of that amount—more than likely, a lot more—will be spent on pets and, more specifically, on puppies as gifts.
“I tell them, ‘No,’” said expatriate New Yorker and veteran dog trainer, Val DeSantis, now living in Caῆon City. “It’s just a bad idea.” A dog, and especially a puppy, he protests, is not a gift. “A dog is a ten, maybe fifteen-year commitment.” Too many people, he said, fall in love with a puppy but fail to think things through.
But ‘puppy love,’ said DeSantis is a fleeting thing. This infatuation is something that often does not wear well, especially when a new pet owner discovers what it takes to truly own a pet.
The first month or so is when you really learn the work involved in being a pet owner. “There are a lot of chores” that come with the job and, ‘yes,’ it is a job, he said. First on the list, is house training, learning about a new puppy’s “peeing and pooping.”
If one must give a puppy, ask first. Find out if the proposed recipient actually wants one. After that, consider the size or breed that fits their lifestyle. Puppies, unlike toasters or coffee makers, are non-returnable. Unwanted puppies often end up in a local animal shelter.
Also, don’t be influenced by trends.
A classic example of one gone terribly wrong occurred several years ago following the release of Disney’s ‘101 Dalmatians.’ It was easy falling in love with these spotted, little puppies. But within months, shelters around the country reported a spike in unwanted dalmatian puppies that only weeks before had been holiday gifts.
The breed, lovable in the movie, proved a real-life handful for new owners. Dalmatians, The New York Times wrote, “shed, tend to snap and sometimes bite, and often do not particularly like children.”
Pet stores, a staple in malls across the country just a few years ago, are today a rarity. The number has plunged, certainly for pet stores selling puppies or kittens in Colorado. Those that remain must abide by Colorado’s Humane Pet Act, which “establishes standards for the care and treatment of dogs and cats.” The act also bars individuals from selling pets in a public place.
But what has remained constant, despite public disdain, are puppy mills. There are several descriptions for these operations. But very basically, they are inhumane, unsanitary dog breeding operations in business for nothing more than pure profit. An animal’s welfare is rarely considered.
DeSantis, who has trained dogs for decades, is unapologetic in his disdain for these operations. “Puppy mills,” his voice rising, “they get me angry! They’re disgusting…a person who’s ignorant and can’t make a living doing anything else, these people are losers just trying to hustle a buck.”That may be, but with mortgage-like prices for popular new breeds—some selling for several thousand dollars—and a growing demand, puppy mills continue to clandestinely operate.
Some of these bootleg operations are turning out breeds—sometimes called ‘boutique’ breeds—that just a few years ago didn’t even exist. While there are honest boutique breeders, the market still has plenty of unscrupulous breeders simply mass-producing new puppies and selling them as the real thing.
Puppy mill animals often come with bad habits and health issues. Because they live in cages until they’re sold, socializing them can be a challenge. House training is also hit-and-miss. Some puppies also come with infectious diseases, respiratory issues, and eye and ear problems.
While DeSantis strictly advises buyers to spend time researching sellers for the dog they want, he also recommends doing a little homework if a shelter is the route you take. Too often, he warned, shelters are overcrowded, understaffed and have employees who are undertrained.
That may be partially true, concedes Cody Costra, Pueblo spokesman for Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region. “We are slightly understaffed and we’re always looking for volunteers,” he said. But all staff and volunteers get the training they need for the job and, he said, all have their hearts in the work they do. Costra does agree that a prospective new pet owner do a bit of research before buying from a breeder or adopting from a shelter.
“We recommend researching breeds that you’re looking to adopt…find a breed that is the right fit.”
Costra says no pets leave the Pueblo shelter without being fully checked by a veterinarian, spayed or neutered and micro-chipped. “They’re ready.” Adoption fees can be as little as $15.
Costra invites anyone interested in volunteering or fostering—taking pets home for a weekend—to visit HSPPR.org. Also because of an increase in pets at the facility and the costs of caring for them, anyone wishing to donate time or money can find that information on the website, as well.
