Imagine. You've just left your mother and litter mates. A bow is tied around your neck and you're placed in the bottom of a box. Then the lid is closed. You start to smell around, thoughts of your mother's warm body in your head. Strange noises catch your attention and, although you haven't learned yet to fear, something makes your tummy clench. Thump! Light! Freedom! Oh, wow, kids! Squealing, and laughing they pick you up, hug you, scratch your ears. One of them pulls you away from the other. Their mother gently picks you up to save you from the assault but you want the attention and you want to play so you squirm out of her arms to get back down.
After a while you get tired and crawl away to nap but you're picked up again and so you play a little longer. Wondering when you'll get to eat, the memories come back, you whine and eventually curl up to sleep. Awaking to the kid's playing you're hungry but head over to inspect the new toys. Several times of being pushed away you give up and look for a spot to relieve yourself only to be yelled at and then the kids don't want to touch you because you're "gross". Finally, you get some food but it's cold, hard, and dry ~ where's mom?
A month has passed. You no longer miss your mother. This family plays with you often enough, after some persuasion, but not as much as they used to. Pleasing your family is your priority but accidents happen when you can't get outside soon enough. Lots of yelling, what they call training... well, they need to learn your body is still very young and needs frequent breaks. Some habits are starting to form, not because you don't love your family but... why don't they play anymore and why are they always yelling? Chewing, digging, barking, scratching, and biting (because you're a dog and don't know any better) are your main source of entertainment.
You're spending more time outside these days. When allowed inside it's to be put in the kennel. Sometimes the kids forget to feed you and you go to bed hungry in the hole you've dug behind the bushes. Happy to play when the family does but they stop before long because you bite and play too rough. If they'd only show you what they want, you'd be more than happy to do it for them. Puppy class was fun and you tried really hard but your family wasn't consistent and didn't practice. They tell people, "We took him to training but it didn't stick" blaming it on you. They missed the part where the instructor mentioned that the class was for them.
One day Dad puts your leash on and takes you for a ride. You hear barking behind the door when you arrive. That clench in your tummy is now known as fear and the feeling is very strong. He pats you on the head saying, "goodbye", and leaves. A nice young lady places you in one of a long row of cages, along with many barking dogs. Every one of them has a different story and you find out yours isn't so bad. Your family never comes back. You thought they were your family.
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Every child dreams of waking up Christmas morning to find a box that has an adorable puppy pop out. Parents may even dream of seeing their child experience a Christmas morning such as this. If you are one of these parents, I'm begging you, please don't do it! Christmas is the worst time to introduce a new puppy into your family. You can't expect a puppy to feel comfortable and be able to settle into the stressful, busy atmosphere of the holidays with strangers coming and going, out of the norm decor, and your routine up-side-down. There is a right time to introduce a puppy into your home and Christmas is not it.
I ran across an excellent article on this matter ~ No Christmas Puppies, Please! If you're not willing to read it, I will have a condensed list of it's highlights in my next post. Be forewarned: my writing isn't anywhere near as good as hers.
That was the saddest thing I've read! I know people are like that but it's so hard to think of a poor puppy alone and cold and hungry. On the upside, nice writing. It was as good as some books I've read in recent years!
ReplyDeleteThank you! That's the sweetest thing I've heard in years :)
ReplyDeleteIt's very sad when you think about all the puppies and kittens that end up homeless or worse because people don't prepare themselves for what they really require.