This is a post I cut and paste once in every three years.
No Dog for Christmas
I should rephrase it no “Puppy as a gift”for Christmas.
If you really love puppies please download Puppy Linux. The creator of this Linux distribution is a real dog lover. Not only that Puppy Linux is Puppy size but is loaded with utilities.
I can have at least a list of more than 20 or more reasons of but on top are two real life stories. This happened more than 40 years ago and 10 years ago, in the United Kingdom and Ceylon respectively.
I was heavily involved with Neonatal Paediatric care then. I was on weekend off and listening to some music. Terry Vogan was my favourite Irish announcer on radio. Terry announced the tragic death of a baby few days old mauled to death by the owners pet dog. The day the happy family brought the baby home. Dogs are dogs and they can become extremely jealous. The police came an shot the dog but the baby did not survive. The bottom line is the dogs can be extremely jealous of a new comer.
This happened about10days before Christmas and that was the only Christmas that I could not blend with the Christmas spirit in UK.
All throughout the festive season the message was relayed "No Puppy as a pet, if one cannot care for".
Underline theme was that baby care is full time job and dog care is no different. The bone of contention here is, the doctor/s could have visited the house and made some investigations of the suitability of the house for a newborn baby with an adult dog.
The second incident was, one of my 80 old professor’s forearm was torn to pieces and needed over 40 stitches. He was terrified and the dog, his own, was not killed but transferred to a suitable foster home. He was living alone and he could not care for the dog at old age.
We never investigated the reason for the attack but looked after the professor.
So my recommendations are;
One has to be 40 to 45years old, to properly care for a dog who lives till the owner is 60 plus and showing all the signs of old age disabilities. This the crisis period in life, the children are teens and won't listen to you. The dog is an outlet to divert ones attention from growing but rebellious kids.
The paradox is the children also use the dog as a “Punching Bag”to let their frustration out.
For a single man or women, the success or failure in career is immaterial, it is a good companion.
If not successful in career, to brag about the dog, not the career in office is a good option.
A dog lives 15 to 20 years and for a single man/woman walking the dog for the last 15years of one's life is a good antidote for intermittent exogenous depression certainly not for the endogenous depression, for which one needs proper treatment under supervision.
Besides, the dog ages fast and it is a preview of ones old age chronic illnesses, including
arthritis,
cataract,
diabetes,
obesity,
gout and
many more.
Mind you dog care is more expensive than medical care in USA/UK and France.
Best advice is not have a dog at all if you do not have Money and Time!
Please do not be enticed by the Christmas films involving dogs but enjoy the film instead.
