Santa's Bringing a Puppy! Here's what you need to know.
- Dallas Duncan
- Dec 8, 2025
- 3 min read
Greetings from the North Pole!
We’re barely into December, and already I’ve seen an influx of requests from excited children who want nothing more than a puppy (or dog) for Christmas. As you know, I only bring live animals down the chimney with parents’ permission, so if you’re receiving this, your kids made it on the Nice List for 2025, and I would love nothing more than to make sure your home is ready for its furry new addition.
Now, some of your kids have asked for specific types of puppies. The amount of Goldendoodles, my goodness! However, though soft and cuddly, a Goldendoodle may not be the best fit for every household that hopes to have one. They, like other dog breeds, start out small and cute, but outgrow their puppy crates faster than a blink. Before picking a breed, it's important to consider if your house can accommodate that size or energy level of dog.
Housing considerations include whether or not your yard is fenced in, if the dog will have its own room indoors, how other pets will feel about this new family member, and who’s going to watch the puppy during the day so it is not constantly crated indoors. Especially for some of those zoomier breeds that love to herd, a yard might be preferable to living indoors and needing to be crated while parents work outside the home.
If your children are younger, even though I’m sure they would love a black labrador, perhaps you and I should talk about a smaller breed, or sending my sleigh to the shelter for an older dog to adopt instead of bringing a puppy! Bigger, more energetic breeds can be overwhelming. This is more evident when both dog and human are puppy and toddler! For your sanity’s sake, too, I might suggest an older dog for a young family so that you’re not potty training a pup and youngster simultaneously.
The Elves have been working hard to make sure every puppy and dog delivered on Christmas morning is equipped with all the right gear: we’ve got food, collars, leashes, harnesses, treats, age-appropriate toys, dog beds, puppy pads, and the like. Just so you’re aware, we do our best to anticipate what toys your new canine might like best, but this may take some trial and error. If the first thing she does is rip the stuffing out of a plush toy, perhaps future gifts should be chew toys or non-rawhide edible ones!
If you’ve been planning on a puppy but now, after reading my letter, want to think about adopting a shelter dog instead, we may need to reconsider the food I stick in their stockings! Puppies need different nutrients than adult dogs, and adult dogs may need specialty diets. We can ask the shelter when we visit.
Now, we need to talk about a common misconception when it comes to live animal gifts from Santa. Once we get your pup all settled in, that’s where my job ends! The next step after Christmas is to schedule your dog’s first wellness exam at Comer Veterinary Hospital. You see, I can look at a puppy and tell if they’re happy or sad, but I’m no veterinarian! That means I’m not allowed to give puppy shots or check their vital signs. But I have a handful of great Elves that work over there, dedicated to making sure your newest addition has everything they need to start off and stay healthy. You can go ahead and pre-book your puppy’s first wellness exam here!
I can’t wait to deliver all of these four-legged friends on Christmas Eve. If you’ve got any questions leading up until then about what else you’d like me to bring down the chimney, you can ask the Comer Vet team! They’ve got direct access to me up in the North Pole, and all the dog knowledge you could dream of.
Wishing you and yours a merry Christmas and happy holiday season,
To schedule your pet's next appointment at Comer Vet, please give us a call at 706-783-5111 or request an appointment through our online form.
