Getting a Puppy at Christmas: Is It a Good Idea?
Every year, around now, I start getting the same question: "Is it a bad idea to get a puppy at Christmas?" Sometimes it's a parent whose children have asked for nothing else, and sometimes it's someone who's finally got a fortnight off work and thinks it's the perfect time. Both are fair reasons to wonder. I can usually tell before a puppy even comes home whether day one is going to be hard work, and the picture that makes me wince is the whole extended family round the next day, kids everywhere, a puppy with the run of the house and everyone expecting it to be unicorns and rainbows. Christmas isn't automatically the wrong time, but a lot of what puppies need most, like sleep, routine and quiet, is in short supply. So here's how I'd decide whether it's right for your home, what to do instead of a surprise, and how to make it work if your puppy is arriving in December.
THE SHORT ANSWER
Getting a puppy at Christmas can work, but only when it's a planned family decision, never a surprise present. The busy days themselves, with visitors, late nights, rich food and noise, are hard on a puppy who has just left their litter. If you can, bring your puppy home in a quiet stretch, such as a week or two before Christmas or in early January, so their first days are calm. If you'd like something to open on the day, give a "puppy is coming" box with a lead, a bed, a book and a photo of the breeder's litter. Good breeders and rescues often pause homing over the holidays for exactly these reasons, and that's a sign they care.
IN THIS POST
ā Why Christmas is a tricky time for a new puppy
ā A lovely alternative: the "puppy is coming" box
ā When is a better time to bring them home?
ā Questions to ask yourselves first
ā Why good breeders and rescues often pause at Christmas
ā If your puppy is arriving in December
ā Children and a new puppy at Christmas
ā FAQs
Why Christmas is a tricky time for a new puppy
A puppy's first week at home is a big change, because they've left their mum, their littermates and every smell they knew. What helps them most is boring, predictable days, with lots of sleep, short toilet trips, the same few people and a calm house in the evenings.
Christmas tends to be the opposite. Doors open and close all day, there's wrapping paper on the floor, food on low tables, visitors who want a cuddle and late nights. Young puppies often need 18 to 20 hours of sleep a day, and in a busy house they simply don't get it. An overtired puppy bites more, cries more at night and has more accidents, which is hard on everyone at a time when you wanted to enjoy them.
Never a surprise present
A puppy is a 10 to 15-year promise, and the person who'll be stood in the garden at two in the morning in their pyjamas should be the one saying yes. A surprise puppy also means nobody has prepared the house, chosen the breeder or rescue carefully, or thought about who'll be at home in January when everyone goes back to work and school.
It's also hard on the puppy. Being handed over in a box, in a room full of excited people, is a lot for a little animal who's already had the biggest day of their life.
A lovely alternative: the "puppy is coming" box
If the magic of opening something on Christmas morning matters to your family, you can still have it, and the puppy gets a much calmer start. Wrap up a box with:
A collar and lead, or a harness
A soft toy and a safe chew
A book about raising a puppy
A photo of the breeder's litter or the rescue, if you've already chosen
A handwritten card with the date your puppy is coming home
It gives everyone something to look forward to, and the waiting time becomes part of the fun. You can spend the holidays reading up together, choosing names and getting the house ready.
When is a better time to bring them home?
If you're set on a puppy over the winter, aim for a quiet window. That might be a week or two before Christmas, so your puppy has settled a little before the busy days, or early January, once the visitors have gone.
Think about when you'll actually be around. Lots of people choose Christmas because they're off work, but that time off ends. A puppy who has had two weeks of someone at home all day, then suddenly has an empty house, can find that change very hard. Whatever time you choose, start teaching tiny moments of being alone from the first few days. Read how long can I leave my puppy alone.
Questions to ask yourselves first
Who will take the puppy out in the night, and before work?
Who will be at home in January and February, on normal days?
Can we afford food, insurance, vet care and training for the next 10 to 15 years?
Have we chosen a responsible breeder or rescue, not just the first puppy we found?
Is everyone in the house, including the adults, keen?
If the honest answers are "we're not sure yet", there's nothing wrong with waiting. The right puppy will still be there in the spring.
Why good breeders and rescues often pause at Christmas
You may find that a breeder won't let puppies go home in the days just before Christmas, or that a rescue stops homing until January. It can feel frustrating, but it's usually a good sign. They've seen what happens when puppies arrive in a chaotic house, and they want your puppy's first days to go well.
Be cautious of anyone who is happy to hand over a puppy on Christmas Eve with no questions, or who offers to deliver. A good breeder or rescue will want to know about your home, your plans and who'll be looking after the puppy. Read your first 30 days with a new puppy.
If your puppy is arriving in December
Sometimes the timing just happens, and that's fine. If your puppy is coming home in December, it can absolutely work with a bit of planning, as long as nobody expects the next couple of weeks to be plain sailing, because they're often not.
1. Keep the first few days quiet
Ask visitors to wait a week or two before coming to meet the puppy. If family are coming anyway, give your puppy a quiet room or pen where they can sleep without being disturbed, and when they're asleep, please don't let anyone wake them for a photo.
2. Protect sleep
Put your puppy in their pen or crate for naps through the day, even when there's a lot going on. A short nap every hour or so is normal at eight to ten weeks.
3. Puppy-proof the Christmas bits
Tree lights, tinsel, chocolate, wrapping ribbon, batteries and plants within reach of a puppy can all cause problems. Use a baby gate or pen around the tree, and keep presents with food in them off the floor. Read Christmas tree safety for dogs.
4. Keep the routine simple
Meals, toilet trips and bedtime at roughly the same times each day, even on Christmas Day. You don't need a perfect timetable, just a calm, familiar pattern your puppy can start to predict.
Children and a new puppy at Christmas
Children are usually the most excited, and that's lovely. It also means a lot of squealing, running and picking up, which can quickly turn into nipping. Give children a job, like scattering a few pieces of kibble on the floor for the puppy to find, and teach them to sit on the floor if they'd like a cuddle, so the puppy can choose to come over.
Have a rule that a sleeping puppy is left alone. It's one of the most useful things you can teach a child, and it protects your puppy's sleep at the busiest time of year.
RENEE'S TIP
If your family loves the idea of a Christmas puppy, make the waiting part of the present. Write the date your puppy is coming home on the calendar, and let the children tick off the days by reading a page of a puppy book or practising being calm and quiet, ready for the new arrival.
QUICK CHECK
ā A planned family decision, never a surprise
ā Bring them home in a quiet stretch if you can
ā Think about who's at home in January
ā Protect sleep, even on the busy days
ā Gate off the tree, presents and Christmas food
FROM RENEE'S BOOKSHELF
The Modern Guide to Your New Puppy
Routines, sleep, toilet training and the first weeks at home, step by step. A lovely thing to wrap while you wait for your puppy.
FOR THE CHILDREN IN YOUR HOUSE
Sully's Puppy Quest
My online game course made for children aged 7 and up. They help Sully the puppy through his first year over 8 levels and 24 short games, learning the same rules I use with families, with a real-life mission to do with your own puppy and a certificate with their name on it for every level they finish.
ā¬39, or ā¬29 for Puppy Club members.
PAWS PUPPY CLUB
One trusted plan for your puppy
Every Puppy Club
ā A roadmap for each common puppy problem, so you pick the one you need
ā 230+ lessons, including 75+ training videos and 30+ demos
ā 25+ downloadable guides
ā Lexi's Puppy Diaries
Plus and Coaching add
ā Ask me your questions in the community
ā 1:1 sessions with me (one in Plus, three in Coaching)
Every option comes with a 14-day guarantee.
FAQs
Is it a bad idea to get a puppy at Christmas?
Not always, but the busy days are hard on a new puppy. A quiet stretch before or after Christmas is usually easier.
Should I give a puppy as a Christmas present?
Not as a surprise. A puppy should be a planned family decision. A "puppy is coming" box is a lovely alternative.
Why won't my breeder let puppies go home at Christmas?
Many good breeders and rescues pause over the holidays so puppies don't arrive in a busy, noisy house.
What's the best time to bring a puppy home in winter?
A week or two before Christmas, or early January, when the house is calmer and routines are normal.
How do I keep a new puppy calm at Christmas?
Protect their naps, keep visitors low key, gate off the tree and stick to a simple daily routine.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Renee Patience Ā· National Dog Trainer of the Year 2025
Founder and head trainer of Paws Academy, with more than 30 years training dogs and a Level 6 Diploma in Applied Canine Behaviour. Renee has competed in agility, obedience and heelwork to music across the UK, including at Crufts and Olympia, has appeared on CBBC, and is the author of the Modern Training Guides and the Modern Breed Handbook series. Pictured with her boxer, Kookie.
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