Everyone at Vom Dortmunder German Shepherds loves to see our puppies in their forever homes. We have been receiving a lot of questions about Christmas puppies for sale recently. During the Holiday season we suggest you do NOT give a puppy or dog (or any animal) as a gift but rather put down a deposit ($500) on a litter and let your family or intended recipient pick a puppy together.

The Dortmunder team (and most breeders) consider deposits to be fluid- so your special person can choose the time best for them to add a puppy to their life. If we don’t have the desired sex or coat type puppy available then we can easily mark the next litter and this recipient can get exactly what their heart desires.

Your loved one might not actually have the time or resources for a new family member when you decide to gift it. So don’t set anyone up for failure. Instead for the holidays/special event, consider this:

4 Steps for Giving Puppies As Gifts

• Plot With Professionals. Contact us and explain the situation. We love to conspire with you! Arrange to pay a deposit, or fund the purchase FOR the recipient, with the puppy to be chosen later.  Ask us about trainers pre-pay puppy training classes for the new family member, or fund the cost of the puppy’s first veterinary visit for puppy shots!Another great point to this is that you can involve multiple gifters in purchasing a puppy!

• Go Shopping. Here is an Amazon List of products we recommend for your puppy kit! Create a “puppy care package” for the big day. Fill a puppy bed with treats, food, training and grooming equipment, and lots—lots!—of appropriate toys. Don’t forget to include a book or two about the puppy’s breed, training tips, or other fun information.

• Get Creative. Why not make a “gift certificate” that details this special surprise, and have that ready to present on the big day. Perhaps it could be packaged inside a pet carrier, or in an envelope attached to the collar of a stuffed German Shepherd plush toy.

• Take Your Time. Holidays can be hectic when normal routines go out the window. New puppies need the stability of knowing what to expect. But you can “gift” with the certificate on the special day, and the recipient can choose the best time to bring the pet home. Hopefully you also have the fun of accompanying the person later, when they choose their own furry wonder.

When you do it right, gifting with a puppy can be magic. You’re not only giving the pet to a person—you’re giving a special human to a waiting puppy.