When i was a few years younger i really wanted a puppy for Christmas but my mother said no a few times. i begged and begged and begged but she insisted and i gave up hope.
On Christmas morning i woke up being licked by my adorable pet, who is now 13 years old!
What a cool mom!
* Image courtesy of 123rf.com
What a shock it must have been that Christmas morning, olley, to be woken up by a wet tongue!
I bet your Mum was having fun saying no and keeping the surprise so your Christmas would be that much more special. That was really cool of her.
Thanks for sharing your story with us.
That is such a sweet story. I always wanted a puppy for Christmas when I was little too. My Mom said no and stuck to it. when I had kids of my own I thought about surprising them with a Christmas puppy, but decided against it since it was winter. I waited until spring for each of my dogs.
Maybe the cold is part of why your mother kept saying no, too Mandy. Maybe dogs for Christmas is more common in places wher Christmas is in summer – I’d never thought about that difference before.
What a cute story Olley! You’re right you have a really sweet mom. I can just imagine the excitement you must have felt finally getting the puppy you wanted so badly.
Although I didn’t receive a puppy for Christmas my mum would always try and dress our dogs up with little Santa hats or miniature reindeer antlers for a few Christmas photographs. Of course the hats didn’t stay on long ha ha.
You’d have to have very patient pets for them to endure Santa hats or other decorations for long, I think!
My mom wouldn’t get me a puppy for anything in the world! She thought that I would not be able to take care of it. You are so lucky to have one, and for Christmas!
Many parents are worried they’ll be left with the care of a new pet – and I know many animals are deserted a little while after Christmas so I can see why some people are reluctant to give puppies as Christmas gifts despite the longing in their children.
Hope you get a puppy one day, anonamoss and can share many happy Christmas Days with it 🙂
I wish I could’ve have gotten a puppy for Christmas I probably would’ve freaked! I’ve always wanted one of those cute little teacup Yorkie dogs but I never got one. I think my parents didn’t want me having that much responsibility as a kid who knows, It still would have been awesome to have my own pet!
Maybe you could get one for yourself this Christmas, Youlovejordan?
This story just made my morning!! I have always wanted a pet, and I feel a special affinity for puppies. My ideal puppy would be a tiny black Pomeranian. Even typing that makes me want a puppy right now. Unfortunately, my mom is allergic to any type of animal fur. She is still a sweet mom and made up for it – I woke up when I was 13 to a brand new guitar!
Wishing you and your dog happiness!
Hey, Swan, a puppy would be special but I think a loving Mum and a guitar is a good pretty substitiute! Maybe when you’re living away from your Mum you can get that puppy you’re after – who knows, you may even get one for CHristmas one day!
What an awesome gift! I always wanted a puppy for Christmas when I was a child, but our apartment never allowed them :/
However, when we moved into our own home when I was 12, I received a cute little puppy I named BoBo 😛
BoBo’s pretty old now, but still going strong! 🙂
great to hear you got a puppy when it was feasible, GigBiz – sounds like you and BoBo have had a great relationship away from that apartment 🙂
That must have been a wonderful present for you and goes to show that patience goes a long way. Moms are really great people and I wish I could have gotten a pet for my Christmas, but I already have one so I guess I can hold off on that wish for now. 🙂
A pet for Christmas is nice, but having the pet all year is probably the more important thing 🙂
Wow, that sounds so similar to what I plan to offer to my fiancee this Christmas! She’s always wanted us to have a dog and I always said no. *wink*
THat is a lovely gift idea, magic Pixel 🙂 I hope your fiancee is happy as Olley was!
That is a great story! I know my kids wanted animals for Christmas as well, but I do not have anymore room! I run a small farm and it just is not possible to introduce anymore animals. So we got chickens this spring and that seemed to work just as well.
Much better to know your limitations than to have an unhappy animal, Isabella. And while kids do ask for something, usually they are pretty happy with alternatives and forget the other item soon enough – chickens to watch grow would be a great distraction 🙂
Wow , It must have been the greatest surprise you must have had as a kid. Let me tell you , your mother played a good one on you . God knows how much she enjoyed
I agree, Breakfree – Olley’s Mum probably had as much fun in the surprise and giving as Olley got on Christmas morning!
Aw bless. Animals are great as they teach children all the responsibilities that go with a full time job; ie, getting up in the morning to excercise him ,feeding him, planning money and spending it on food, cleaning and washing him etc… Remember that a puppy is for life and not just for christmas! 🙂
A pet can be so much more than fun – a truly educational ‘toy’ to give as a gift! As long as the fmaily ensures the pet IS cared for long term, of course.
I always thought it would be fun/cool to get a puppy or kitten under the Christmas tree. However, I was also worried about what might happen to said animal under the tree in a box for too long. Little kids are so silly. 😀
That’s such a thoughtful response, streakanime – worrying about the animal waiting for you to open the gift!
That’s an adorable story and I’m glad you gave that puppy a good home for 13 years.
I think in general parents considering pets as Christmas gifts should take into consideration their lifestyle and remember that pets are forever, not just for Christmas. Also, it’s a kind deed to adopt a pet instead of buying one so that lucky animal can have a new home for the holidays instead of spending Christmas in a shelter. (But they do take good care of them in shelters, so I didn’t mean that as a guilt trip.)
SO you can adopt a pet from the shelter for a certain time then give it back? That is cool for so many people – travelling for work, testing if kids really will care for it, those knowing change is coming that would prevent a pet, those with limited space who can only exercise the pet properly in summer, etc. I’ve never heard of doing this before, I wonder if Australian shelters/pounds do this?
My parents were also fairly worried that giving a pet to one specific child when I had a few siblings was a bad idea. Pets were always for the whole family for us. So giving one as a gift to one specific person was never a very good idea.
Preventing arguments plus sharing around the caring jobs – seems like a win win situation to me to share a pet 🙂
That is a really cool mom! I would have to say, though, pets are not the best idea for Christmas presents. I have a friend who runs a rescue and they always get hit hard about a month after Christmas because no one wants the pets after that time period. The newness has seemed to worn off them.
I think a pet for Christmas is fine if it’s thought out. I would certainly not give a pet to anyone I wasn’t living with or hadn’t specifically asked me to do so – too big a risk the animal wouldn’t be cared for or would be deserted.
What a lovely story – it must have been a really magical moment. And what an effort on your mum’s part because she also have had to buy the necessary equipment and keep it hidden from you.
I think the most important thing for anybody welcoming a puppy into the home at Christmas is to remember that the puppy doesn’t know that it’s Christmas and the excitement could prove a little too much for him or her – so keep at least one calm room in the house.
That’s a really good point, Fren, and one I would never have thought of. Christmas can be a noisy, busy day which must be overwhelming for a new little animal who doens’t even know the house or family yet.
I think it’s a great idea IF you plan to have a puppy anyway. But I think a lot of puppies offered for Christmas end up being abandoned 🙁 . I suppose it’s more in the case someone else offered the puppy though, I guess if the parents offer the puppy, they won’t bring it back the next day 😉
Yes, you would hope parents think it through before giving in to a puppy for Christmas request, Laura. What is cute on Christmas morning becomes work on Boxing Day and beyond…
It must be one of your fondest memories of Christmas since you finally have your wish granted and now your puppy has stayed with you for 13 years already.
The best part of this story is that it happens at Christmas, which is the best time of the year to show love and care to our dear ones. This puppy surely represents a mother’s love for a nagging daughter! A very heart-warming Christmas story indeed.
Christmas is a great time to show love and care although I like to think we can do it at any time – I often tweet stories of people using the spirirt of Christmas throughout the year because I love seeing it.
That’s so cute! I always wanted a puppy when i was a kid and my mom always told me that dogs are for life not just for christmas. Because she worked alot and i was at school during the day i never ever got one, im 27 now and the next place me and my husband move to we will be getting a puppy, my son is 18 months old and i know he would love one.
It’s easy as an adult to understand that a pet isn’t always the best option, but kids are so ‘now’ focussed it is disappointing. But great you will be abke to enjoy a puppy with your son soon, Lynbetz 🙂
That really was cool of her. And what a wonderful memory. My kids want a puppy this year. No, not just one….one each. We have been talking about it, but I’m not sure we can handle 2 puppies. Maybe santa will be as awesome as your mom was, MAYBE. Great story, thanks for sharing it with us.
TWO puppies for Christmas would be interesting indeed, Miranda!
Probably a lot of work but at least the puppies would be company for each other when the family is at work/school/etc.
This is what I am planning on doing for my boys this Christmas 😉 We have been living in an apartment ever since me and my husband got married and we are in the works of getting into a house by christmas. We are very excited because have wanted a dog for so long but couldn’t cause of the apartment policy. Now just got to start researching the right one 🙂
I’m sure your boys will be very excited, Stephanie – a new house and then a puppy for Christmas! Have fun researching and finding that perfect little animal!
We got our little ones’ a puppy for Christmas but decided to get it a week early before all the hustle and bustle of Christmas hit us. I explained to the children that Santa’s Elves’ had to drop him off early since they had no one available to babysit this close to Christmas. It was a hit!
Good idea, Mrs Rogers – especially after the mention of Christmas Day being a bit overwhelming for a new puppy. And no doubt that helped reduce the boredom and nagging of kids leading up to Christmas Day, too!
I am a die-hard animal-lover. You’re pretty cool yourself, not just your mom. I have a 7+ year old moggie. I know the feeling you must have. Must’ve been a fantastic christmas!
Thanks for such a positive comment, Magic Pixel 🙂
Such a cute story and memory of a wonderful Christmas morning! I can’t imagine how elated you were. The best surprises come when you don’t expect them and a few licks just add to the joy!
Owning a pet is a huge responsibility – that might have been a reason your mother wasn’t very keen on giving you a puppy for Christmas. I remember that I really wanted to to receive a little kitty as a present when I was still in the primary school. My parents refused but I don’t really blame them now. They bought me a beatiful cat for my 18th birthday 🙂
It is a huge responsibility, trissandara, and many parents don’t want that responsibility if the child is likely to ‘forget’ their duties. Your parents obviously heard you and just waited until everyone was ready 🙂