Can Santa Bring A puppy?

A few years ago we pulled off a Christmas miracle. Santa Claus brought us a new dog. Can Santa bring you a puppy? Sort of. Here’s how to get a puppy from Santa…

How to Give a Puppy from Santa

The boys had asked Santa for a dog and we were finally ready to love a dog again. So Santa seemed like the perfect solution, except can Santa bring you a puppy?

The tricky part of Santa gifting a dog or any live animal is the logistics of it. I always remember a cartoon image growing up of a puppy peeking his head out of a box under the Christmas tree. The image is adorable but not practical, perfect in a movie or cartoon but not in real life.

Puppy From Santa Ideas

Santa might be able to pull it off, assuming the new puppy you want is available to be picked up on Christmas Eve, which is a big assumption given the craziness of the holidays and the fact that business are often closed on Christmas Eve.

Even if you can pull that off, you would still need to hide puppy and keep him quiet until Christmas morning. You could hide the dog the garage and ask them to be quiet. 😉 Or ask your family members to watch them but then are you waking up at 4:00 AM to pick up this dog on Christmas morning? How does that work? Logistically it is really hard to pull off.

Elf On the Shelf Idea

We came up with a solution last year that allowed Santa to find/give us a new dog and then our elf brought us the letter from Santa letting us know a few days before Christmas. We went down to the shelter and rescued her that day. This works if you can pick our your pet a day or two before and then surprise your kids the morning you go adopt them.

Also keep in mind that breed rescues and animal shelters are the best places to get an animal that needs a new home. Find a place to rescue an animal near you here.

This method allowed us to keep the magic of a Santa gift during the holiday season without driving us crazy trying to coordinate her adoption and arrival on Christmas morning.

The boys were ecstatic to go meet the dog Santa picked for us. The gift was complete when Santa brought a few toys for our new dog on Christmas morning. If you opt for a young puppy I’d include a puppy gate and dog training class because young puppies are hard work.

We prefer an older dog that needs a new home, its a great way to avoid the potty training and chewing issues of puppies (usually).

Letter From Santa About Getting A Puppy

If you don’t have an elf that visits your house, you could always have Santa leave a letter about the new pet. There are some editable Santa letter options here. This also depends on picking up the pet within a few days of Christmas (or having it delivered magically after Christmas somehow). While not simple, it’s still less complicated than a puppy staying quiet in a cardboard box under the tree on Christmas eve.

Does Santa Bring Pets for Christmas?

He definitely can if you use our letter trick. And of course you know your family/child is ready to take on the responsibility for a new pet.

More Elf Ideas

• Lots of Elf Names
• Easy Elf Present Ideas
• Elf on the Shelf Costume Ideas
• Elf on the Shelf Goodbye Ideas

This post was originally published December 22, 2016.