5 Unique Ways To Surprise Your Family With A Puppy

If you’re looking for fun and cute ways to surprise your family with a new puppy, then you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we’ll share with you some of the most adorable ways you can bring a smile like no other to your loved ones’ faces. Bringing home a new puppy is undoubtedly one of the most wonderful experiences, but it’s that much more magical if you get to surprise your closest loved ones with this precious new addition to the family.

Ways To Surprise Your Family With A Puppy: Introduction
5 Ways To Surprise Your Family With A Puppy
Follow This Puppy Surprise Checklist
Ways To Surprise Your Family With A Puppy: FAQs
Ways To Surprise Your Family With A Puppy: Final Thoughts

Ways To Surprise Your Family With A Puppy: Introduction

Adopting a new furry family member is definitely at the very top of those special moments you can share with your loved ones. Not to mention, all of the beautiful memories and experiences you’ll share with your four-legged best pal throughout the upcoming years.

If you’re adopting a family pet, you can make this special event even more memorable by surprising your family members with the new puppy. Whether it’s for Christmas or for your child’s birthday, there are lots of fun ways to surprise your family with a puppy!

Of course, we do have to add a word of caution before getting into the creative ways to surprise your family with a puppy. Most notably, you should only adopt a pet if you’re certain that they fit with your lifestyle and family dynamics. Be sure that you’re ready for all that comes with dog ownership, including all of their daily exercise, training, and grooming needs. We all know how kids love to say how they’ll be the one taking care of the new pet. However, you’ve also got to be prepared to go for those walkies with the pup yourself if you can’t rely on other family members to do so.

That being said, if you’re ready for a new pup and your family is eagerly looking forward to the new family member, you just might find a great idea on how to surprise your family with a new puppy for the upcoming holidays or birthdays in this guide right here.

5 Ways To Surprise Your Family With A Puppy

You could always go for the good old puppy in a gift box route, but to be fair, there are so many other cute ways to surprise your family with a puppy that are much safer and easier to pull off. Here are some of our favorite ideas for you to consider for that special day…

Introduce The Feeding Bowl Of Your Puppy During A Family Dinner

An excellent way to surprise your family with a puppy is by doing it on a special occasion, such as Christmas or your family member’s birthday dinner, where the whole family gathers around the table.

As you set the table for the whole family, also set your new puppy’s “table” with its food and water bowls nearby. Plus points for making them look extra cute and personalizing the bowls with your puppy’s new name (if that’s already been decided on).

Once you’ve finished with all of the dinner preparations and it’s time to ask everyone to the table, you can announce that there’s also a special someone joining you at the dinner. As you build up the anticipation, your family will probably be a bit confused as to who’s going to join you for dinner. Then you can have another adult enter the room with the new puppy. You can imagine how excited everyone will get!

Keep in mind, however, that it’s a completely normal reaction for some (or all) of the family members, especially kids, to get a bit carried away with excitement. For this reason, it might be best for another adult to enter the room holding the puppy. Be sure to also teach your kids from the moment they meet the new pooch to understand how to properly interact with pets. Understandably, this will be a very exciting moment for them, but you don’t want them to scare the puppy with very loud noises.

Blindfold Your Family Member And Take Them To A Puppy Adoption Center

There are so many dogs and puppies waiting to get adopted in rescues and shelters. So, what a better way to bring some joy to both your family member and this precious pooch who’s eagerly looking forward to its very own family!

If you’ve decided to adopt from a shelter or rescue, you won’t need to prepare too much for this surprise. Simply tell your loved one, whether it’s your child or your significant other, to join you on a short car ride, but they’ll have to stay blindfolded the whole time you drive there.

Once you pull up to the adoption center, don’t take the blindfold off just yet! By holding their hand, guide them inside the adoption center and onto the area where they keep puppies and dogs waiting to be adopted. They’ll probably already get a hint by the barking they’ll hear, but the surprise will be that much more impactful when you take off their blindfold!

Then it’s time to choose the pup, if you haven’t already done so beforehand. We do advise you to have a person working at the adoption center guide your family member through this process so that they understand which types of dogs and puppies are best suited for your family. If you’re surprising your kid, this will also be a great educational moment for them to fully understand how big of a responsibility getting a dog is and why it’s important to carefully consider all aspects beforehand.

Let Puppy Kisses Wake Up Your Family In The Morning

What a better way to surprise your family with a puppy than with those puppy kisses in the morning! Whether it’s your kid’s birthday or Christmas morning, those very first kisses from the new puppy will surely wake them up in a matter of seconds.

Of course, this surprise requires you to wake up earlier than anyone else in the family to pull it off. It’s usually the best kind of surprise for people who love to sleep in. However, if you have to get the puppy from the breeder or the shelter the night before, make sure the pup has a warm, safe, and cozy place to stay until the big surprise in the morning. They should also be supervised, so you might have to get help from your trusted neighbors, family members, or close friends that live nearby.

Organize A Treasure Hunt Leading To A Puppy

Oh how we love treasure hunts, especially on birthdays and Christmas holidays! One of the best tension building ways to surprise your family with a puppy is to create a treasure hunt starting from a birthday or Christmas present that hides the first clue. You can hide the clues around the house or also in your backyard, finally leading your loved ones to the new puppy that’s waiting to be found by the whole family.

We recommend that while your family is hunting down the clues, your new pup is waiting in a closed crate somewhere safe and warm inside the house. Make sure they have a cozy bed and blanket set up for them, some clean drinking water, and plush toys to play with in the meantime.

With the very last clue, you can prepare a gift bag that contains essential puppy items like a plush cushion or blanket, a few dog toys, puppy treats, and a bag of dog food. And then it’s time for the last clue to lead them to the puppy!

The Car Surprise

While a treasure hunt is definitely one of the more elaborate ways to surprise your family with a puppy, you can just as well opt for something very simple and easy to execute. With the car surprise, you won’t need much else than a car!

When you get back home with your new puppy, instead of immediately heading inside with the new furbaby, have them sit inside the car whilst you ask your family at home to help you carry something back from the car. Or, you can simply tell them that there’s a surprise waiting for them inside the car.

Keep in mind that this surprise is best done if the weather is not too hot or too cold outside. Preferably, you’ll have someone else accompanying you who can stay inside the car with the puppy. This will prevent any unfortunate accidents happening in those few minutes.

Follow This Puppy Surprise Checklist

Although bringing home a new puppy and then surprising your loved ones with this new addition to the family are certainly going to make up for some of the most exciting and memorable parts of those very first days of your new pup, there are also some more practical things you should take care of beforehand. After all, dogs are living beings and they require much more than just a few cuddles and kisses to live happy and fulfilled lives.

Make Sure You’re A Good Fit With The Puppy

One of the most important things to consider before bringing home a new puppy or an adult dog is whether or not you’re a good fit with them. Keeping in mind that different breeds and crossbreeds can have different temperament traits, requirements for exercise and training, as well as grooming needs, it’s crucial to adopt a dog that you know you have the capability to take care of. You want to make sure that a dog can fit your lifestyle.

For instance, it wouldn’t be the best idea to adopt an energetic and active breed that requires two hours of exercise each day if none of your family members cannot find time for that. Similarly, adopting a large-sized breed would be a big no-no if you live in an apartment.

You should also carefully think through who is going to be responsible in the family for the puppy’s daily walkies and playtime, training sessions, feedings, and so forth. In addition to that, don’t forget to take into account the ongoing expenses of dog ownership, as these costs can add up quickly!

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Stock Up On All The Necessary Supplies

If you’re ready to bring home a pooch, the next step you need to take is to stock up on all the supplies that a new puppy will need. These include:

Puppy or dog food;
Food and water bowls;
Tasty treats for training and rewarding good behavior;
Treat bag for when you’re on the go;
Crate for crate training and providing a safe, comfy place for your new puppy;
Pet gates and/or play pens for puppy-proofing;
Travel carrier
Bedding like soft blankets, cushions, and a dog bed;
Age-appropriate toys – here are some great options for puppies;
Chew toys;
Collar, harness, and leash;
Poop bags;
Potty training pads;
Cleaning supplies to quickly get rid of any accidental messes.

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Puppy-Proof Your Home

If you’re planning to adopt a young puppy, it’s vital that you puppy-proof the home so that it’s safe for them to explore and wander around. Dogs and puppies are so insanely curious, but this beautiful instinct of theirs can also become dangerous if they have access to places or items they shouldn’t. In addition to that, you probably have a few items lying around here and there that you don’t want your new puppy to destroy with their razor-sharp teeth, either.

When puppy-proofing the house, you’ll want to keep anything and everything away from your pup that they might chew on, destroy, or that could harm them. So, make sure to put away any of these objects and also stow away electrical cords that some pups like to munch on. You should also clean up any clutter and even dirty laundry, since dogs often like to chew on them.

Moreover, make sure that your new pup doesn’t have access to rooms or areas in the backyard that have potential hazards, such as a pool or stairs. Some plants can also be very poisonous for dogs, so these should be out of your pup’s way by all means. Likewise, trash cans and all household chemicals should be out of your dog’s reach as well.

For more information about how to properly puppy-proof your home, be sure to check out our full guide on this topic.

Get Your Pup Vaccinated

To boost your growing puppy’s immune system and protect them from harmful diseases, it’s vital that you stay on top of your puppy’s vaccination schedule. Whether you’re adopting your pup from a rescue or a responsible breeder, they’ve already administered at least the first round of puppy shots for your new best pal. However, it’ll be your responsibility to have the next rounds administered to your pup by your veterinarian according to your puppy’s medical records. These documents will always be included when you adopt a puppy.

Keep in mind that you shouldn’t take your puppy out for walks to public places or have them meet other dogs until they’ve been fully vaccinated. For socialization, your new pup can meet adult dogs that have been fully vaccinated, but only in controlled spaces like someone’s home.

If you’d like to learn more about what types of vaccines your puppy will need, here’s our in-depth guide along with a puppy vaccine schedule chart that’s easy for you to follow.

Start Training The Puppy Immediately

All of us dream of a well-behaved dog that knows how to behave in different situations and how to interact with anyone they meet on their daily adventures. To set your pup up for success, start training and socializing them as soon as possible.

One of the easiest ways to get started on the right foot is to set a daily schedule for your puppy and stick to it every single day. By scheduling your puppy’s bed time, mealtimes, potty breaks, and time for training, you’ll have a much easier time making those habits and behaviors stick. Additionally, a good routine will build your puppy’s confidence, too!

Early socialization is another important topic for puppies. Again, this helps build your puppy’s confidence, promote their emotional development, and prevent issues like fear, anxiety, or aggression later down the line. Your goal is to safely introduce your puppy to all sorts of different people in different age groups as well as other dogs and puppies.

Also, don’t forget to make sure that everyone in the household understands how to take care of the puppy. This includes any and all interactions your family members might have with the new pup, including how you approach training. Consistency is key and this applies to all areas, including potty training and obedience training. Even making sure that the whole family understands that they’re not supposed to feed the pup table scraps is important so that they won’t learn this behavior.

We recommend you check out our comprehensive review on the Online Puppy School by Baxter & Bella. For puppies and dogs, this is one of the absolute best programs that’s ever been developed. And, it’s also recommended by countless dog trainers, veterinarians, and ethical breeders.

Ways To Surprise Your Family With A Puppy: FAQs

How Do You Introduce A Puppy To Your Child?

When introducing your child to a new puppy, it’s important that you teach your kid to be calm and give the pup some space when they meet. Encourage your kids to speak calmly and quietly, and give the pup gentle strokes on the back. It’s best if the puppy approaches the child and has the opportunity to come and investigate its new buddies on their own terms. Our guide Puppies And Kids: Teaching Your Puppy And Children To Get Along has extensive information on this topic that we recommend you check out.

Should You Surprise Someone With A Puppy?

You should only surprise a very, very close family member with a new puppy if they’ve explicitly told you this is their wish over a long period of time. To be frank, a puppy or a dog should never be a surprise unless you’re planning to surprise your own kids. Also, if you’re planning to surprise your child with a new pet, the usual recommendation is to do so until they’re at least 6 years old when they can already grasp that responsibility, provided that you’ve done the educational part beforehand.

How Long Does It Take For A Puppy To Settle In A New Home?

On average, it can take about three weeks for a puppy to settle in at their new home. Of course, this can vary from pup to pup, and it’ll require constant work on your part to make sure that the puppy has an easy time adjusting to their new home and family. The first few days are likely going to be the toughest, since the puppy is in a completely new environment, away from everything they’ve known so far. So, make sure to get your new puppy started on the right foot by setting a daily schedule for them to build their confidence, start with potty training and crate training immediately, and spoil them with lots of affection and attention so that they feel loved and cared for. See also: First 48 Hours With A New Puppy: What To Expect.

Ways To Surprise Your Family With A Puppy: Final Thoughts

If you’re set on adopting a puppy and expanding your family with a little bundle of joy, be prepared for all those squeals of excitement when they meet the new pooch. We hope you found some creative ways to surprise your family with a puppy either for this holiday season or for your family member’s birthday. To be fair, you can utilize any of those fun surprises even on an otherwise regular day. It won’t be as regular after this surprise, that’s for sure!