Do you have the time to feed a puppy three times a day ? Take them to a potty spot and wait until they "do their business" first thing in the morning, before leaving for work or school, lunch time, early afternoon, dinnertime, two hours later and again before going to bed.  Then during the night after you have fallen asleep, get up and with them again? Are you ready to surprise a friend or family member with this new schedule???

This puppy was so bright and perky, and ran right up to the people who bought him. "How cute," they thought. By 10 PM on Christmas night, this little guy is exhausted from trying to play with all the kids in the family, and is curled up in a corner. He feels pretty sick from the turkey and stuffing and pumpkin pie he had on top of his dinner, and he throws up under the coffee table. When he was outside he was so distracted playing with the kids that he never relieved himself, so he finds a private corner and does that too - on your new coat.   

A couple of weeks later, the new puppy has been shut up in the garage while
the family is out all day. He has piddled and pooped all over the house,
chewed up the baseboard in the kitchen, and destroyed the VCR. In the
garage, he destroys his own bedding, a rolled up carpet, and the tires on
the kids' bikes. He's bored, he's lonely, he's a baby.

Dogs and cats are not "things." Puppies are a lot of work, as much work as
having a new baby.

Never buy a dog for someone as a surprise. Getting a dog for someone that is
not prepared or in agreement with the adoption may cause the animal to end
up in a shelter or in a home where he or she is not wanted.

Actually the age at which many unwanted Christmas puppies are dumped in animal shelters (6 months -8 months) is just about the perfect age to get a young dog. They have the physical size and maturity to begin to hold their pee and poop until you can get them outside and they are plenty old enough for puppy training classes. In a few months their growth plates will close and they will be ready to be your running buddy or Frisbee dog.

By that time its April or May summer is coming and school is out. You'll have plenty of daylight hours to train and play with your new best friend.