If you're getting a puppy — or even an adult dog — your life will be temporarily turned upside down. Don't bring home a new dog during an already tumultuous time. That's hard on you and, perhaps even more important, hard on the dog.

A poodle may seem like a marvelous Christmas or birthday present for a family member. But giving a living being as a gift is fraught with problems. First, you must be sure that the recipient wants the dog and will be willing to care for her for a dozen or more years. Second, special occasions like Christmas or a birthday are typically full of celebrations. It is much better to bring your new dog into a calm household, where she can settle in at her own pace.

Another difficult time to bring in a new dog is when you have a new baby. It's hard enough to bring a baby into a household that already contains a dog — it takes special preparation for the dog, and you'll want to make sure your dog is secure in her role as a family member. If you have a new dog and a new baby at the same time, your baby will almost surely win out when they both need attention. And that's not fair to the new canine family member. If your new dog is a puppy, she'll require almost constant supervision until she's housetrained and has learned not to be destructive. How can you attend to her needs and a baby's at the same time?

If your work has busy cycles, don't bring in a new dog during the busiest season. For example, it's a bad idea for a tax accountant to buy a puppy at the beginning of April. Try to time it so that you have plenty of relaxed time to spend with your new charge.