For people who have never had pets (and especially never had a dog), think of it like this. Would you PLAN on having a baby 2 days before Christmas? Well, if you get a pup for the holidays, it'll be the same.
Yes - I had my son on Dec. 18th (today he is 12)... and then 7 years later we got our first English Springer Spaniel on Christmas morning - She is a delight and a "family member" but I don't recommend this. It was not a spur of the moment decision - the puppies were from a responsible breeder but she decided not to keep our Freckles..... so we were blessed... It was a long night Chirstmas eve - keeping her quiet..... :)
Thanks for your post on this important topic.