Mom's 'Tricky' Way of Surprising Kids with Dalmatian Puppy Works Like a Charm

Even though I grew up with at least one dog in my house practically my entire childhood, I can't remember a time when I would not have been delighted by a puppy. While there are certainly kids out there who don't love dogs, most parents have probably experienced a phase where their child has begged for a puppy relentlessly, whether that begging pays off or not. It makes sense; they're so cute, they're the best companions, and Hollywood does constantly feed kids movies about dogs and kids being the best of friends.

Sometimes, though, that begging does pay off, and it really is something special to see a kid come face to face with their new BFF for the very first time. And like in this video, it can be even sweeter when it's a total surprise.

On Wednesday, September 4, @stephy926 shared the moment that she surprised her kids with a Dalmatian puppy . But this wasn't any regular unveiling; she actually managed to trick them along the way so they never saw it coming!

At the beginning of the video, this mom and her kiddos were taking a walk when they saw someone holding a puppy. But as she explained in her caption, that was actually the breeder they were adopting from who agreed to play along with the surprise... but thanks to everyone's amazing acting skills, the kids were none the wiser.

They were all so excited that they were allowed to meet the puppy and pet her, and then, Mom made the big reveal: they get to take this puppy home with them!

All four of her kids were so thrilled, and it's clear that they never saw this coming. There's no doubt that this mom just created a core memory for her entire family. How sweet!

Should You Surprise Your Kids with a Puppy?

Of course, the ultimate answer to this question is going to be different for all people — there are kids who would love nothing more than a surprise puppy, especially the ones who have already grown up around dogs, and then there are others who would do better with a little time to get used to the idea.

But what do the experts say? The American Kennel Club (AKC) recommends against surprising people of any age with a puppy, since raising a dog is obviously a big responsibility.

"Puppies shouldn’t be a surprise. Everyone in the family should be ready and prepared for the commitment of bringing a new dog home," says the AKC.

Instead, you could try making the reveal that you're planning to add a puppy as the surprise with a letter sharing the news or a scavenger hunt that leads to them finding puppy supplies like food bowls and a collar. Then, the kids can be active participants in the adoption process as they learn more about what this big change will be like before it happens.

But like I mentioned before, only you can make the call about whether or not your child would be happy with a puppy surprise, and it certainly seemed to work for the family in the video above. That Dalmatian is about to grow up surrounded by a lot of love (and plenty of playmates).