Vault: She is getting rid of her kid's puppy

Summary

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The Bert Show: "Vault: She Is Getting Rid of Her Kid's Puppy"

Episode Date: June 4, 2026

Main Theme

In this emotionally charged episode, the Bert Show team takes a call from Karen, a mother struggling with the decision to give away her family's Christmas puppy. The hosts and callers dive into the complexities, guilt, and realities behind pet ownership, especially when children are involved. The episode explores the balance between honesty, responsibility, and what's best for both the pet and the family.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Karen's Dilemma: An Overwhelming Christmas Puppy

• [00:31 – 01:36] Karen calls the show to reveal she is about to give away Maddie, the Labrador puppy she bought for her kids at Christmas.
  • Karen: “She's a real handful…I just can't take it anymore…the kids are a real handful already.” (00:43–01:44)
  • Maddie is destructive, not house-trained, and Karen feels she can't manage the added responsibility.

2. The Challenge of Responsibility and Commitment

• [01:01 – 02:22] Callers react strongly:
  • Caller 1: “Your rescue groups right now are just screaming because you got a puppy for Christmas, number one. And number two, here it is, January, and you’re ready to give it back.” (01:02–01:10)
• The discussion turns to how parents often buy pets hoping to teach children responsibility, but the work falls on mom, who is often already overloaded.
• Karen acknowledges her children (ages 9, 6, and 4) are too young to help much.

3. Parental Guilt & Past Mistakes

• [02:53 – 03:17] Karen shares her own past regret from a similar situation:
  • “I made this mistake a couple of years also…we went out, we got two English bulldog puppies…and with the new baby, it was the biggest mistake I ever made in my life.” (02:53–03:16)
  • She felt terrible but was able to rehome the dogs responsibly.

4. To Lie or Tell the Truth?

• [03:17 – 04:58] The group debates how to break the news to her children.
  • Karen: “Should I lie or should I tell? I mean, I don’t know.” (03:17–03:20)
  • Caller 2: Advocates honesty, “I think you gotta tell the truth…I think it’s a lesson in making mistakes or making hasty decisions.” (03:20–03:37)
• Hosts strongly discourage making up stories about the puppy running away or blaming the kids.

5. The Realities of Dog Ownership

• [03:48 – 04:39] Jeff brings in a tough-love perspective:
  • “It’s called disciplining the dog, man…You just take care of the dog, okay? You got three kids…” (03:48–04:00)
• Karen explains she works outside the home and cannot supervise or train the dog adequately.

6. Responsibility, Training, and What’s Best for All

• [04:48 – 06:43] The group weighs the pros and cons of keeping vs. rehoming the puppy.
  • A consensus emerges: It’s better to find Maddie a home that can give her the attention and structure she needs.
  • Karen: “I found a good family for them.”
  • Caller 2: “The life of the dog is gonna be happier with a family that can take care of it and train it and have the time to care for it.” (06:26–06:30)

7. Childhood Pet Loss: A Lighter Moment

• [06:49 – 07:27] The team shares their own stories of pets “disappearing” as children—often with parents not telling the full truth.
  • Caller 3: “My bunny got out when I was…10…My dad just made it look like it escaped. Turns out…it became an appetizer…” (06:57–07:15)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Karen (on her kids’ feelings): “They love the dog more than they love me, I think.” (05:21–05:24)
• Caller 2 (on honesty): “Just be honest.” (06:40)
• Karen (on fear of the conversation): “I'm scared, but I'm gonna do it.” (06:43)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------| | 00:31 | Karen introduces her dilemma | | 01:14 | Karen describes the chaos Maddie brings | | 02:10 | Discussion of training vs. giving up the puppy | | 02:53 | Karen’s own history of having to rehome dogs | | 03:20 | Should Karen lie or tell her kids the truth? | | 03:48 | Jeff’s tough-love approach to dog ownership | | 04:48 | Hosts suggest what's best for the dog | | 06:49 | Childhood pet loss stories and parental honesty |

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Tone and Language

The conversation is candid, empathetic, and occasionally light-hearted. The hosts blend humor with real talk, ensuring the mood stays supportive even as tough truths are addressed.

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Summary

This episode of The Bert Show tackles the messy reality behind gifting pets for the holidays and the challenges that often follow. The hosts help Karen process her guilt, discuss the importance of honesty with her kids, and reinforce that the most responsible choice might be to let Maddie find a better-suited home. The episode ultimately underscores the heavy responsibility pet ownership entails, the value of admitting mistakes, and the need for open family conversations — all served up in the show's trademark blend of laughter and empathy.

Transcript

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[Karen]

The Bird show this is Karen here, and I think the family had a puppy up until a couple of days ago. Hey, Karen.

[Karen (continuing)]

No, hi. It's today. It's happening today, and the kids are

[Jeff]

supposed to be at school.

[Karen]

I got you. Okay, what's going on?

[Karen (continuing)]

Well, I bought my kids a puppy for Christmas. A little black lab. Really cute. She's really cute. Her name's Maddie and she's super cute, but she has a real handful in and I just kind of can't take it anymore.

[Caller 1]

She's a puppy. Yeah.

[Caller 2]

What happens?

[Caller 1]

Your rescue groups right now are just screaming because you got a puppy for Christmas, number one. And number two, here it is, January.

[Karen]

What?

[Caller 1]

And you're ready to give it back.

[Karen]

What's the puppy doing that's so out of the ordinary that you're thinking she's

[Karen (continuing)]

just really out of control. She tears everything up. And, you know, I'm not at home during the day. When I get home, there's poop and there's pee everywhere. And like, you know, anything that's made of paper is completely shredded and all over the house like snowfall. And we've tried everything. You know, I've read manuals and I've been doing the Dog Whisperer. It's not working.

[Karen]

Have you tried great training or anything like that or. It sounds like you're giving her so much room to get her paws and her nose into things that she's just not ready for that yet.

[Karen (continuing)]

We just. Yeah, but we just can't handle it. And I have three kids and they're a real handful already. And so. I mean, they love her, but I just. I have a family coming together, you know, who can handle it. And I was gonna make something up, but now the kids are home, so I don't know what to say or do if they do come today. They might not come because.

[Caller 3]

Is it worth having a conversation about the way you should be training the puppy, or have you already decided that the puppy's going?

[Karen (continuing)]

I don't. I don't know. She's crazy. She's cute, but she's crazy.

[Caller 1]

I'm just curious if they had. If they had gone to school today, what were you gonna make up and say?

[Karen (continuing)]

I don't know. Maybe like that Santa needed the puppy back.

[Caller 3]

I'm not sure Santa needed his puppy back.

[Caller 2]

That's not good. I think it's a little bit more than that. I do know families that have to give up their animals. I had friends that had babies with all these allergies and had to give up their dog because of that. Or they got a dog and they just couldn't handle it because it seems like a great idea when mom and dad decide this is gonna be a really great responsibility, like training tool for the kids, whatever. And then all of a sudden it becomes one more responsibility on mom's list. And I get it.

[Karen (continuing)]

Yeah, they're not helping and they're too young to help. Really? A nine year old? A little bit, but not really.

[Karen]

I made this mistake a couple of years also, you know, ago when Hollis was born. We thought we were ready for dogs at the time. So we went out, we got two English bulldog puppies, cost us an arm and a leg. And then once we got the dogs in the house and with the new baby, it was the biggest mistake that I had ever made in my life. I mean, I felt terrible having to give the dogs back. Luckily enough, our breeder found a great family for him right down the street. And they're still together. But I made that mistake too. But yeah.

[Karen (continuing)]

Yeah, I mean, should I lie or should I tell? I mean, I don't know.

[Caller 2]

I think you gotta tell em the truth. I think you gotta sit down with your kids because I think it's a lesson in making mistakes or making hasty decisions. Um, I mean, I know most people would like to tell you to, you know, suck it up and keep the dog because that was your decision. But if it's not gonna work for you and the dog's gonna be happier in another home, I think that's the way you should go here.

[Karen]

Is Jeff here? Good morning, Jeff. You are on Q100. Karen got herself a puppy for. Got the kids a puppy for Christmas and puppy's a little out of hand now and she wants to give puppy back.

[Jeff]

It's called disciplining the dog, man. I mean, it's simply, it's lack of being not lazy. You just take care of the dog, okay? You got three kids. I'm sure you have enough hands to help take care of the dog.

[Caller 2]

How old are your children?

[Karen (continuing)]

One's nine, one six and one's four.

[Karen]

Well, the nine year old for sure should be able to help out a little bit. It doesn't even sound like you've put a lot of effort into it though.

[Karen (continuing)]

Well, I'm not. I'm just not there most times during the day. And you know, he's saying that I have hands to take care of. I have three hands to take care of. Three kids that don't have four take care of the dog as well.

[Caller 1]

Well, people are gonna ask, why did you decide to get the puppy in the first place knowing this?

[Karen (continuing)]

I didn't know. I didn't know it was gonna be this hard.

[Caller 1]

You never had a dog, not one

[Karen (continuing)]

that's crazy like this? No.

[Caller 1]

Well, the dog's not crazy.

[Karen]

It's just a puppy just needs to be trained. You don't have the time to train your dog right now, which means I

[Karen (continuing)]

don't, I don't have the money to send it to a school like a,

[Jeff]

like a dog school.

[Karen]

Well, this means that your wild puppy is gonna turn into a wild adult dog.

[Caller 2]

Big lab dog.

[Karen]

It's gonna big old PA pain in the butt as it gets older. So I say go for it.

[Karen (continuing)]

Did I say the dog ran away?

[Caller 2]

No.

[Karen]

What is wrong with you?

[Caller 2]

You've got to sit down and be honest with your kids. I mean, they're home from school today because of the weather and the snow. I mean, it's perfect opportunity to talk to them about it. The four year old may not get it, but the six and the nine year old will get it.

[Karen]

Now they may step up and say, no, no, we'll start helping out more. And at that point I don't know what you do.

[Caller 3]

My guess is they probably hate the dog too because it's taking your time away from them.

[Karen (continuing)]

No, they love the dog. They love the dog more than they love me. I think.

[Karen]

Yeah. It's going to be a tough conversation to have for sure.

[Karen (continuing)]

Yeah.

[Jeff]

All right.

[Karen]

I'm not really sure what's up.

[Karen (continuing)]

There was a way of avoiding it,

[Jeff]

but I guess why can't you.

[Caller 3]

Can you do something like somehow make one of. Like make me make the nine year old think they left the door open.

[Karen (continuing)]

Stop.

[Caller 3]

Because then you could also roll it into a responsibility conversation like see now,

[Karen]

see now you could also use this opportunity to turn the family against each other. Just say that you're getting rid of the dog because of the six year old. The other kids have been great, but the 6 year old has been bad with the dog. So you have to get rid of it.

[Jeff]

There you go.

[Karen (continuing)]

Burnt.

[Caller 3]

Now you're thinking you didn't need me back. You got it.

[Karen]

That attitude is contagious. Yeah. I don't exactly know what to tell you here, but I think, you know, most of the calls coming in are gonna say that you got the dog, so you should take care of the dog. But I also think that Jen's right. At the end of the day, if you don't have time, then I had to admit my mistake. We gave the dogs back. I felt horrible about it. But they've got a great family. You gotta do what's best for the dog.

[Karen (continuing)]

I found a good family for them,

[Jeff]

I think, and we're done.

[Caller 2]

Yeah. I mean, I think the life of the dog is gonna be happier with a family that can take care of it and train it and have the time to care for it.

[Karen (continuing)]

Yeah. All right.

[Jeff]

Thanks, guys.

[Karen (continuing)]

I appreciate it.

[Caller 2]

Just be honest.

[Caller 1]

Good luck.

[Karen (continuing)]

Yeah.

[Caller 1]

Don't make up yourself.

[Karen (continuing)]

I'm scared, but I'm gonna do it.

[Jeff]

Okay.

[Karen (continuing)]

Bye.

[Karen]

Bye.

[Caller 2]

Good luck.

[Jeff]

Bye.

[Caller 3]

She's not gonna do it.

[Karen]

Didn't you. Who was it in here that had like, animals all of a sudden were missing from the house and your parents were making funny?

[Caller 3]

Yeah, it was.

[Jeff]

My.

[Caller 3]

My bunny got out when I was. I don't know how old you are when you own a rabbit. 10. And apparently there's a lot of fur and mangled bunny parts around the pen. So dad cleaned all that up and just made it look like it escaped.

[Caller 2]

He was really killed by the neighborhood cats?

[Caller 3]

Yes. And they told me like this past summer, like, oh, you remember little hickory. You got out. My dad's like, hickory, that's right. Hickory cats didn't get out. Became an appetizer.

[Jeff]

Get it?

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