puppy leave
n. Time taken off work to care for and bond with a new puppy.
Also Seen As
Etymology
Examples
2004
Dogs aren't just pets. They're family. People e-mail me their doggie snapshots. When my friend Cindy, who is a lawyer, got her cocker spaniel, Kairos, she took a month of puppy leave and worked at home.
—Margaret Wente, “Who killed T-Bone?,” The Globe and Mail (Canada), February 05, 2004
2003
Are you still off work for puppy-leave?
—Susan, http://www.glimpseofagrrl.com/archives/000676.php, April 23, 2003
2000 (earliest)
There are no statistics revealing how many of us indulge in "peternity" leave. But, clearly, for many in the doggie set, it's de rigueur. And though we may claim it's about housetraining and practical issues, it's really more a matter of bonding and emotion.
—“More dog owners stay home to bond with their new bundle of fur; call it puppy leave,” The Boston Globe, July 22, 2000