As an unabashed fan of all things holiday, I made sure my family dragged out all our Christmas decorations the day after Thanksgiving so we could get a head start on being festive.
My son was the first one to point out the obvious- how did I think the puppies were going to do with all the decorations? Dakota just turned one, Ollie is six months old, and they love nothing more than tearing around the house and barreling through anything in their path. Dakota, in particular, loves to chew on anything he can get his mouth on. Life with puppies is so much fun but so much work. And sweeping. And training.
I got my answer soon after we began decorating and Dakota started barking incessantly at the Santas on the mantel. He seems to think they are jolly little intruders. The dogs then followed the cat underneath the tree, got stuck, and banged about ten ornaments off the bottom while trying to back out. They tried to eat the gingerbread house I’ve painstakingly assembled over the past seven days. It’s become abundantly clear that unless we want a wrapping paper mess all over the house, we won’t be putting any presents under the tree until Christmas morning.
I might have felt annoyed but for one thing: the pet ornaments. Every pet who has been a part of my life since my first Lhasa Apso at eight has their own ornament. I have a lot of them now, and as I unpack them I pause for a moment to remember Christmases past with each of them, how they too climbed the tree and jumped in the wrapping paper and did all the dog and cat things that make them who they are. Our time with them is all too fleeting, so I remind myself every day to take in every wild and joyful moment.
Instead of being frustrated, I’ll be grateful for each mutilated decoration, the armless Santa and the headless angel. As I move them to higher ground and check to make sure all the breakable ornaments rest in higher branches, I can’t feel anything but good fortune that I have two dogs and a cat that bring so much joy and energy to our family.
In honor of Ollie and Dakota’s first Christmas as part of our family, I’ve rewritten the 12 Days of Christmas to better reflect our reality. I hope you get a laugh and a commiseration out of it.
The 12 Dog Days of Christmas
"On the twelfth day of Christmas,
my puppies brought to me,
12 holes a digging
11 neighbors barked at
10 armless Santas
9 tattered chew toys
8 headless angels
7 dogs a-swimming
6 bulbs a-laying
5 bully sticks
4 muddy paws
3 dog beds
2 slobber hugs
And a pup nap under the tree!"
Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season from my home to yours!
Dr. Jessica Vogelsang, DVM