A Dog’s Christmas

/ Ann Coleman

I already wrote a post about how much I loved Thanksgiving, but I have to tell you that I loved Christmas even more!  It began when Mom started baking Christmas cookies in early December, and I learned that if I sat and stared at her with big, pitiful eyes, she would usually let me have a little taste of one.  I also learned that Mom is a bit of klutz who often drops stuff on the floor when she’s cooking, and that if I move really fast, I can snatch it up and eat it before she stops me.  So one way or another, I got to sample every batch of cookies that came out of the kitchen.

M79Qb91dQvWsXuyBi9Lo%QEven better, I heard that if I was a really, really, good dog (and I am, because snarfing up cookies that are spilled on the floor doesn’t count as being bad), I could expect a gift or two from Santa Dog on Christmas morning.  I even got my very own stocking to hang on the mantle so that Santa Dog would be sure to remember me.

I also found out that Christmas isn’t celebrated on just one day.  My parents had lots of friends and family over all through December, and all of those visits meant delicious food was served.  The best part was that not all of the guests believed in my parents’ “no food for dogs at the table” rule,  so lots of them slipped me a little tidbit when they thought my parents weren’t looking.  And afterwards, I was always in the kitchen to lend a paw in cleaning up and dealing with the leftovers.

There was just one part of Christmas that I didn’t really care for.  About a week before Christmas day, Mom told me that I needed a bath because I smelled.  And she was right, I did have a distinct aroma…a blend of wet fur, all the things in the yard I found to roll in, and a general doggie odor.  In other words, I smelled great!  Why she thought I needed a bath, I’ll never know, but she hauled me to the nearest dog wash and plunked me right in the tub.   The less said about the actual bath, the better.  I’ve heard the mind has a way of blocking out traumatic experiences, and I’m hoping that is true.  Except for the part where Mom accidentally turned on the water when she had the nozzle pointed right at her face, because that was pretty funny.

The best part of Christmas, though, was the actual day.  I went to bed extra early the night before because I heard Santa Dog only comes if you’re asleep, and I didn’t even budge from my dog bed when Mom and Dad came home late from the Christmas Eve service. And it worked!  I had two toys under the tree and some dog biscuits in my stocking on Christmas morning.  We also had family over for opening presents and breakfast, which was delicious.   Later that afternoon, my two doggie cousins came over to play and we had a terrific time running all over the yard.

Getting together with friends and family, sharing delicious food and cookies, getting wonderful presents…..how could I possibly not love Christmas?  It’s my favorite holiday, and I can’t wait to do it all over again next year!!

Love, Finn

60 thoughts on “A Dog’s Christmas”

  3. Dear Finn. The aroma of human foods about drove my nose nutty. Santa did leave me some treats in my stocking which made the situation a bit easier. If it makes you feel better, I had to have a Christmas bath, too. Not sure if a house-full of guests is worth it. I shivered the entire time. Love and high paws, Shorty.

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    • Oh, Shorty, I’m so sorry you had to survive a bath too! It is an awful experience, isn’t it? And the only way it is worth it is if the houseful of guests gives you a whole lot of food while they’re staying with you. All I know is my mom says your dad is a pretty good guy, so if it gets too bad, just consult with him and see if he’ll come to your rescue. Meanwhile, I hope you had a good Christmas and a good new Year’s too!

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  5. Finn, I’m not a big fan of cookies, but I can totally relate about the bath. I don’t go outside so I don’t smell, but Larry insists on a bath occasionally. He says it makes my coat silky and shiny. I guess he’s never been told that cats don’t need baths. But, what am I to do? I like living here. Your friend, Max. 😻

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    • Oh Max, i totally understand! We love our human family and we love our homes (especially if we’ve spent time on the streets or in a shelter) so we don’t really have a choice but to let them give us a bath now and then. Why they insist on that is a mystery to me, but I suppose it’s a small price to pay for living in a loving home!

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  6. Oh, Ann, I honestly thought you were writing about yourself – until …Mom … often drops stuff on the floor … and that if I move really fast, I can snatch it up and eat it … 😛

    I asked if you had a Christmas that seized your heart with joy. I guess this is the answer ❤

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    • Yeah, I wondered if I should make it clear from the start that this was another one of Finn’s posts, but decided to leave it. That will teach me!
      And I’m sorry, but I didn’t see the question about Christmas! Still, Finn’s joy at his first Christmas would be a good one. Honestly, I do seem to have at least one moment of joy each Christmas season, at different times and for different reasons. I guess that is one of the reasons I love Christmas so much!

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  7. Dear Finn,

    I found out on Christmas that my Dad will be deployed (whatever that means…). He told me because of that grandma is coming all the way from Europe to see me. I was excited until Dad explained that grandma has rules and in the coming weeks we had to practice her rules. Crazy humans! I mean, I eat food off the countertop and floor all the time and just love chewing those things humans call shoes. I even found something you should try, those human eye glasses are chewy but don’t last but five minutes in my mouth. Hummmm, not sure I can have fun with my grandma here. I don’t understand that thing you call a bath and hopefully grandma doesn’t get any ideas from your mom if it as bad as you described. Happy New Year Finn, I think mine will be full of crazy grandma adventures.
    Lilly the Great Dane from Georgia

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    • Oh, Lilly, don’t worry! I bet you’ll have fun with Grandma, even is she is a stricter than your Dad. And it’s better than having to stay in a kennel while he’s gone, too. I stayed in a kennel a couple of times, and it was okay…but just okay. So I say, give your Grandma a chance! (Except where the bath is concerned. If she mentions giving you a bath, then run and hide and don’t come out until she’s gone. Trust me on this!)

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  14. It sounds like everyone had a great Christmas at your house. Finn’s Christmas tales are very good; he did not get the short end of the stick when it came to celebrating. It is true, Christmas goes on all through December… Even now, we are still celebrating the twelve days of Christmas!

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  15. Finn, I am so coming over to your house, mate. Just let me know when the bath is on so I can skip that part. My mum has been threatening to give me a bath, emphasis on threaten and bath!!!!! It has been hot enough for it but so far only the smoke outdoors has saved me. The fam and I remain very still to conserve our energy. It is even a bit too hot for eating but we have frozen fish stock. You’ve got to love the generosity of Christmas with all those treats coming your way under the table. So what did you get for your mom?
    See you round like a rissole.
    Your mate, Fynn.

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    • That’s what I thought at the time, too, but I knew better than two say so! I was afraid if I did, she might make me stay even longer in the tub…. But thanks for your compliments on my blog post!

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  23. Finn, I’m so glad you had a GREAT first Christmas. Funny story…my dog, Rascal (RIP) had learned that when I said, “Oh sh*t!” that meant I dropped something yummy to eat on the floor. That was his personal cue for him to come barreling from some other part of the house to gobble it up! Maybe you can sneak up on your mom in a similar way lol

    Also, I’m glad to hear you didn’t pee on the tree ❤

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    • That’s funny, because Mom says the exact same thing when she drops food on the floor! And like Rascal, I know that means to move quickly so I can eat it. I’m sorry Rascal is gone…he sounds like a great dog! And yeah, Mom did tell me that I was wrong about the tree. It wasn’t my personal toilet after all (she threatened to make me live in the garage if I peed on it!). But that’s okay, because I found out it’s where Santa Dog leaves his presents for me, so I loved it anyway!

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  25. This is terrific. I’m glad everything worked out for Finn. Santa Dog even came and left some gifts. Haha. That’s great! And I like the part about the bath. I always figure dogs wonder about that, like why are they washing me like this? What’s wrong with them? Haha. Great post!

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    • I”m sorry for the late reply, but I just saw this comment! And yeah, I’m thinking Finn was wondering just what was so wrong with me that I had to give him a bath. Luckily, he loved the rest of Christmas so much that I (think and hope) he forgave me for the bath.

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  26. I knew you’d love Christmas, Finn! Yours sound excellent – except for the bathing part but what can you do? 😉 And should you ever come to visit, Be assured that there’s no ‘don’t feed the dog at the table’-rule in my home. 😉😉

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