Making Dogs A Part Of Christmas

Over the years, Christmas has become more and more about dogs for me. For the second year in a row, I’ll be spending Christmas Day at the Van Wert County Humane Society cleaning kennels and caring for the dogs to allow the employees a day off. If you are looking to add a new family member to your home, I highly suggest checking out the shelter!

Of course, the shelter dogs are not the only ones I’ll be spending time with on Christmas. As always, I’ll be spending time with Caesar and Jeter, who will get their very own Christmas meal and will unwrap their own gifts.

If you’ve never had your dog unwrap a gift, I highly suggest it. My dogs play along, grabbing the wrapping paper and tugging it off to find a gift just for them. This year, my boys will be getting healthy bones and treats. They already have so many toys, I figured I’d opt for treats, which you can never have enough of as a dog owner.

I don’t have human kids, nor do I want them (too sticky and costly!), but watching my dogs open gifts that make them happy brings me the same joy that I see human parents get. Dogs are always 100 percent appreciative of everything and I love watching them receive a good smelling gift. Maybe they are thinking, “Oh wow, I wonder what I did to get such a nice smelling bone!” I enjoy watching all people open a gift I picked out just for them, but there is something extra special about seeing Caesar’s eye light up or seeing Jeter’s mouth get so big.

Unfortunately, however, Caesar caught me wrapping a bag of bones this weekend and was not pleased that he could not have them right then and there. Dogs obviously have no concept of Christmas or why they are unwrapping gifts (or why they are being wrapped in the first place). Dogs just live in the moment with no thought of what will happen next week. What a good life-lesson for all of us. No wonder they are so happy!

Do you wrap gifts for your dogs? What do you get them? How do you incorporate your dog into Christmas? Let Caesar, Jeter, and I know!

Later this week I will share what Caesar and Jeter are getting for Christmas with my recommendations for healthy treat and bone options.