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Are you a dog person?  I mean, can’t even imagine not having a dog in your life, person?  Me too.  I love my sweet Daisy to the moon and back and she’s a member of our family.  I spend quite a bit of time planning to make my daughter’s Christmas wonderful, so I’m also putting a little thought into making sure Daisy Dog has a merry Christmas too!

Uh, Kim, she’s a dog, she doesn’t even know it’s Christmas.  Shut your mouth!  She certainly knows that we’re celebrating because we open presents and have guests and eat tons of snacks.  We want our dogs to have lots of fun but also be safe and polite to guests

Does You Have a Present for Me?

Why do we always assume that dogs talk like three-year-olds?  I’m pretty sure that Daisy has a cute, Southern accent and perfect grammar.  Anyway, what should we get them for Christmas?

Homemade Party Poppers.  Put dog treats inside of an empty toilet paper roll.  Roll it in wrapping paper, leaving about three inches on either end.  Twist ends tightly but don’t tie with ribbon because it’s dangerous for dogs to eat ribbon, duh.  Dogs will have fun unwrapping this gift and will love the extra treats!

Best Bully Sticks.  These are kind of expensive chew sticks, but they last a long time and they’re good for dogs.  Bully Sticks are fully digestible, unlike rawhide and they’re made from all natural, grass-fed beef.  You should limit them to one a day because too many can cause an upset stomach.

Treat Ball.  This treat-dispensing ball will entertain you almost as much as your dog!  The ball actually teaches dogs different ways to get treats out.  If you have to leave your dog alone a lot, this is an awesome gift!

Lion Mane Wig for Dogs.  Okay, this is more of a gift for you but it’s sooo cute!  Just think, you could dress your whole family up in Wizard of Oz costumes for Halloween and the dog could be the Cowardly Lion.  Amazing!

Dog Seat Cover.  Daisy makes the school runs with me everyday and she loves riding in the car.  She is pretty hairy and a little stinky sometimes, so my seats aren’t always pleasant for humans to sit in!  I worry about getting in a wreck with her in the car too.  This seat would keep my seats clean and give her a seatbelt.  Win-win!

Chic Dog Bed.  Check out the chic dog beds at ML Home and Hound on Etsy. I love this paisley, not to mention to adorable Frenchie sitting on it!

Stay Safe Out There

Between all of the extra food and the decorations, the Christmas season can be a little dangerous for dogs.  Everyone wants to be sweet and give Daisy “just a little treat” when they visit, which can really backfire.  Daisy has a grain allergy, so one cracker is all it takes and her ears start itching, then smelling and it takes four days to get them back in shape.  We all know that chocolate can be deadly to dogs and keeping candies on a low table is an open invitation to them to sneak a piece.  Make sure all food is out of reach when you’re not around and remind guests to give dog treats only.

Lots of my decorations have teeth marks on them.  Our sweet, old dog, Tatonka loved to lick and chew wooden ornaments, so we had to remember to put them up high so he couldn’t reach them.  While a little wood probably wouldn’t hurt him, eating a plastic ornament could really cause some damage.  If your dog joneses for ornaments, he should probably be crated when you’re not there to supervise.  Make sure to keep tinsel, ribbon, string, etc. away from dogs.  It can get caught in the gastrointestinal tract and cause a life-threatening emergency.

Bottom line, dogs are going to need a bit of extra supervision during the holidays.

Guests and Dogs

Daisy loves everybody.  Unfortunately, she greets them by barking like a maniac and charging at the door.  I always tell people to just ignore her for a bit until she settles down.  Daisy weighs 75 pounds and that’s a lot of dog to be dancing around in the foyer as guests are tying to get in the door.  For parties or other gatherings, we put her in her crate until everyone is here and she has a chance to calm down, then she is set free to mingle.

What I am going to do, someday really, really soon, is teach her a place command.  With a bit of training, your dog can learn to go to a designated place and lie down until released.  Really, Zak George says that you can teach them this in a pretty short time. Daisy is pretty smart and eager to please, I have just been negligent in training her.  Bad mom!

If you’re thinking, “my dog lives here, guests don’t, so they just better be okay with being licked and jumped on,” that’s okay.  You be you.  I would love to come over because I really don’t mind being licked and herded by dogs because I’m a dog person.  But, my Granny wouldn’t have come over.  She was not a dog person but she was amazing, and she was a Kim person, so I made allowances.

Okay, so I’m gonna go and start teaching Daisy the place command.  I’ll let you know how it goes!  What are you getting your dog for Christmas?

P.S.  If you’re still wondering what to get me for Christmas, click here for some ideas!