Hello everybody! Today, I’m absolutely thrilled to welcome Carlie Sorosiak, author of many books I adore with my whole being, but perhaps the most pertinent to this post is the beautiful MG book I, Cosmo, and she’s written a post about Christmas traditions she has with her dogs. Onto the post!
I can’t believe it’s almost Christmas! I’m counting down the days. And so is my dog. Well, she would count down the days, I’m sure – if she understood the concept of Christmas. My family likes to bring her into all of our traditions. For as long as I can remember, we’ve always included our pets in the holidays. They’re part of the family, after all!
Growing up, I had a German shorthaired pointer named Sally, and every year, we’d buy her a special Christmas bow. Bright red and velvety, the bows were supposed to sit atop a Christmas tree, or decorate a festive wreath, but they worked just as well on a dog’s collar. She used to look so proud when she wore them, like she knew she was a part of something special. We called her “Super Sally Christmas Dog.”
My first golden retriever, Ralphie, carried on the tradition. He looked proud, too – but was much more interested in sniffing out his presents under the Christmas tree. He also really loved chasing Sally around the Christmas tree. One year, they even knocked it down, shattering all the ornaments. Luckily, no one was hurt! Now, we don’t decorate with anything that could shatter. Wooden ornaments, it is!
We usually wrap presents on Christmas Eve – and let the dogs open their own gifts in the morning. I think they enjoy tearing the paper more than they enjoy the presents themselves! I haven’t started Christmas shopping yet for my current dog, Dany (she would be annoyed by that, if she knew), but I will most likely stuff her stocking with chewy treats, dog-friendly cookies, and at least one new toy. Two years ago, I got her a stuffed animal pig with a squeaker in the middle. I named him “Mr. Oinkers” after Cosmo’s toy pig in my middle grade novel I, Cosmo. Right now, Mr. Oinkers has seen better days. He desperately needs a bath. I’m thinking it’s time to send in his replacement. Maybe a platypus? Or a sheep?
Instead of a bow, Dany has a special Christmas bandana that says “Santa’s Favorite Rescue.” Objectively, I’m sure this isn’t true! She’s not a huge fan of strangers in general, and I doubt that Santa would be an exception. His boots clomp too much. But the bandana does look cute on her. She and her best friend, Lucy, also have matching holiday bandanas with their names in white lettering. They like to chase each other around the yard when wearing them.
After Dany opens her presents, we usually go on a Christmas walk; she likes our local park with the horses, even though she’s deeply afraid of horses. After, she’s fed a few table scraps from brunch (turkey bacon and eggs), and she gets a special dinner: either duck or rabbit patties. Sometimes both! Then, we hang out by the fire, watch Christmas movies on the couch, and cuddle. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Thank you so much for reading! Do you have any Christmas traditions with your pets you’d like to share? Are you a fan of Carlie’s books? I’d love to chat to you in the comments!
Amy xx
Golden Books Girl 