Featured Article By: Bartholomew, the dog   on  December 1, 2010

A Letter to Santa Paws

 

What Your Dog Really Wants for Christmas

Dear Santa Paws,

I am a six-year-old Beagle living in San Francisco and I must admit my life is pretty good. I get along really well with my two adult humans and my feline housemate (when she’s not in one of her moods). I am taken to the dog park regularly and the gourmet kibble arrives on schedule in my favorite red bowl with the fire hydrant design. I know I am lucky and shouldn’t be greedy, but there are a few things I would really like for Christmas. I thought I would let you know and hopefully you can work with my humans to arrange things. Here goes:

 

  1. A K9 Nose Work class. Simply put, I would really relish a serious olfactory workout. My dog park friends have been woofing about this new trend and I am totally up for it. I recently learned that my brain is hard-wired for sniffing, which is comforting. I used to think I was some kind of weirdo. 
  2. A cushier bed. I’m no spring pup anymore and my humans don’t seem to realize that a little extra padding in my bed would make things more comfortable. Come to think of it, some canine chiropractic or massage on occasion would be nice, too. I may not be a senior citizen yet, but I am getting more mature (some of my behavior notwithstanding). 
  3. Something called a Kong. As much as I love my fire hydrant bowl, gnawing my food out of a sturdy chew toy sounds like a blast. I could use the jaw exercise, and with a Kong in the house I would be less likely to get carried away with the occasional shoe. 
  4. A canine brother or sister. As previously mentioned, my home pack is just fine, but I sure would enjoy 24/7 companionship with another of my kind. I would be more than happy to share the available yard space and lap time with a new best buddy who’s right for my size, temperament, and energy level. (Please be sure he or she is adopted from a shelter or rescue group; it just breaks my heart that so many dogs don’t have families of their own.)
  5. New horizons. My neighborhood jaunts and haunts are great, but I’d like to see a bit more of the world. My humans sometimes go away for a few days without me, and as much as I like my lodgings at the kennel, I get a bit anxious without them. Maybe they could try taking me along one of these days. I promise not to put my head out the window during the trip because they say it’s not safe (although I’m sure I would love the feeling of my ears flapping in the breeze). 
  6. I know you’re busy this time of year, so I’ll leave it at that. Thanks for delivering all us dogs’ messages to our humans in time for Christmas. (By the way, if you ever need a canine elf, I’m your Beagle).

 

Yours with a merry howl,
Bartholomew

 

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