Holidazed and Confused

I have never heard so many “no” and “leave it” commands! I mean, really, is it my fault that there is all this new stuff in the house? It’s even outside the house and at the places where I meet other dogs!  There is a tree in the downstairs room, and it has lots of shiny balls that hang on it. What would any dog do?  Pee on that tree – or try to – and get my mouth around those shiny balls. Oops! I found out they just look like balls, but they can break and cut me.

There are also candles that smell good and make me want to taste them.  But now Angie has moved them to a high place so I don’t get burned. I didn’t tell her that if I really wanted to, I could jump up there, but I’m a good dog so I won’t. It is best to keep that kind of thing away from dogs, and also the real human food, especially chocolate. I know a dog that ate a whole bag of chocolate chips, and he got so sick he could not eat anything for a few days. I also know a dog who stole a pie off of the kitchen counter, and she ate the whole thing. 

Another thing that has showed up is little strings of lights that are bright and shiny at night. They plug into the wall, and I know better than to touch the plug because I got yelled at “NO” when I tried it. Same with the lights outside, just leave those alone!

I also see boxes under that green tree, some big and some small. I would love to fetch a couple, shake them in my mouth, maybe rip off the paper into little pieces and make a mess. There are a couple that smell like dog treats, and none that smell like cat treats. (Did they forget about Oscar?  Will I have to share?) It would be better if those boxes just stayed someplace else so I would not be tempted to open them. Anyway, I am learning holiday rules, and that even though some things look like they would be fun toys for me, I have to do what Angie says. As long as she doesn’t put that reindeer hat on me again, I will be happy!   

NOTE: To learn more about how to keep your home safe for pets like me, watch this great video from the American Veterinary Medical Association.