Welcome to the Wednesday Dogs of Dogster! Every month, we ask our Dogsters to weigh in on a new topic. This week, we asked them: How Do You Celebrate Christmas With Your Dog(s)? Here’s what they had to say:
Amanda & Subi
In the days leading up to Christmas, we are a busy household. Coming from a big family, we’re constantly on the go – holiday parties, casual catchups, baking, skating, Christmas light walks, you name it. Subi gets to partake in almost all of our visits over the holidays, which is lovely for us, and if I were to guess, I would say this is a pretty exciting time for her, too. Extra cuddles from extended family, a few more treats than she gets at home, and of course, familiar yet seemingly new places to explore. My parents have a whole setup for Subi, where we spend most days this time of year.
Christmas Day is where the calm begins. Subi is curious about the excitement on the morning after Santa visits and conveniently sets up shop by our children’s stockings. Not to worry, there is no sharing of those treats! She and our fluffy kiki, Blue, are more than happy to hunker in with us, watch a few final holiday movies, and catch up on the sleep we’ve inevitably lost while celebrating over the previous few weeks. Subi and the rest of the fam get to recharge their batteries a bit before we ring in the New Year and get back to real life.
Subi’s Christmas may be a simple one, and in her eyes, just another season, but it wouldn’t be the same without having her by our side, one holiday adventure at a time.
Kate & Gizmo
Gizmo and I are pretty big on the Christmas season – I love the traditions, food, and family, and he loves the treats!
The festivities kick off with one of my favorite annual traditions: gingerbread decorating! Gizmo is always an honored guest at these candy-and-frosting extravaganzas, gamely trotting around watching us debate the merits of gumdrops, candy canes, and whether those Nabisco wafers really look like charming roof tiles. He even has a gingerbread-themed sweater (it says “Bite Me”!) and has been featured not once but twice in our creations.
Throughout December, Gizmo celebrates with a few extra special treats and a cute rotation of seasonal bandanas. Once, I even got him a doggie advent calendar! He also enjoys nightly naps by the Christmas tree.
Christmas day involves a whole lot of playing with his cousin dogs, a nice long walk (snow-dependent), and maybe a few more Christmas-y treats (and yes, he has his own stocking!). He caps the day off as the guest of honor at our feast with friends and family (where he’s been known to sport a Santa hat, at least for a few seconds), followed by a well-deserved long winter’s nap.
A very merry Giz-mas to you!
Meagan, Draper & Rue
Christmas at the Hancock house is the coziest time of the year! Since my husband and I don’t have much family nearby, we’re lucky enough to avoid the stress of car-packing, visiting relatives, and juggling multiple holiday dinners—something we’re totally okay with.
As we count down to Christmas, Draper and Rue are in full “holiday mode” – happily curled up on the couch, binge-watching Christmas movies (or, more accurately, snoozing through them) or patiently waiting at our feet while we decorate gingerbread cookies. They’re basically praying for a stray lick of icing or a sneaky crumb to drop. Little do they know, come Christmas morning, their stockings will be stuffed with all sorts of goodies from Santa—usually a bully stick, a new toy or two, and a handful of treats that might just make them do the happy tippy-tappy dance.
Christmas morning with the weens is honestly the highlight of the season. We go all-out, wrapping their presents like they’re tiny little humans, and then encouraging them to rip the paper apart (which, let’s be real, is probably more fun for us than for them). Last year, they unwrapped a new snuffle mat and a big, fluffy donut-style bed that’s basically a cloud for them to nap in. Spoiled? Absolutely. But they’re worth it!
And that’s what Christmas at our house looks like—simple, cozy, and full of joy! While we may not be surrounded by extended family or hopping between parties, we wouldn’t trade our quiet holiday traditions for anything. It’s the perfect way to spend the season! After all, what’s better than having a house full of love, laughter, and a couple of very happy weenies to share it all with? 🎄🐾❤️
Nicole, Mac, and Rosa
Christmas has always been such a special time in our home, but I have to admit that a summery Christmas down under is not the same as a wintery one. The desire to eat baked goods and drink hot chocolate while cuddled up by the fire reading a book is at zero. We spend time at the beach and barbecuing, eating salads and popsicles and cold beer.
We don’t have a ton of traditions around Christmas other than spending quality time with family and friends, but over the past couple of years we actually have gone away at Christmastime and the dogs have been at their kennel or with housesitters. But this year, we are spending Christmas at home and Santa even told me he has some exciting presents for the dogs, and they even have their own stockings hung by the fireplace!
Neither dog seems to care much about the Christmas decorations, which is nice because they leave everything alone and we only have to watch out for what our toddler is going to do with them. Mac does enjoy sleeping near the Christmas tree, but Rosa could really care less. However, they do love it when we sing Christmas carols and like to join in (this is all year round though, but I like to think they’re extra cheerful during this season).
But while neither has been around for Christmas morning with Kalani yet, I am looking forward to seeing their excitement levels when she opens her presents and when they get theirs. I know there will be lots of barking and they will probably be sent to their room to calm down for a bit while we try to open prezzies in peace, but what would Christmas morning be without a little chaos? I can’t wait!
This article features all of the Dogsters in our Wednesday Dogs of Dogster series.