NORWEGIAN ELKHOUND FORUM

Sounds like the best kind of Christmas Ness, at home with family & dogs, ours is very similar, it was more fun when the kids were little as the dogs always helped unwrap presents, whether asked to or not, and caused uproar running off with slippers & cuddly toys, Happy days.

I know one of ours celebrated Christmas before we did - nicked the chicken whilst I was sharpening the carving knife -- got some of it back though albeit the gang finished it off later, didn't fancy it after it had been around the kitchen floor. Good job we had a ham as well.

Christmas is usually a quiet day here. Once feeding and kennel chores are done, breakfast (or possibly brunch!) commences along with opening presents in the sitting room. The four-legged "elves" are quite adept at helping to open packages... that is when they're not pinching a bit of food on the side. The last present to be opened is a large box containing new smoked bones for all and to avoid arguments, they all go out into individual runs with their new bones for a few hours while we are busy clearing up the après package mess and preparing the Christmas meal.

The week before Christmas, I try very hard to get everyone freshly bathed and groomed out for the holiday, although this year that is proving a chore with many of our dogs popping their stuffing and moulting now (why???). Once guests have arrived and have all been officially greeted by the grey elves (some sporting fancy Christmas collars), they spend the rest of the day in the house, opting for pole position under the table and hoping some of the Christmas ham might find a way down to their level. If not, they always have a ham-ish meal on Boxing Day!

Merry Christmas to all!

Usual routine dogwalk then open presents, each one has to be checked out by all 3 dogs as it is unwrapped, new smells! Try to avoid delicate presents being trampled... Dogs snout each and every present before opening too - if any dog shows signs of subtle guarding behaviour, you can bet that present contains chocolate - there goes the surprise!!! Try to avoid doghair on new clothes in case they have to be returned - impossible - have spend many a Boxing Day picking hairs off said items before returning to shops. Though somehow, on being checked by sales assistant, I always spot least one stubborn hair... Dogs were in the huff this year as we went out for dinner for a change, so no table pickings... brought some back though to compensate, dogs were not forgotten during dinner as we discreetly shovelled leftovers into a doggy bag!