December 15, 2007

Dear Labby:

I was really excited to find out about Santa Claws and presents, but apparently the holidays have a lot of bad stuff, too. Like, the idea of a TREE in the house is fantastic! But every time I get close I hear "NO" and "DON'T" and "LEAVE IT!" It's the same with some pretty red plants at the station. And then there's the most wonderful smells in the kitchen, but Marianne tells me nothing she's baking has my name on it. What's the deal? Love, Parker

Dear Parker,

Winter is my favorite time of year, with lots of snow to frolic in, company coming over to visit, pretty lights and decorations, and tons of food. Unfortunately, this time of year involves a lot of "NO, DON'T" from the humans. If it makes you feel any better, your kitties D'Art and Dash have the same issues as us dogs.

First of all, the tree. Yeah, it's pretty darned cool that there's a tree in your living room. It smells good and looks interesting with lights and sparkly things hanging all over it. But none of the ornaments hanging on the branches are for you or Dash to play with. They are made out of GLASS and will shatter if you bite down on them. You'll feel like you have a mouthful of bees - OUCH!

I know you and Dash love to play hide and seek, but tell him that climbing up the tree to hide from you is a really bad idea. Marianne will be VERY unhappy if you two knock the tree over.

And tell D'Art to leave the sparkly tinsel alone. I know he thinks it tastes good, but it will get wound up in his intestines, and cause no end of trouble and probably a visit to the vet. Trust me on this.

Another thing: All those presents under the tree are to be LEFT ALONE. Marianne will tell you when it's time to open them, and she'll supervise so you don't "accidentally" eat a bow or something. Someday someone will invent dog-friendly edible wrapping paper, but until then, give it a pass.

Those pretty red (and sometimes white) plants are called poinsettias, and they are toxic to pets, so no nibbling! The same goes for mistletoe, which humans hang in doorways for some weird reason. It is not a good idea to ask Dash to knock it down so you can eat it.

Now let's talk about candles and fireplaces. Watch your tail, and tell the cats to mind their whiskers! Fire flickers and pops and looks very entertaining, but it's HOT. Not only will your fur smell terrible if it catches on fire, but burns hurt something awful. However, napping in front of a warm fire on a snowy evening is a great pleasure, especially if your human is petting you.

Now we need to talk about food. Chocolate is VERY BAD for dogs, and will give you a powerful tummy ache and other intestinal ills that I won't go into detail about. If you eat enough it can give you seizures, and even kill you! So if Santa leaves chocolate goodies for the humans, don't eat them. Likewise any yummy baked goods that Marianne leaves to cool on the kitchen counter. Ask your sister Madeleine the Greyhound about the freshly baked batch of Espresso Chocolate Chip Biscotti she inhaled one year. It's not a pretty story.

Last, I'll warn you about two outdoor dangers. One is the special salt humans put on sidewalks to make the ice melt. It can burn your sensitive paw pads, so remind Marianne to wipe off your feet when you come in the house after a walk. Whatever you do, don't lick it off your paws! The chemicals could burn your tongue and make you sick. Some dogs wear boots in the winter to keep their paws warm and safe. I think Marianne has a pair in your size, and I promise not to laugh if I see you wearing them.

The other thing to stay away from is antifreeze. It's something humans put in their cars, but sometimes it leaks out. Even though it tastes yummy to dogs and cats, it is highly toxic and will kill us faster than you can say "sick puppy." So don't drink out of puddles on the ground!

I hope Santa leaves you some fun new toys. Happy holidays, my friend!

Love, Labby

Questions or comments for Parker? Send them to Call7ForHelp@TheDenverChannel.com.

Would you like more information about Canine Companions for Independence, or perhaps be a puppy raiser? Call 1-800-572-BARK or go to www.cci.org for details.