Josh: A topic about FOOD? Now you are speaking my language! Pass the chicken livers!
Jeter: I love the holidays – of course, we typically get “extras” every day anyway. But on the holidays it seems we get even MORE!
Alanis: How much more did you exactly get, Jeter? I think it should be told that our parents took JETER to the family get together this year while Josh and I stayed home.
Josh: I don’t go for rides any more, due to my age and immobility – I am content with just hanging out at home, protecting the house like I have always done.
Jeter: I only received a few meatballs and Milk Bones….
Alanis: While we were here, suffering in our hunger…..
Jeter: Dramatic much?
Josh: WIll you two stop? Pass me the beef jerky.
Jeter: I love these treats for dinner – typically, we get dry dog food and….
Josh: STOP RIGHT THERE! The three things we do not talk about around the holiday table are religion, politics, and dog food! Humans are weird when it comes to debating dog food! I just want to eat…
Alanis: I do like the Earthborn….
Josh: STOP! Just please stop before you cause The Doggie Apocalypse.
Jeter: I wonder what Santa got us for Christmas this year……
Josh: Duh! Treats and toys! Have you not figured this out yet? I am of the age where I am the Grandfather that goes right to sleep after dinner.
Alanis: I love Christmas gifts! Especially if they are the type I can instantly tear into a million pieces.
Josh: Did anyone see the chocolate?
Jeter: NO CHOCOLATE, Josh! Remember, those pesky humans have a list of things we shouldn’t eat around the holidays!
Josh: I know, I know. I just wish I could sneak a Kit Kat every now and again…..
Alanis: Milk Chocolate isn’t as bad as the darker stuff….
Jeter: True, but once we get the taste of chocolate in our brains, we are more apt to want it and crave it. So, they keep all chocolate from us.
Josh: Well, not really – they have like 10,000 pieces of chocolate sitting there in the dining room that we were trained to not touch….they are tempting fate.
Jeter: I am content with cheese, hot dogs, pieces of biscuit, and whatever else they decide to give us.
Alanis: It still isn’t enough! (WOOF WOOF!) I want more treats! (WOOF WOOF!)
Jeter: STOP THAT BARKING, diva!
Josh: Annoying. Very annoying.
Jeter: OK, I am done here – everything was good, as always – though strangely, most of it tastes the same.
Josh: We have about 8,000 less taste buds than humans..but we smell things much better than they do!
Jeter: Dork.
Alanis: Why don’t we have a Christmas tree?
Jeter: Because everyone knows you would likely destroy it five minutes after Mommy decorates it!
Alanis: OK, OK, enough of this! Time for presents! And Josh to take another long nap!
Jeter: I hope Santa remembered the tennis balls…..
Me: If you get five different dog owners in the same room, you will receive five different opinions on how you should feed your dog. I am no fan of the “Dog Food Police”. I have a simple rule that I think everyone can easily abide by: Get the best possible food you can that you can reasonably afford. Criticizing people on what they feed their dogs is pointless – dogs have lived long, satisfying lives living on Mighty Dog and Alpo. I agree that it is possible those dogs may have lived even LONGER if they had a better food, but that is true of us humans as well. Don’t drive yourself crazy over this. If you are interested in dog food ratings, you can try the Dog Food Advisor. Pay attention to dog food recalls. Some people like to mix things up from time to time with different brands and what not. If you do this, do it slowly. Mix in their old food with the new food to give your dog a chance to adjust. Currently, my dogs are on Earthborn, Rachel Ray Delish Dish (Mainly Jeter, who also gets her “wet food” once a day), and recently Dr. Foster and Smith. We have used Wellness, Blue Buffalo, Solid Gold, Nature’s Recipe, and more in the past. They are all good foods at different price points. Costco’s house brand also gets praise at a very reasonable price. I have never done the “raw” diet before, so I can’t comment on that. As for the holidays? Use common sense and your dogs will get through them just fine. Most dogs don’t bother Christmas trees – but use common sense. Monitor them. Put a gate around the tree, if necessary. Most of all, have FUN with your animals during the holiday season – as they say, every day is Christmas for a dog!