Tree Defenders

The Grinch lives in my house. Her name is Jessie. Jessie has decided, since the puppies came to be (less than 2 years ago) that Christmas is hers and hers alone. Humans are allowed near the Christmas tree because they can give her the treats and toys hidden within. The puppies are not allowed. If the puppies try to approach said tree, Jessie will growl and snarl ferociously. She sometimes throws in some impromptu face nibbling just to get the point across. I don’t know if she has realized that the puppies actually enjoy face nibbling. It would be quite hilarious to imagine that she thinks face nibbling is her way of enforcing her dominance, when it is actually an enjoyable face massage, according to the puppies. Roxie usually gets the message of “don’t come near my tree” very quickly and backs far away from the Christmas tree. Zoe, though, could not care less about what Jessie has to say. Consequently, Jessie sometimes loses her patience with the unruly pup and attacks. Of course, “attack” signifies little more than a lunge and some snarling and snapping. Rarely does Jessie make any harmful contact with Zoe. You could be convinced otherwise, though, by the yelps that issue forth from Zoe. Jessie’s scare tactics are understandably yip-inducing. So, if the consequences of tree exploration are so frightening for the little ones, why do they keep venturing forth?

We encourage them.

Yes, this is our wicked Christmastime amusement--egging on dogs. We get the puppies to come see the tree, and then Jessie will rush in once she realizes that they have breached the tree zone without her. I mean, the puppies should get a chance to see their tree, too, right? Granted, our entertainment consists of us causing some complex canine system of social order to go into full snarly enforcement mode and then giggling at the enactment. 
 

Surely we’re not the only ones who amuse themselves at the expense of their dogs (and their dogs’ dignity).

In other news, Manheim Steamroller really needs to go easy on that harpsichord. It feels like I'm on some Kingdom Hearts space journey. It also makes my dogs cry. Trans-Siberian Orchestra is how one should rock out to Christmas. Get excited--it's almost time!