_______________________________________________________________________________________________

It was a long wait, but Jake seems to think it was worth it.

On Christmas Eve, Steve and I put the gifts under the tree and stuffed each other’s stockings under the watchful gaze of our RoadDog. It took Jake less than a minute to sniff out a bag containing a gift for him which he pulled out from under the tree and dove into head first. With much rattling of tissue paper and pushing off the bag with his front paws, he emerged seconds later with a stuffed monkey with extra long arms and legs and a squeaker in each paw. Our beloved Cairn quickly disappeared under the dining room table with his new toy in his mouth, its arms and legs flailing wildly.

In case I have never done so before, let me explain that as best I can. We have no idea why, but all of Jake’s new treasures go directly under the dining room table. There is no time to stop and admire them, no immediate tossing and playing, whether a new toy or an item sneaked (or dare I say stolen), it goes under the dining room table. It always has, from his first days of puppy toys and stealing dirty socks from the laundry (what is with dog’s and dirty socks anyway).

But it wasn’t long after the monkey disappeared that our dear doggie arrived back in the living room looking for more. He was not very happy to discover that our stockings were full while his was still empty. I told him he had to wait until morning. He pawed and sniffed at our stockings, eventually gave up and went back to playing with the monkey.

On Christmas morning, Steve took Jake outside to do his thing (Jake’s not Steve’s) while Santa Lisa filled the oft-sniffed stocking. Steve made one mistake — he told Jake to go check his stocking before he took off his boots. By the time Steve made it to the living room, Jake was already heading for the dining room, a stuffed frog which had been looking out of the top of his stocking now clamped in his teeth.

____________________________________________

It wasn’t long, however, before our boy was back looking for more. With Steve’s help, he quickly emptied his stocking of treats and toys. He then discovered a long stuffed caterpillar in the bag where he’d found the monkey the night before. As we unwrapped the goodies in our stockings and gifts from under the tree, our RoadDog periodically popped his head up on the other side of the coffee table looking for more treats.

Then it was off to my parents house, treats and caterpillar along for the ride, for more spoiling. Yep, I’m pretty sure RoadDog thought this Christmas was worth the wait.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Maybe it’s the time of year, maybe it’s the stress of getting ready for Christmas, maybe I’ve just finally lost my mind, but I’ve started talking to Jake.

I know we all talk to our pets, but I don’t mean the usual human-owner chat. (For those of you who don’t realize it, that’s the true relationship. Our pets actually own us. I’m absolutely convinced of it.)

When I say I’ve started talking to him, I mean I’ve started trying to explain things to him, even to reason with him. Over the last few days, I’ve found myself trying to tell our dear doggie how many “sleeps” are left until Christmas in an effort to make him understand why there is nothing in his stocking yet. I’ve tried to explain to him that the box he stole from under the Christmas tree is not a new toy for him even though he thinks it’s fun to play with. This morning, as I traded him a treat for the six-inch metal icicle he was chewing on under the dining room table, I even tried to convince him that if he’s going to steal ornaments from the tree he should at least take things that won’t potentially cause him significant harm. How he chewed that icicle without slicing his mouth to bits I will never know. And what might have happened to him if I hadn’t caught him with it I shudder to think.

But as I went out the door for work and realized I’d just admonished him to be good or at least if he wouldn’t be good to please not do too much mischief because Santa is watching, I realized I’d crossed the threshold into the mildly insane. I told our dog to be good because Santa is watching. Does that even work with children?

For some reason, Jake is really into Christmas this year and he’s pushing me over the edge. He’s sniffing at ornaments, he’s into the things under the tree, he’s sticking his nose in bags and boxes as we wrap gifts, he’s sitting at my feet as I make gingerbread cookies (okay that one I understand since it is after all food and Jake is all about his belly). Like a curious and slightly naughty child, he’s into everything — not just interested, but literally into it all, with nose and teeth and paws.

Our dear RoadDog, in his adorable busy way, is driving me slightly crazy. And then he looks at me with those big brown eyes and with that pink tongue out just a little and all I can do is laugh. He’s too cute to get mad at and I’m pretty sure he knows it.

Oh well, only four more sleeps.

And by the way, as our Christmas gift to those of you who read the adventures of RoadDog and the people he owns, it’s hard to believe but this is our 100th blog.

Imagine 100 RoadDogs, not literally, thank goodness. That would push me completely over the edge. Jake is definitely one of a kind.

Merry Christmas!!!
___________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Okay, so here goes … my husband was right.

There you go Steve, once again for all the world to see, for a second week in a row, I’m saying you were right. (Why do I think you are doing some sort of happy dance right now after reading that.)

Jake was waiting for his Christmas stocking.

For those of you who read last week’s blog, you might remember that our beloved RoadDog was acting strangely, sitting on the stairs looking for all the world as if he was waiting for something. Steve guessed that, having seen me doing some Christmas decorating, Jake had decided that it was time for his stocking to be hung on the stairs where it has been every Christmas since he joined us. He was right (that’s the last time I’m going to say that today).

Having grown tired of Jake’s odd antics and the interruptions to our evening ball games when our boy would run off and sit three stairs up, we decided to hang the stockings one evening last week, much to Jake’s joy. He immediately had to sniff all over his and paw at it with his front legs to see if there was anything inside it.

But having solved one problem, we created another. Now about half a dozen times a day, often when he comes in from outside, Jake races to his stocking to see what’s inside which, of course, is nothing. I have felt mighty foolish trying to explain to a dog that it isn’t time yet, that he has to wait for Santa to come, and that it won’t happen for more than a week. I even toyed with the idea of doing some sort of 12 days of Christmas for Jake, because he seems somewhat pathetic over the whole thing, but that’s a tradition I’m not going to start since our dear doggie clearly has quite a memory.

Now comes the question of what to put inside that stocking. I’m sure Jake has all kinds of ideas of his own. I imagine visions of Timbits dancing in his head. But for those of you who still haven’t shopped for your dogs (and I know if you’re reading this you probably do shop for your dog or cat), here are RoadDog’s suggestions.

Treats are always good (Jake is all about his belly all the time). And everyone, especially the four-legged members of your family, should have a new toy or two (or three, or four) on Christmas Day. Jake really loves stuffed doggie toys with squeakers inside. He has quite a collection and I’m sure Santa will bring him a few more when the big day arrives. And there should definitely be a bouncy ball in the toe of every dog’s stocking (maybe cat’s too, I admit I don’t know a lot about cat toys).

For those of you who travel with your pets, like we do with RoadDog, a travel bowl and a water bottle, preferably with a shoulder strap, make good gifts. A new collar and leash is always a fun idea. Dogs do like to look good you know. Jake really likes his retractable leash for playing outside and walks in the park. And speaking of looking good, a bottle of good quality dog shampoo slides into a stocking quite easily. Although he is definitely not a fan of baths, Jake always seems to be happy after the fact when he’s clean and smelling his best.

The list could go on and on, but please remember, above everything else, your pet just wants to feel included on Christmas Day. The best gift you can give is a little, or a lot, of your time.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Jake has been acting very oddly this past week.

It’s not that he’s ill or anything like that. His appetite is fine. He plays inside and outdoors every chance he gets. He lays by the wood stove and warms his belly. He races into the kitchen every time I rattle a pot or plastic packaging.

But he’s gotten into the habit of sitting about three or four steps up on our stairs. Just sitting. Actually, more like sitting there looking like he wants something. Sometimes, when we ignore him, he lies down and sticks his nose out between the stair rails. Sometimes right in the middle of our evening ball game he’ll stop playing, run over and sit on the stairs. And he’s been absolutely fascinated with a wooden tree decoration about three feet high which sits at the bottom of the stairs.

Steve has a theory about it and I believe he’s likely right. (Did you see that Steve? I wrote here for all the world to see that I think you’re right about something. Rejoice in your moment.)

Steve thinks Jake is waiting for his Christmas stocking.

You see, I began doing a bit of Christmas decorating early last week. Things have been a little crazy in our house this past month or so with an unplanned renovation in our main floor half bath and laundry room. (That’s a whole other story that I won’t share here, however tempted I might be.) With trying to keep the house is some order during the reno and trying to get ready for the holidays, it’s been hectic, so we decided to bring a few boxes of decorations down from the attic and begin putting things out around the house to try to get ourselves in a Christmas frame of mind.

One of the first things placed was that three-foot wooden tree that stands at the bottom of the stairs each year. In fact, it usually stands just at the base of where we hang our stockings on the stairs. Jake, being the shortest member of our family, has his stocking the lowest, pretty much at nose height if he stretches, hanging — you guessed it — right off that stair where he keeps sitting.

Our dear dog has been very interested in the other decorations as I’ve put them about in recent days. He sniffs at the boxes and sniffs at all the items he can reach. He’s been particularly intrigued by a country-style Santa doll in the bathroom, but that’s because it’s stuffed and fluffy and he would love to get a hold of it so he can shake it and chew it.

But no matter what I put out that he then checks out, Jake just keeps going back to the stairs. I guess I’ll have to get the box with the stockings in it down from the attic next.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Someone asked me recently if Jake has a favourite Tim Hortons location. My first reaction, honestly, was that it was an odd question, but then I thought about it and realized it’s actually a really interesting question.

First, I have to be honest and say Steve and Jake and I visit way too many Tims locations way too often. You probably already knew that. It’s not that we go every day (well, maybe Steve does), but when we’re riding we sometimes stop at more than one in any given day. The great thing about Tims is that you can always find one, there’s always a parking lot as opposed to the street parking outside some coffee shops, and you know what you’re going to get when you order. That makes it really easy to tell Steve what I want while I wait outside with Jake.

Plus, Jake just loves Timbits. (Yes, I know they’re bad for him, but have you looked at that hairy face in the photos I post here — it’s impossible to say no. Trust me, I’ve tried.)

So then, back to the question. Jake is all about his tummy (if you read this blog regularly, you most likely know that too), so he likes all Tims because they all have Timbits. But a favourite? Hmmmm ….

Jake really likes the Tims on LaHave Street in Bridgewater because that’s where our bike club meets for our Wednesday evening rides. He usually doesn’t get a Timbit then, but he loves to see all of “his people.” He also seems to like the Tims in Liverpool. We often go for a short walk when we stop there, over by the Hank Snow Museum, and there are usually lots of other bikes there.

He likes the Tim Hortons in Coldbrook, the one by the Highway 101 ramp, because it has lots of grass and picnic tables. We sometimes stop there for lunch if we’re riding in that area. Then our boy dog gazes at me until I share the mandarin oranges out of my salad. (There’s a Wendy’s there too.)

I think Jake enjoys the Tims in Tantallon. It seems we often make that our last stop on our way home if we’ve been gone for an all day ride or if we’re coming home from a more extended road trip from that direction. He likes to run around on the grass there and stretch his legs.

And then there’s the Tims in Shelburne, and the one in Meteghan, oh yeah, and the one in Middleton, and Stellarton, and Stewiacke. I guess the list goes on and on.

If I had to pick his favourites, I would have to say Chester and Mahone Bay, for different reasons. We often end up in Chester on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon and there are almost always other bikes there. Usually some of the riders wander over to chat — that happens when you ride a motorcycle, but especially when you ride a motorcycle with a dog. It’s a stop for a lot of riders out of the Halifax area so we meet a lot of people there. Jake enjoys making new friends, especially friends who ride.

And Mahone Bay is great for another reason. Steve and I often pull into the waterfront parking lot across from the churches and walk over to the Tims. Believe me, Jake knows the way right down to the fire hydrant and utility pole. I wait outside with Jake while Steve orders, then we walk back across the road and find a bench. It’s the only time Jake doesn’t insist on eating his Timbit the minute Steve gets outside. It’s like he knows the routine and is prepared to wait, an unusual thing with our impatient Cairn. Then he sniffs around the rocks while Steve and I finish our coffee and tea, and often he convinces us to take him for a walk along the waterfront or through town.

Sometimes it’s not just about the Timbits.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________