Cheese would be Good

You have cheese.

Santa is coming. But he will only bring you presents if you are Good.

Do you know what would be Good? Sharing that cheese.

If you share the cheese, we will tell Santa that not only were you Good, but you were Very, Very, Very Good.

I already have the letter to Santa started. Your choice. Will you share the cheese and be Good? Or are you going to be naughty?

Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

We have decided that we have everything we need this year...

An off-leash walk every day at the beach or in the forest.
Bowls that fill with food twice a day.
Food that makes us feel healthy and strong, and makes our bellies full and our coats soft.
Balls for chasing, bones for chewing, toys for squeaking and more toys for tugging.
Soft, warm beds for sleeping in.
Training games.
Rats and squirrels and bunnies to chase.
A couch that we are sometimes allowed to lie upon.
People that love us, and touch us gently and speak to us kindly.

So Santa, for Christmas this year we would like to ask you to give these things to all Dogs in the world. Thank you.

Licks,
Jacobi and Ojo Lintott-Press

Pee Ess If you really must get us something, please bring us some snow to play in. We love snow!

I have to be GOOD??? (by Ojo)

Hi hi hi! Ojo here!

Something terrible! Christmas is coming!

No, wait, that's not the terrible part. Christmas is happy and means things like family and turkey!

The terrible part is that now need to be Good! If I am not Good, Santa will not come leave me a bone or toys or treats! And I want a bone and toys and treats!

But being Good is so very hard!!

(What the heck are these glowing things, by the way??)

My littlest person took these photos. So she is being Good. (Aren't they pawesome? She is a great photographer!)

But I'm having a much harder time being Good!

Help me out, friends. Here is my list from today:

• I sat on top of the mountain in the cold while our person pointed her Big Black Eye at us over and over and over again. I was very patient. Pretty Good, right?
• I wanted to go out the door but Cobi was in the way so I pushed under her body and then she fell into the water. Oops, not so Good. (And Cobi has already told Santa I am sure!)
• I went straight from the car to the back gate without stopping to chase squirrels. This is Good!
• I chased Jack the Cat and jumped on his head. Not Good.
• I waited for my breakfast until the people said "Okay!". Good.
• I drooled all over the floor while waiting. Not Good.

What can I do? How can I be better? How are you Good so that Santa will come??

Dear Santa (from Ojo)

Dear Santa,

Ojo here! Cobi has been telling me all about this thing called "Christmas". She says that it is amazing, and that I will get yummy food and toys and all sorts of good things... BUT this only happens if I can convince you and your friend Rudolph that I have been a Good Dog this year.

So here it goes.

Santa, I have to tell you that my year started off pretty tough. I had a family but I lost them. I don't think they wanted me any more. They didn't say why, just they were there and then they were not. I lived on the streets and was called "stray". I had to steal my food in order to survive. Does this make me Bad? I hope not.

Then I got picked up by some people and put in the place called "pound". I lived there for what felt like a very long time. I got to go outside only sometimes, and didn't get much exercise. This was very hard for me. I love the outside so very much, Santa! Does me barking and whining in the pound make me Bad? I hope not.

A pawesome group of people called "Dog Bless Rescue" saw me. I tried to look cute and pretty (and like a Good Dog), and it must have worked because I was taken out of the pound. I had something happen that hurt lots called "spaying". I had shots and stuff put on my skin. Then I was stuck in a tiny box and put on a noisy thing called airplane.

When I got off the air smelled different, and everything was all new.

Like I said Santa, my year started off pretty tough.

But things got better from there. My foster home was pretty nice, and then - my people found me!

So here's the deal.

Santa, I did not know I wasn't supposed to eat the Cat Food. I only jump on people sometimes, when I'm really excited. I thought the Recycling was a bin of toys for me to play with. (That's an honest mistake!)

I chew on shoes and water bottles and the stairs only when I get really, really bored. Can you blame me? I mostly only forget to listen to my people when there is a squirrel or rabbit or bird nearby.

I did not know that the magnets on the fridge are not for chewing on. Or the coasters. Or my littlest person's soccer cleats.

I did not know that the couch is not for sleeping on. (It's so comfy, Santa!) I did not know that I was not supposed to bury a bone outside, then dig it up a week later and bring it back into the house. I did not know that the stuffed toy named Puffie belongs to Cobi. (Cobi, I am sorry I took some of the insides out of your favourite toy. I feel very bad about this.)

But I am trying very hard to be a Good Dog. Here is how I am Good:

• I Sit and Lie Down and go to my bed when the people ask me. (Most of the time.) 
• I do not chase the Cats. 
• I play the game called "training". (I can go around trees and weave my person's legs and bow and shake paws and all sorts of pawesome things!)
• After my Walk I curl up into a little ball and go to sleep so my person can work.
• I am very gentle with little people.
• I let Cobi think she is the boss.
• I sat still while the people put a silly hat on my head and pointed their big, black eye named "camera" at me. (See my pawesome picture below!)
• I give my people licks and wags every single day.

So clearly I am a Good Dog.

For Christmas I would like the following things:

• Snow
• A couch that I am allowed to lie on
• Anything squeaky, chewy or smelly
• To keep my new family forever and ever

Licks and wags,

Ojo

Dear Santa - thank you

Dear Santa,

For Christmas this year I asked for a bone. But you do not need to bring me a bone, because I got something even better...

SNOW!!!!

So you don't need to come anymore, I already have everything I need.

Wait... my littlest person says that you still need to come. Okay, please come for her, but I do not need anything else. My Christmas is going to be perfect!

Licks,
Cobi

DeAR sANTA, fRom JACK CAT

DEaR SAnTA,

I is JACK-CAT.

SMelly dOG says yOU come soon. SmeLLY dOG says yOU bring TREATS!

Smelly dOg says I MuST be GooD.

I, JACK-CAT, is NOT good.

I eats Ribbons. I eats krismus tree. I steals Ornaments. Then I eats oRnaments.
I rips HOLES in WaLL. I Rips holes in couch.

But LooK - I is CuTE! I is swEEt. I PURRrrrr.

So you brings TrEATS pleaz - NOW!

fROM,
JACK-CAT

Pee Ess Do yOU not think I is very cUTE in my hat?

Dear Santa and Rudolph

Dear Santa and Rudolph,

I have been a very Good Dog this year.

I only pee in the garden when it is raining. At all other times I pee on the grass, I promise.

I only eat the cat poop if the people leave me alone without a snack, which really isn't fair.

I help the people with "clean up" by licking the floor and digging through their bags for any leftover food. This is very important because often they forget food in their bags, especially my littlest person.

I only pull on the leash if there is a squirrel or a Cat. Or sometimes another Dog.

Oh, and I suppose I should also tell you that I try hard to listen to my people, including my littlest person. Especially if she has pop corn. I do the silly thing called "training" with my big person whenever she asks, and I am very patient when she tells me over and over to put my paw on something, or push something else with my nose.

I always wait patiently for my dinner, and I sit on my mat while my people are eating their dinner, even though it smells better than mine. I always go into my crate at bed time, and I don't wake the people up in the middle of the night. I always wait when my person tells me to instead of running through a door, even if there's a Cat on the other side! (This is hard Santa, but I do it!)

I do not complain (much) when don't get a Walk because Nature is making too much rain.

And whenever my people leave, I wait for them to come back. Always. Because this is a Dog's job.

For Christmas I would like peace between Dogs. And people too. I would like something nice for my friends the Cats, like treats or catnip.

Oh, and for me? How nice of you to ask. I would like a bone, and I would like some snow to play in. And I want to spend time with my people. That's the best thing of all.

Your Good Dog,
Cobi