I would like to start off by saying thank you. You may not understand the words I say, but you understand my emotions, my affection, and the treats and belly rubs I have for you at every interval. Thank you for being the best dog I could possibly want in my life as a human, and thank you for spending your life with me. This time of year, I want to thank you even more for helping me get through the holidays.

To you, the holidays don't seem so bad. There's lots of people to give you belly rubs and scratches behind the ears, so why not? Even better: there's little kids (and adults) who sneak you food underneath the table during the excessively fancy meals. Amidst all the legs at your eye level and the smells wafting about the house, thank you for being there for me at the end of the day and when I need you most. To me, the holidays can be stressful. There's certain things that are expected of me as a human, and sometimes I don't always fill the shoes as expected. Besides trying to fill shoes that you'll try to chew up later, I get stressed out with so many people floundering about our house. There's loud, unexpected noises and a lot of bodies, coats, and purses to avoid stumbling over in what's normally a calm place. You always seem to know when I'm getting worked up because I'll look down and you'll be wagging your nub of a tail at me with sad puppy dog eyes. You're the perfect reason to put down what I'm doing and go outside or to a quieter room to calm down. Even more, thank you for choosing to stay with me at the end of the day. I know there's lots of people who try to jokingly take you home and there's always other rooms you could sleep in at night, but thank you for choosing me. You're the reason I wake up happier and I don't freeze in the middle of the night... even if you are sleeping right in the middle of my bed. You make the holidays, and every day, more bearable.