Pongo's Merry Christmas

December 16th was Pongo's last nose work class for the fall session at Paws-abilities.  When we arrived, we found a long table was set with festive boxes.  Christmas stockings hung between each one.  I was tickled pink with excitement.  Pongo may have been too, but it was hard to tell under all his black fur.  But he distinctly wagged his tail as we started our search!  We were instructed to have our dogs go down the line, detailing each stocking, then box.  But Pongo ignored the boxes on the table and seemed only interested in smelling the stockings. I had to keep circling back to try and call his attention to the boxes.  However, each dog in class did the same thing, which lessened my frustration.  It was a difficult task.  For the next search, our instructor put the boxes on the floor.  Interestingly enough, Pongo then only cared about the boxes and ignored the stockings.  Each time, we eventually found the target odor.  The last search, the instructor told us our dogs would be searching for their own Christmas stocking.  Pongo's was a red stocking with a puppy on it, filled with dog treats. 

Once the dogs had finished all of their searches, our instructor had one more for us. She hid a treat for each of the dog owners in a box.  We were instructed to sniff each one, using our noses to decide where our own food treat was hidden. I laughed.  What a farce! I have a horrible nose and I'll readily admit it.  This would be an exercise in futility, I thought.  When it was my turn, I sniffed each one, but I thought they smelled like cardboard. They seemed all the same.  I finally settled on a purple box . . . did it smell sweet?  "Alert," I said and to my utter surprise, I was right!  Inside were several big chocolate chip cookies wrapped in plastic.  How funny - I certainly didn't smell chocolate!

I think I'll leave real nose work to the dogs.  I know who got that evolutionary gift!

 Pongo and I left class feeling happy.  We were both thankful for the generosity of our instructor and now I was in the mood for Christmas!

The rest of the week was filled with lots of baking and holiday preparation. I love baking during the holidays.  I made more than 60 gingerbread cookies for my students for the last day before the break, then awoke to a snow day with school being canceled! My daughter and I made plates of Christmas cookies for the neighbors and friends.  But on Christmas Eve, I realized I had very little for Pongo's stocking. I better start baking, I thought!  I made two batches of dog biscuits.  I tried a new recipe I found on the internet that called for two jars of babyfood applesauce.  I blended a cup of oats in the food processor into a coarse flour and mixed it with whole wheat flour.  I cut out large dog bones, then after they had cooled, I wrapped them in a big fabric bow.

Next, I made his favorite peanut butter treats, turning them over half way through the baking time so they were hard and crunchy. Pongo followed me around the kitchen as soon as they came out of the oven.  Silly Pongo, you have to wait for them to cool!

On Christmas morning, we unpacked Pongo's stocking for him.  He sat guarding his cow trachea from the cats, his homemade treats beside him on the floor. It has all been long-devoured.

It was a very merry Christmas indeed!

It's fun when mommy is off work!

Pongo urges me out the door, in search of the next scent or adventure!

Happy Holidays to All!

Wishing you happy dog days in 2014!