What kinds of dogs are troubled by fireworks, and what to do about it

Hi Mia,
I agree with you. As much as I enjoy New Years celebrations, it breaks my heart to see so many dogs distressed over our reverie.

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Which dogs are troubled by noises?
As you say, some dogs are la-di-da about fireworks and others act as if it’s Judgment Day times ten. What could be behind those differences?

Early Fireworks
You shared a really interesting finding that dogs who heard fireworks when they were puppies were less likely to show a fear response to noises later in life. This reminds us of the importance of early exposure to (and happy experiences with!) stimuli that might be freaky! 

Paw Preference and Fear?
Is it possible that seemingly unrelated behaviors like paw preference and noise phobia could be related?

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As you know, paw preference has to do with whether a dog chooses to use one paw over the other when performing certain tasks, such as repeatedly using the right paw to hold down a Kong stuffed with food while he eats. For anther test of paw preference, researchers look at which paw the dog uses to step forward from a standing position.

What in the world could paw preference tell us about a dog’s fear of fireworks? You know about the research done in your neck of the woods -- in Australia -- by Branson and Rogers (2006). They found that ambidextrous dogs, dogs who did not have a clear right or left paw preference, showed greater reactivity to fireworks and thunderstorms than dogs who either preferred the right or the left paw.

They suggest that non-ambidextrous dogs -- dogs who prefer drawing from one side of the brain hemisphere during a particular behavior -- might have a more tempered response to disturbing stimuli. The researchers note, “One way of inhibiting an intense response to a disturbing stimulus is to shift attention to another, less disturbing stimulus,” and it seems that an ambidextrous dog might be less capable of doing that.

At the same time, the study of brain lateralization in dogs is in its infancy. We are only beginning to understand the relationship between lateralization and how dogs behave and perceive the world. It will be interesting to see how this field progresses 

The “Why”s of noise phobias are interesting, but the other part of the situation is how to help a dog once he is freaked out.

A dog is afraid of noises, now what?
You offered a number of great suggestions to treat fear and noise phobia such as DAP, behavior modification and medication.

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On our Facebook page, someone offered their solution: "Nothing worked so I book a Forest Service cabin in the middle of nowhere and stay there with my dog who hates Fireworks. It was a nightmare time now its vacation."

A number of people look into products that swaddle dogs, such as Thundershirt and Anxiety Wrap. The product manufacturers claim that wrapping reduces fear by maintaining pressure.

You showed me a forthcoming study that investigated whether the Anxiety Wrap (Animals Plus LLC, Huntington, IN) helped dogs with thunderstorm phobia. In this study, owners reported on their dog’s behavior during thunderstorms with and without the Anxiety Wrap.

Was the Wrap helpful?

• 79% of owners reported that the Anxiety Wrap was somewhat to totally effective (25%-100% effective).

• But the product did not decrease all dog anxiety behaviors. Of the anxiety behaviors you mentioned, owners claimed that only shaking and pacing decreased, whereas dogs continued to perform any of the following: panting, performing inappropriate elimination, seeking attention, vocalizing, not eating, salivating or hiding. Although the Anxiety Wrap claims it doesn’t decrease mobility, it is possible dogs are not actually less fearful, just less ambulatory. At the same time, dogs performed less shaking, which does not relate to locomotion, and this behavioral change is definitely notable.

• If we want a product to have a fighting chance, we’ve got to make associations with the product itself as happy and "positive" as possible. Don’t only put the product on when bad %*!?@#! is going down. In this study, “Owners were instructed to practice fitting the Anxiety Wrap once before using it during a thunderstorm and associate its first use with a reward.... [and] owners were also instructed to fit the Anxiety Wrap on fair weather days at least 3 times during the course of the study to avoid the dogs from associating its use with thunderstorms.” This is one of the most important pieces to any successful behavior change (and emotion change) program.

• Why might wrapping help? Other research has suggested that tactile pressure can have a calming effect on a number of species (ourselves included), but there are two other elements to consider: how much pressure should be applied for the desired effect, and should the pressure be constant or changing so as to avoid habituation? For example, Temple Grandin found that she habituated to steady tactile pressure after about 15 minutes and would need to vary the intensity of the pressure.

Overall, owners reported that the Anxiety Wrap was helpful, and I’d say it’s certainly worth a shot. From a research perspective, there are a number of topics not yet explored, such as intensity and consistency of tactile pressure as well as behavioral and physiological indicators of a decreased stress response.

Good luck to you all! Happy (almost) New Year!

Julie


Want to learn more about Pawedness in Dogs? 
~ An interview with Dr. Paul McGreevy.
~ A short video of Dr. Karen Overall reporting on the findings of handedness in dogs.

Reference
Branson N.J. & Rogers L.J. (2006). Relationship between paw preference strength and noise phobia in Canis familiaris., Journal of Comparative Psychology, 120 (3) 176-183. DOI: 10.1037/0735-7036.120.3.176

Cottam N., Dodman N.H. & Ha J.C. (2012). The effectiveness of the Anxiety Wrap in the treatment of canine thunderstorm phobia: An open-label trial, Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, DOI: 10.1016/j.jveb.2012.09.001

© Julie Hecht 2012 

Fireworks: not fun for everyone (or every dog)

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Hi Julie,

I hope you have had a lovely Christmas, we certainly did! The sun has been shining and we’ve enjoyed seeing our friends and family over the past few days.

I’ve got my eye on New Year’s Eve now that Christmas has passed, but not because I’m planning a big night out. It’s all to do with fireworks. 

My two dogs demonstrate very different reactions to fireworks. One used to default into a shaking ball and tuck herself away into a corner somewhere (usually under my desk or next to my bed). 

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The other prefers to charge around, barking at the sky as though the sound is an intruder and will continue racing and barking until the noise stops. I’m sure that in his mind, he is convinced that he (once again) successfully saved us ALL by scaring off the weird sky-noises. To his credit – it works every time. Bark long enough and the noises do go away! 

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Over the years, we’ve developed strategies to help them both cope better with less anxiety and fear in these situations. Most of the time, these strategies work (or maybe they are just going deaf as they get older?!).

However, lots of dogs have a really rough time on New Year’s Eve. 

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When I worked in a shelter, it was by far our busiest 24 hour period of the entire year. One year, we had more dogs enter the shelter than we physically had room to kennel (on average, we had 5-10 dogs admitted per day; on NYE, we could receive 100+!). They would end up in offices and leashed to anchor points in various locations. It was also a peak period for the associated vet clinic in treating emergencies, generally dogs hit by cars. Other dogs needed injured paws treated after running panicked along rough roads. Fortunately most dogs we reclaimed by their owners, but sadly, some were not so lucky and never made it home again.

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Research conducted by the University of Bristol (UK) in 2005, showed that nearly half of the owners surveyed reported their dogs were frightened of loud noises. Of these dogs, fireworks were reported (in 83% of dogs) to cause fearful behaviours more than any other loud noise (e.g. thunderstorms). These figures are consistent with a later study conducted in New Zealand, published in 2010.

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What behavioural signs indicate fear in dogs?

•     Trembling/Shaking
•     Barking/Howling
•     Hiding
•     Destructive behaviour
•     Seeking out people
•     Scratch door/Escape
•     Toilet/defecate

Interestingly, This study suggested a link between the time of year dogs were born and fearful behaviour to loud noises (i.e. if they were likely to have heard fireworks when puppies, they were reportedly less likely to show a fearful response).

Most owners of dogs exhibiting fear behaviour to loud noises report they were unaware that professional help (from animal behaviourists or their vet) was available to assist in helping their dog, or had not pursued such help.

Several types of treatment have been researched with various levels of success reported:

•   homeopathic remedies (was not shown to be significantly effective);
•   dog appeasing pheromone (DAP) (has been shown to help);
•   desensitisation/counter-conditioning CDs (has been shown to help); and
•   vet-only dispensed medication, such as clomipramine (has been shown to help)

Some of these treatments can be used in conjunction with each other.

I couldn't find any research about the success of ear muffs! (source)

If you have any friends facing their first New Year’s Eve with a new pet dog, it might be worth warning them that their dog might be one of the many that are sensitive to loud noises like fireworks.

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The RSPCA and ASPCA have some extremely helpful resources and tips to help dogs cope better. 

RSPCA Victoria also have a great set of information that gives advice based on whether you will be home or not - it's even available in a handy printout. 

Tell your friends!

I don't mind fireworks, but I'm keeping very conscious of the fact my dogs don't.
Wishing you a fabulous close to 2012 and and exciting start to 2013!

Mia

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Further reading:

Blackwell E., Casey R. & Bradshaw J. (2005). Firework fears and phobias in the domestic dog., RSPCA / University of Bristol, Report: Link to full report here 

Dale A., Walker J., Farnworth M., Morrissey S. & Waran N. (2010). A survey of owners' perceptions of fear of fireworks in a sample of dogs and cats in New Zealand, New Zealand Veterinary Journal, 58 (6) 286-291. DOI: 10.1080/00480169.2010.69403

Bowen J. (2008). Behaviour: Firework fears and phobias, Companion Animal, 13 (8) 59-63. DOI: 10.1111/j.2044-3862.2008.tb00529.x

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Dreschel N.A. & Granger D.A. (2005). Physiological and behavioral reactivity to stress in thunderstorm-phobic dogs and their caregivers, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 95 (3-4) 153-168. DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2005.04.009

Levine E.D., Ramos D. & Mills D.S. (2007). A prospective study of two self-help CD based desensitization and counter-conditioning programmes with the use of Dog Appeasing Pheromone for the treatment of firework fears in dogs (Canis familiaris), Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 105 (4) 311-329. DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2006.11.006

Cracknell N.R. & Mills D.S. (2008). A double-blind placebo-controlled study into the efficacy of a homeopathic remedy for fear of firework noises in the dog (Canis familiaris), The Veterinary Journal, 177 (1) 80-88. DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2007.04.007

Bolster C. (2012). Fireworks are no fun for pets, Veterinary Nursing Journal, 27 (10) 387-390. DOI: 10.1111/j.2045-0648.2012.00224.x

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© Mia Cobb 2012

Would Methimazole Be More Effective Given 3 Times Daily?

I have a hyperthyroid cat being treated with methimazole who is difficult to control. Are there any studies comparing the effectiveness of methimazole given 3 times daily (8 hours) versus twice daily?

I know that the plasma half-life of the drug is relatively short so it makes sense to me that giving the medication more frequently should be more effective.

My Response:

It is clear that twice daily administration of methimazole to cats with hyperthyroidism works much better than only once daily administration (1). No studies have been done in hyperthyroid cats to evaluate the effect of methimazole three times daily.

Pharmacokinetics studies of methimazole in cats document that the drug has a relatively short elimination half-life in the circulation— the average serum half-life of methimazole is only 6-7 hours (2,3). Therefore, one might think that giving the drug 3 or even 4 times a day might be more effective in normalizing the high serum T4 and T3 concentrations in cats with hyperthyroidism. However, most cat owners would not be thrilled about medicating their cat at 6- to 8-hour intervals, and fortunately, administrating methimazole more than twice a day should not ever be necessary.

After absorption, methimazole circulates in the plasma and gets taken up by the cat's thyroid tumor where the drug acts to block thyroid hormone secretion. Because methimazole is concentrated in the thyroid after administration, the intrathyroidal residence time of the drug is considerably longer than serum half-life. In studies of human patients, an intrathyroidal residence time of 24 hours or longer has been documented (4-6). Therefore, the "duration of action" of methimazole within the thyroid tumor becomes much more valuable than does the serum half-life in determining dosing schedules.

Bottom Line

The serum elimination half-life of the methimazole is relatively short in cats, but the residence time of the drug within the thyroid gland is much longer.

Although giving methimazole 3 times a day is not contraindicated, it's probably not going to help any more than simply giving a higher dose twice a day because the residence time appears to be longer than 12 hours in all hyperthyroid cats.

Methimazole is available as the human preparation, Tapazole, as well as the veterinary formulation, Felimazole.

References:

1. Trepanier LA, Hoffman SB, Kroll M, et al. Efficacy and safety of once versus twice daily administration of methimazole in cats with hyperthyroidism. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2003;222:954-958.    
2. Trepanier LA, Peterson ME, Aucoin DP. Pharmacokinetics of methimazole in normal cats and cats with hyperthyroidism. Res Vet Sci 1991;50:69-74. 
3. Trepanier LA, Peterson ME, Aucoin DP. Pharmacokinetics of intravenous and oral methimazole following single- and multiple-dose administration in normal cats. J Vet Pharmacol Ther 1991;14:367-373. 
4. Okuno A, Yano K, Inyaku F, et al. Pharmacokinetics of methimazole in children and adolescents with Graves' disease. Studies on plasma and intrathyroidal concentrations. Acta Endocrinol (Copenh) 1987;115:112-118. 
5. Jansson R, Dahlberg PA, Johansson H, et al. Intrathyroidal concentrations of methimazole in patients with Graves' disease. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1983;57:129-132. 
6. Huang G. Relation between the dosage of methimazole and its intrathyroidal concentrations. Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi 1991;71:301-303, 322. 

Best wishes for the festive season!

With thanks from us!

Mia & Julie x

Holiday gift list #2!

MIA!

You were born during such a presenty time of year! It's funny how our worlds during the holidays look so different...

Your world looks like this:

 People think NYC looks like this:

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 But it really looks like this:

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Ok, I’m being cheeky; I’m done.
But really, sometimes I’m amazed by how much we’re on the same page DESPITE our different landscapes! Here’s my holiday gift list, good for those with two- and four- legs...

1) Camp Unleashed!!
First on my list: Take a trip with your dog! (I’m not kidding, it’s really just a coincidence that we both put that). I’ve been hoping to go to Camp Unleashed for quite some time, and still haven’t been yet. That being said, I still highly recommend it! I know this is more of a USA suggestion, but like you said, the concept holds true no matter where  you are. Camp Unleashed has two locations, one in Asheville, North Carolina, and the other is in The Berkshires, Massachusetts. I know Kim Brophey, the Behaviorist in Asheveille and her curriculum rocks!

2) Play with your dog, for Science!
I had to put that in. Project: Play With Your Dog is getting oodles of submissions, and maybe, after spending (too much) time with family, you’ll want an activity that doesn’t involve food and human-centric talking. In this case, video record YOU AND YOUR DOG playing together, and join our growing Wall of Contributors!

Project: Play With Your Dog (our latest study at the Horowitz Dog Cognition Lab)

3) Toys that dogs will like and use 
Okay fine, different dogs like different things, but I like the concept behind these toys, and many dogs do as well.

• Henrietta (the chicken): Actually, not all dogs like her, but I do. Sound sensitive dogs need not apply.

• Kong wobbler

• Nina Ottosson Toys (I like their online video)

4) The Gift of Comfort
Having visitors? Does Uncle Barney sometimes play too rough? This holiday season, try not to ruffle your dog’s feathers. Here’s some suggestions on avoiding ruffled feathers.

5) The Gift of Knowledge
Let’s be honest, some people do bring a new dog (or cat, or rabbit, or fish) into the home over the holidays. Give your new friend the Gift of Knowledge.

Prepare your expectations with Love has No Age Limit by Patricia McConnell and Karen London, sort of like What to Expect When You’re Expecting, only about dogs (is that a good comparison? I've never read What to Expect...). 

Preparing expectations is immensely important in getting through the newness of it all, regardless of whether it's a young or older dog. BUT it's particularly important to consider expectations when bringing an older dog into the house who "should" know not to go pee there -- there -- and oh! There too! 

Of course, the wonderful Theo graces the cover courtesy of his awesome person, Kimberly of Eardog Productions and the blog City Dog Country Dog.

Happy Happy Birthday and Holiday Wishes To YOU!!!!

Julie

Complications of Thyroidectomy in Cats: Persistent Hyperthyroidism & Relapse

Most hyperthyroid cats are readily cured quite easily with the use of surgical thyroidectomy (1-6).
Occasionally, however, cats treated with thyroidectomy remain persistently hyperthyroid (7). Others improve temporarily to become euthyroid, only to experience a relapse of hyperthyroidism days to months after surgery. Such problematic hyperthyroid cats can be frustrating to manage, especially as their disease becomes more severe and they develop complications of advanced and poorly controlled hyperthyroidism (1,2,7).

After successful surgical thyroidectomy in a cat with hyperthyroidism, the serum thyroid hormone concentrations (both T4 and T3) should fall to low-normal or low concentrations by 24 hours postoperatively (6,8). I recommend checking a serum T4 concentration before the cat is discharged from the hospital (within 1-2 days of surgery) to ensure that the procedure has been successful in removing all adenomatous thyroid tissue.

If the serum T4 concentration remains high or has only fallen into the high-normal range, it is very likely that remaining adenomatous tissue remains and that the cat will require additional treatment.

Persistent Hyperthyroidism After Thyroidectomy

Occasionally, cats undergoing thyroidectomy will remain hyperthyroid or develop relapse very shortly after surgery. If unilateral thyroidectomy was performed, it is likely that the other thyroid lobe is also adenomatous and was missed at surgery. Thyroid imaging can be very helpful in identifying all adenomatous thyroid tissue (1,9), no matter where its location (see Figure 1).

Figure 1: Bilateral thyroid adenoma in a cat with hyperthyroidism. Notice that gravity has pulled the larger thyroid tumor ventrally, through the thoracic inlet into the chest cavity. At surgery, this large thyroid tumor could easily be missed, resulting in persistent hyperthyroidism.

Alternatively, especially in those cats undergoing bilateral thyroidectomy, ectopic thyroid tissue, intrathoracic thyroid tissue, or thyroid carcinoma must be suspected (1,2,7). In these cats, use of thyroid scintigraphy (Figure 2) is again the best way to identify the location of the remaining hyperfunctioning thyroid tumor tissue and to help diagnose thyroid carcinoma (1,9).

Figure 2: Thyroid carcinoma in a cat with hyperthyroidism (thyroid scan on left). Notice the 3 thyroid masses, with the larger two being located within the chest cavity. The horizontal yellow line indicates the area of the thoracic inlet (top opening of the chest cavity). At surgery, these large thoracic tumor could easily be missed, resulting in persistent hyperthyroidism.

Recurrent Hyperthyroidism After Thyroidectomy

Unilateral Thyroidectomy
Only 30% of all hyperthyroid cats have unilateral disease. In these cats, removal of the one affected thyroid tumor will result in complete cure of the hyperthyroid state. Although it is possible for "new" adenomatous changes to develop in the remaining thyroid lobe sometime in the future, this is uncommon and would take many months to years to occur (8).

Although 70% of hyperthyroid have bilateral disease, some of these cats have asymmetrical thyroid enlargement, with one thyroid lobe being very large and the other being only minimally enlarged. In these cats, unilateral thyroidectomy generally restores euthyroidism, at least for a few weeks, and it may take a up to 6 months for the remaining lobe to grow to a size for hyperthyroidism to recur (8). However, unless preoperative thyroid scintigraphy is performed to verify that unilateral disease is indeed present (Figure 3), the owner must be aware of the possibility that hyperthyroidism could persist or recur after unilateral thyroidectomy is performed.

Figure 3: Bilateral asymmetric thyroid adenomas in a cat with hyperthyroidism. At surgery, it could be easy to mistake the slightly enlarged thyroid tumor (on the left) as being normal size. 

If hyperthyroidism recurs following unilateral thyroidectomy, reoperation to remove the remaining thyroid lobe can be performed, but care must be taken to preserve parathyroid function or hypoparathyroidism will develop after the second thyroid tumor is removed.

Bilateral Thyroidectomy
Because most hyperthyroid cats have involvement of both thyroid lobes, bilateral thy­roidectomy is generally indicated if long-term cure is the goal. The two major techniques for bilateral thyroidectomy include the intracapsular and extracapsular methods (3-6,10,11).

The major problem with the intracapsular technique for thyroidecto­my, as noted in my previous post on surgical techniques for thyroidectomy, is that it can be difficult to remove the entire thyroid capsule (and therefore all abnormal thyroid tissue) while con­currently preserving parathyroid function. Small remnants of thyroid tissue that remain attached to the capsule may regenerate and produce recur­rent hyperthyroidism (10,11). With the extracapsular tech­nique, the incidence of relapse is much less than because the entire thyroid capsule is removed at time of surgery.

When recurrent hyperthyroid does occur after bilateral thyroidectomy, it generally takes many months to years for the serum T4 to increase or clinical signs of hyperthyroidism to redevelop (10,11).

Prognosis and Long-Term Follow-up

The prognosis for hyperthyroid cats after thyroidectomy is good. Treated cats show improved behavior and significant weight gain.

Relapse of hyperthyroidism can occur but is uncommon if all involved tissue is removed at time of the original surgery. The lowest rates have been associated with the extracapsular technique.  Postoperative hypocalcemia is more common after reoperation, so alternative treatment methods (e.g., methimazole or radioiodine) should be considered in cats that experience relapse of the hyperthyroidism.

References:

1. Mooney CT, Peterson ME. Feline hyperthyroidism In: Mooney CT,Peterson ME, eds. BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Endocrinology. Fourth ed. Quedgeley, Gloucester: British Small Animal Veterinary Association. 2012;92-110.
2. Baral RM, Peterson ME. Thyroid gland disorders In: Little SE, ed. The Cat: Clinical Medicine and Management. St. Louis: Elsevier Saunders, 2012;571-592.
3. Panciera DL, Peterson ME, Birchard, SJ: Diseases of the thyroid gland. In: Birchard SJ, Sherding RG (eds): Manual of Small Animal Practice (Third Edition), Philadelphia, Saunders Elsevier, pp 327-342, 2006.
4. Flanders JA. Surgical therapy of the thyroid. Veterinary Clinics of North America. Small Animal Practice 1994;24:607–621. 
5. Padgett S. Feline thyroid surgery. Veterinary Clinics of North America. Small Animal Practice 2002;32:851–859. 
6. Birchard, SJ. Thyroidectomy in the cat. Clinical Techniques in Small Animal Practice 2006;21:29-33. 
7. Peterson ME. Treatment of severe, unresponsive, or recurrent hyperthyroidism in cats. Proceedings of the 2011 American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) Forum. 2011; 104-106. 
8. Peterson ME, Randolph JF, Mooney CT: Endocrine diseases, In: Sherding RG (ed): The Cat: Diagnosis and Clinical Management. (2nd Ed) New York, Churchill Livingstone, 1994; 1404-1506.
9. Peterson ME, Broome MR. Thyroid scintigraphic findings in 917 cats with hyperthyroidism. J Vet Intern Med 2012; 26:754.
10. Welches CD, Scavelli TD, Matthiesen DT, Peterson ME. Occurrence of problems after three techniques of bilateral thyroidectomy in cats. Veterinary Surgery 1989;18:392-396. 
11. Swalec KM, Birchard SJ. Recurrence of hyperthyroidism after thyroidectomy in cats. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc 1990;26:433-437.

'Tis the season to be Doggy, fa la la la laaaa...

Hey Julie,

I absolutely LOVE Project: Play with your Dog study and how the Horowitz Dog Cognition Lab are crowd sourcing using citizen science! I don't think a better way of contributing to scientific understanding can possibly exist! I look forward to hearing updates about how the research goes. I will certainly participate - next time we head to the river to play, we'll take our camera to get some video!

So you might have noticed the silly season of festivity has landed upon us... Assuming we live past Friday (and I really hope we do, because Friday is my birthday and I selfishly want the fun of a full birthday!) I thought I'd look at some ideas that might inspire gifts for the two- and four-legged doggy friends and family members in our life.

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1. Read about a Dog

I have been re-reading Inside of a Dog recently and thoroughly enjoying it (again). 

This book would make a fantastic gift for anyone who would like to understand more about dogs, the science looking at dogs, how it all fits together and is relevant to our shared encounters with dogs.

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2. Give a Dog

After all those posts about the science of children and dogs I do think every child should have a dog. 

But make sure it's an appropriate dog. 

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Not every household or child is suited to owning a real dog, but that can't stop you giving that special little person in your life a gorgeous handmade pooch! 


Here are some I fell in love with on Etsy.

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3. Holiday with a dog

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It's Summertime in Australia right now and my dogs love nothing more than coming away on holiday/vacation with us to the beach. What better way to show your dog you've enjoyed their company than to include them on your trip away?

Winter escapes can be fun for dogs too!

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It's easier than you might think to find pet-friendly accommodation in your favourite holiday destination. 

Just head to favourite online search engine and enter 'pet friendly accommodation *insert district name here*'. 


Alternatively just ask normal rental options if they'll allow you to bring a 4-legged friend. You might be surprised how many places will say yes if you just enquire and give them some reassurance that your dog will respect the house rules!

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4. Save a Dog


You can impress your dog loving friends or family members by donating money to your local welfare, shelter or dog rescue group in lieu of a gift. Who really needs another recipe book when the same amount of money could help pay for care to help save a 4-legged life?

 I do love Giddy and Twinkle's words of wisdom! (source)

If you really need a gift to wrap, most of these non-profit, volunteer-driven organisations have calendars they sell to help raise funds.





5. Spend time with a Dog

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At the end of the day, most of our dogs just want to spend time with us. 

So take time this festive season to go for that extra walk, give that extra pat, groom or game of fetch (depending on what your dog likes and if it is a game, be sure to take a video and submit it to help science!). 

If you don't have a dog, consider volunteering at your local shelter or welfare group. The festive season is an insanely busy period for these places and they are often overrun with dogs who have strayed while their owners are away, who are scared of fireworks or who have been dumped. 

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Just volunteering your time to help clean, feed, walk and care for half a day or three could make a huge difference to the dedicated staff. These people tend to miss out on Christmas lunch with their families or New Year's Eve partying year after year because they nobly spend it looking after our 4-legged friends.



So there you have it - my top 5 gift ideas for two- and four-legged friends this silly season. What's on your gift list?

Wishing you and yours a safe and fun festive season this year Julie.
Here's hoping we all make it past Friday and if we do, I'm sure 2013 is going to be a cracker!

Fa la la la laaaa, la la la laa!

x Mia 


Further reading:

Sitler R.K. (2006). The 2012 Phenomenon New Age Appropriation of an Ancient Mayan Calendar, Nova Religio, 9 (3) 24-38. DOI: 10.1525/nr.2006.9.3.024

© Mia Cobb 2012