Hi Dogsters, just wanted to let you know Bo is stepping in this morning to share some info on Santa Paws.

Sing along with me, “Here comes Santa Paws, here comes Santa Paws, right down Santa Paws Lane…”

Soon to be seen at a doggie mall in your area is the one and only Santa Claus. This time he’s dealing with the family pet.

Santa has a new troublemaker to contend with: the family pet.

Chickens, rodents, birds, cats, dogs – you name it – Santa’s being photographed with a lot of critters these days, and has the scratches, ripped suit and urine stains to prove it.

This is the first I’ve heard that the family pet includes rodents. I gotta ask…”Where does the writer of this article live?”

“I’ve been licked a lot,” said Harriet Farmer, 63, who’s posed with hundreds of pets over the past seven years as the Ottawa Humane Society’s volunteer Santa.

What? Santa Claus is really Harriet Farmer? I thought his name was Kris Kringle? But of course I kid, for we all know the truth. Just as most of you reading this, I was devastated when my parents told me that Santa Paws wasn’t real. My intent here is not to spoil all the young pups’ Christmas, so let’s continue on.

While dogs and cats make up most of Santa’s pet clientele, that’s not all that people are bringing in.

“My favorites have been the five baby ferrets,” Ms. Farmer said. “Oh, I had a rat with a Santa hat. He was lovely.”

Did Santa, aka Ms. Farmer, just say that his/her preference is for baby ferrets and freakin’ rats? Call me crazy but I’ve never seen a magazine titled Rat Fancy or a book about ferret friendly bed and breakfasts.

Anyway, the article goes on to provide some hints on getting a good picture with Santa and pet.

Pet and talk to the animals as much as possible so they don’t get bored.

…and don’t just make small talk about the weather. Make the discussion substantive…like talking about the pros and cons of moving back to the gold standard or what we should do about contaminated dog food coming from China or the best way to create a bunny rabbit shaped poo.

The high-pitched sound of a whistle or a squeaky toy just before the photo is taken will usually alert the animals and cause them to prick up their ears and look attentive.

This is the type of advice that gets Santa bitten. Take it from a veteran, when someone blows a whistle in your ear the last thing you’re going to do is smile for the camera. Cheese…don’t just say it, give it…and you will see a pet smile a mile wide.

Dogs can sometimes be coaxed into posing with a treat such as a dog biscuit or treasured toy.

Bag the toy and make it a biscuit, or better yet some people food. Since we’re probably taking this picture at the mall, I’ll opt for the sweet and sour chicken that’s been sitting out for 5 hours from the Chinese “restaurant”. Mmm…tastes like kitty snickers.

Cats are often aloof and don’t respond as readily to bribery. To persuade cats to stay put for a shot, conceal a hot water bottle under a favorite blanket.

Better yet, conceal a .44 magnum under the blanket and threaten them with their life. They may be cold and aloof, but they’re not stupid. You’ll get the picture you’re looking for…unless the feline punk feels “lucky” that day.

Harassing pets to get a good picture does not work. They just become more agitated.

Not only is harassing a pet a bad idea, it could result in a restraining order. We wouldn’t want Santa arrested on Christmas Eve because he accidentally delivered a present to a home that had a restraining order out on him. Think of all the disappointed young pups on Christmas Day!

Here’s my advice…say no to pictures with Santa and yes to pictures with bikini clad poodles.

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There is only three days left to win a copy of Snow Heroes: A Christmas Tale by Robert McCarty. The exciting story of how the dogs, from Planet Of The Dogs, helped saved Christmas.

This charming book from the Planet Of The Dogs series would make the start to a wonderful family tradition.  Spend special time with your kids, fur or furless, reading it together.

To enter, leave a comment about a dog book that you like on  the original posting, under the comment section.  I will pick a winner on Monday, November 3rd.

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There is a wonderful series of books called Planet Of The Dogs, written  by Dogster member Robert McCarty. His wife, Stella Mustanoja McCarty, creates the beautiful illustrations.

The books revolve around the dogs who live on a planet on the other side of the sun, who come to earth to teach people about love.

The latest in the series is Snow Valley Heroes: A Christmas Tale.  It is the exciting story of the dogs from Planet Of The Dogs who come to earth to help save Christmas.

I had the pleasure of getting to interview Robert and find out more about the series and how it began.

HH: What was your inspiration for this series of books?

RM: The Planet Of The Dogs came from one of those conversations revolving around the notion that the world would be a better place if people were more like dogs, especially, as regards the qualities of unconditional love and loyalty.

HH: How did you come up with the characters in your books?

RM: All the principal dog characters are based on dogs that have been part of our lives or belonged to family members.

HH: What is the age range for your books?

RM:The age range of kids who really like the books has been contrary to establishment parameters. We actually have very enthusiastic comments by kids and or parents from ages 4-12…obviously some kids are more advanced etc…but the unifying element, in my mind, has more to do with the love of dogs and human/canine bond.

Dogster’s group Dog Eared Book Club has chosen Snow Valley Heroes: A Christmas Tale as their November book of the month.  Having recently read the book I can understand why it was chosen.

While I’m well out of the 4-12 year old range I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.  The book brought me back to my youth, a time when it seemed my imagination was endless, something that gets lost in adulthood.

The holidays are right around the corner and Snow Valley Heroes would make a great stocking stuffer.  Thanks to Robert McCarty you have a chance to win your very own copy of the book.  To enter just share what book about dogs you like, in the comment section, and you will be entered to win.  The contest starts today and ends Monday, November 10th when one winner will be chosen at random.

If you would like to ask Robert McCarty a question, stop by  his pup Dafi’s homepage or the Dog Eared Book Club.

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