Ask Jake

Do you have a question for Jake? Is there something you've always wondered about dogs and how they think? Here's the perfect opportunity to ask a question and get the answer from a dog's point of view. Email us your question and we'll be sure to post your answer in one of our upcoming segments of "Advice from Jake".

In this quarter's column, Jake gives us advice for the Holidays!

Tip #1

Like humans, we dogs find shiny, round shaped objects appealing. So if I happen to chew up and swallow a glass Christmas decoration over the holidays for immediate emergency treatment at home you can soak some cotton balls in gravy or beef, chicken or turkey broth and give them to me to eat. We dogs love gravy and will eat the camouflaged cotton ball readily. Once the cotton ball is in my tummy it will help to protect the inner lining of my tummy, intestine and bowel from tearing and possible puncture, thus preventing me from becoming toxic. After I have eaten the gravy balls, call my Dr. for further instructions or treatment.

Tip #2

I like structure. I like to adhere to a schedule and know what to expect from the coming day. I can however be flexible, but I think it is only fair to expect you to be flexible too. For instance, over the holidays I know you have Christmas parties to attend and host, Christmas shopping to get done and other miscellaneous holiday activities to address. I know that means I will see you less often than what I am normally accustomed to. To keep me happy and content, please keep me in my kennel when you are gone. I like my kennel because it is my safe place when I am home alone. When you get home, spend some quality time with me. I need you to give me some one-on-one time. We could play hide and seek, tug, fetch or whatever, just give me some of your time. Or, if you have to tend to holiday business at home, give me a Kong toy filled with treats to chew on. This will keep me busy and out of trouble. Otherwise, if left to my own devices, I will probably either pee on the Christmas tree or worse, counter surf and eat all of the fresh baking you just prepared.

Tip #3

Like my two legged friend Sandy, I love chocolate, but my renal system does not. If I happen to ingest any chocolate over the holidays, it could result in my untimely death due to renal failure. To save me from that, please induce vomiting by giving me two spoons of hydrogen peroxide and call my Dr.

Tip #4

While you perceive me as "jumping up" up on guests when they arrive, I need you to know what is really going on. I am mirroring your people greeting skills. I am trying to be gracious and welcoming when I lift my upper body up off the floor. My intention is to meet our guests on two legs and provide them with face-to-face contact, just like you. Then it all goes south when I lose my balance and fall forward on the person. I then cover up my embarrassment and lack of grace by acting like I planned to do that. Then you get cross with me, only adding insult to injury. In order to save us all of this embarrassment and frustration, throw a treat in the bathroom when guests are arriving and instead of me acting as the official greeter, I will be diverted to a closed space while you greet our guests. Once they are in and settled, let me out to greet them properly, standing on all of my four feet.

Tip #5

I would be grateful for any Christmas meal leftovers, but please .......... debone any cooked turkey or chicken before you give it to me. Otherwise I am liable to get it stuck in my throat and chances are I will not be able to hack it up. That will undoubtably result in a trip to the ER for an extraction or worse, I could choke to death before we get there. Trust me, I do not want to end up as another holiday statistic!!!