Today is #ChristmasJumperDay. It’s run by Save the Children – you sign up on their page, pay £2 (or £1 if you’re a school child) and wear your silliest Christmas jumper to work or school, which raises money for this excellent charity. (Or you can donate and not wear a silly jumper – I don’t think they check!).
I’m glad they are not asking for pets to wear jumpers though. I dislike some of the crazy outfits some dogs are forced to wear. Thin skinned dogs need coats to keep them warm on walks during winter, obviously, but I’ve also seen all sorts of silly indoor dressing up outfits for dogs. Seeing the social media pictures of dogs in these outfits, I’m pretty sure most dogs don’t like being dressed up.
I’m hoping my Christmas hat counts for today, as I don’t have a Christmas jumper. You can see me wearing the hat each day on our 10 day Christmas Canine Challenge.
What’s that, I hear you say? Back during the first lockdown, we set up our Canine Challenge Facebook page where we did a challenge every day to teach your dog something new – simple exercises or a trick – and we’ve been putting up various things since. So we thought we’d have a 10 day Christmas Challenge. Something light hearted and fun, just to round off this crazy year.
I’m doing a brief live video each morning at around 8.45am to give you that day’s challenge. Today is actually day 3, but you can join in when you like, as all the daily videos are up on the page. We’ve started by teaching dogs to hold a bag, with the aim that by Christmas your dog will be able to carry a present to someone.
Doing some sort of training with your dog each day is beneficial for their overall health. So many dogs suffer from boredom and most need (and want) some sort of job to do. A few minutes a day training will make your dog happy and content. Remember – it’s mental work that tires dogs out, not physical exercise.
I’d love to see you in the group and trying out our Challenge. And if you catch me live, you can ask me for advice about anything you want, too. Or leave a message in the group.
Even if you don’t join us, have fun with your dog. We’d love to see some pictures of you in a silly Christmas jumper – just as long as you don’t dress your dog up too!
Keep training and stay safe,
Carol