Hazel's first Christmas

by Lisa
(Florida)

Happy Hazel

Hazel was not only our puppy, she was our first child. We always wanted a dog and as soon as we bought our first house it became a top priority to get one. Hazel had sandy blond hair with little tufts on her ears, elbows and paws. She looked just like a character from a Dr. Seuss book and we fell in love with her immediately!

Hazel used to do so many funny things when she was a puppy, it is hard to choose just one to talk about, but one that sticks out is her first Christmas. We decided that since Santa filled my husband and my Christmas stocking with goodies every year that we should leave a stocking out for Hazel too.

On Christmas morning when we got up, there was Hazel's Christmas stocking filled with treats. Hazel must have known which stocking was hers because she went right to it, sniffing around and wagging her tail as if she wasn't even a bit surprised. She was very excited as she helped her Daddy open her stocking. She looked so snazzy in her new collar, and enjoyed the variety of dog bisquits, pupperoni's and jerky treats that Santa had brought for her. But her favorite treat was a HUGE rawhide bone that was practically bigger than she was. She chewed contentedly on that bone for hours as the rest of us opened our presents.

All in all I think Hazel really enjoyed her first Christmas and every one after that for all 16 years of her life!

Unfortunately we didn't have a good camera back in 1990 when Hazel was a puppy so I am posting a picture of her when she was an "adult" although to be honest, she was as youthful as a puppy her whole life :)