It was a cold starlit night and the small puppy shook the light dusting of snow from his soft coat as he hurried along the road. He had never been out so late before, certainly not alone.

He missed his mother and siblings, the security and warmth of home and he was very hungry. He now regretted running off through the gap in the fence, ignoring the call of his mother and the voice of his owner. Sure, he had fun checking out the neighbourhood, chasing a cat, playing with a child in a park and chasing the first snowflakes, but which way was home ?

One or two people called him as he scurried along, but he did not dare stop and talk to strangers now, he was becoming increasingly distressed. The unfamiliar landscape was slowly turning white and finally, tired, very cold and unhappy, he sheltered under a hedge. He curled up and slept briefly, unaware of the approaching sleighbells.

A warm reindeer nose nuzzled him, blowing the snow from his coat. A large tubby man in a red coat scooped him up, speaking softly to him as he set the puppy down beside him on the seat of the sleigh. “Lost are you ? We can take care of that” he said. “ I saw pups just like you three houses back along the road. Four little presents had been ordered, but there were only three pups. Now I understand the problem !”

Expertly reversing the sleigh, they were soon back at the puppies house. Santa ( yes of course, who else could the tubby red coated man be?) gently tossed the puppy into the air and chuckled as it floated down through the snowflakes, landing softly right outside the kennel door. His anxious, waiting mother called him in, tucked the cold puppy between her front paws and began giving him a thorough licking to clean him and warm him up. The pup responded with a big sloppy puppy kiss, grateful to be home and warm, but unable to tell her how he had found his way home.

His equally anxious owner returned at this moment from searching the streets for the puppy, stopping by the kennel to count heads, in the hope that somehow the wanderer had returned unaided. There was Mum and one, two, three, four ! FOUR ! He could not believe his eyes, so called his wife, who came running out to double check. They hugged the puppy, then all the puppies and their Mum, -- then hugged them all again.

Finally, having fed the wanderer and settled them all down for the night, they closed the kennel door and headed back to the house.Was it just imagination or did they hear the swish of a sleigh and the jingle of bells echoing across the night sky? Safe and warm in the kennel, the puppy heard the bells and smiled as he drifted off to sleep.

Pet and Animal
Christmas Stories for the Holidays

Story Sources: : https://www.christmasstory.us/

'Christmas' the Puppy’s First Holiday

Use ’Christmas’ story to teach your children the importance of adopting—not buying—animal companions and having them spayed or neutered.

Snowflake

Snowflake is an uplifting tale about a young girl named Becky and her attempt to get a small disabled puppy from a pet store to give as a very special Christmas gift. The unexpected conclusion to Becky's quest teaches a heart-warming lesson to everyone present.

Christmas Paws

A couple is faced with the sadness and despair of losing their beloved dog to cancer on Christmas Eve. Then something extraordinary happens. This special story is dedicated to everyone who has lost a pet.

Lucky Rescue

On one fateful Christmas Eve, a family returning home encounters a small injured dog in need. The right place at the right time and a little luck could help make this a day before Christmas that would not be forgotten.

The Christmas Tree and the Dog

It's the night before Christmas Eve on an almost sold out Christmas tree lot. While a few customers are looking at the remaining trees, a couple with a little girl enter the lot to look around and an older man also arrives to look at the trees. The tree lot attendant learns something about the couple and the little girl that will change the night for all of them.

In Training by Scott Kennedy depicts two Samoyed pups trying to pull a couple of Samoyed pups on a sled.

"Let's mush!" these puppies seem to say. One pair tugs on the tow line, while the other two perch on the sled, prepared to perform the role of passengers. It looks like fun and that might be why a pair of curious eyes are watching from a distance.

With the wonderful work In Training , Scott Kennedy invites you to share in his love of the wildernesss and sled dog racing.

"I grew up with a Samoyed in the house," says Kennedy, "and during high school I became interested in sled dog races. Sled dog racing is almost like the sport of sailing - you glide quickly and quietly, but on snow instead of water. All you hear is the dogs's soft, rhythmic breathing and the jingle of the hardware on their harnesses. So much of the enjoyment comes from the dogs themselves - they love to race so much, you can hardly make them stop once they start running."

"That's one reason I call this work In Training . Sure, the pups are mimicking the adults, and they're learning some skills that they'll use when they're older. But it's clearly a lot of fun for them."

It's also fun to watch, especially if you're a lively and curious ermine. Gaze carefully into the background and you'll find the little white-coated animal blending into the surrounding snow.

"I knew I wanted some animal to be watching from a distance," Kennedy says," one that might be intrigued by the action. Then I thought of ermines. You rarely see the, but when you do, they're always investigating something."

Kennedy is particularly proud of In Training. He worked hard to capture the details of the racing sled, right down to the snow hook, the small anchor that is stored in the holster-like pouch. And he used delicate brushstrokes to reveal the look of fresh-fallen snow as it clings to the bending pine branches. But Kennedy won't blame you if your eyes linger on the joyful Siberians and Samoyeds.