A Merry Barkmas

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Now for Chapter 3

Ewing was in a full gallop through the snowy hills with his backup entertainment surprise. She had no time to lose.

“What did Blizten get me into?” cried Peppermint Pappy as he held on to Ewing’s makeshift reins for dear life.

“Don’t worry,” said Ewing, “Just hold on. We’re almost at the party!”

“What do you think I’m trying to do?” said Peppermint Pappy. “You’re going so fast. My beard is trying to escape to the North Pole!”

Ewing would not slow down. The starry night turned into dark blue charcoal, and the night air was getting colder. She didn’t want to miss the Christmas party and disappoint his canine friends.

Ewing should have thought about the massive traffic on the roads with various families attending Christmas Eve celebrations everywhere. So Ewing decided to veer off the beaten path.

“Where are you taking me!” cried Peppermint Pappy.

“We have to find a faster way to get to the party!” said Ewing.

The two unlikely travelers crossed icy creeks, snowy hills, and frosty forests. The way Ewing took it looked like the ultimate winter obstacle course. Peppermint Pappy was almost beheaded like a Gingerman man cookie by low branches. He ducked when low on Ewing, holding on to her red wheaten furry neck.

Peppermint Pappy was as wilted as a tired Poinsettia plant when they finally got closer to the party.

“Look! There is my friend Daisy!” cried Ewing. Peppermint Pappy saw a stylish dog dressed for winter as they ran closer.

“What breed is Daisy?” Peppermint Pappy asked.

“She is a Whippet, very friendly and gentle,” said Ewing. “ But, she doesn’t like being cold, so Daisy is known for her trendy dog sweaters during the winter.”

Peppermint Pappy was greeted with a ton of barking as they drew outside the Bark and Hound party venue. Ewing finally stopped, and Peppermint Pappy stiffly got off her back. He brushed off the snow and twigs he had collected from their journey.

Just as he was about to ask what to do next, all at once, dogs of different sizes, colors, and barks came surrounding Ewing and Peppermint Pappy.

“We knew you wouldn’t let us down!” said Bogart.

“You did it!” barked Duke.

“Who is he?” asked Sadie as she sniffed around the new visitor.

Peppermint Pappy got a little nervous with all the dogs circling him. He was used to reindeer, but dogs? Not so much.

“Everyone, this is Peppermint Pappy. He is our surprised guest for this party,” Ewing said proudly.

Peppermint Pappy was at a loss at first as to what to do next but then decided to make it up as he went along. Peppermint Pappy took all the dogs to the party.

Peppermint Pappy toured the next dog Christmas activity areas, spoke to each dog, and then chose a spot near their dog tree that was decorated with tennis balls, kong toys, and dog bones to set up a photo station.

Photos were taken with each dog, and last-minute Christmas wish lists were given to him. Peppermint Pappy saw that some of the dogs were getting restless, so he quickly called some of these Elf Gnomes he knew were in the area to help.

The three Elf Gnomes came bearing gifts of dog toys, biscuit gingerbread cookies, and some more hot chocolate. All the dogs loved meeting the Gnomes. They sniffed them, pulled their beards, and made them play ball with them.

Peppermint Pappy and the other Elf Gnomes gathered the dogs around, sang songs, and took a dog walk. Each dog had their own petting session with the Christmas Elf Gnomes.

The party was an enormous success, with Peppermint Pappy being the star. He stayed until each dog’s owner picked up their dogs before returning home to help Santa on Christmas Eve. Ewing asked Peppermint Pappy if he needed a ride back home, but Peppermint Pappy politely thanked Ewing but refused.

“Don’t worry, Ewing, one of the reindeer is going to fly by and pick me up.” Peppermint Pappy said.

As Ewing turned to leave with this owner, she quickly turned around and said, “Thank you for helping me out tonight!”

“You are welcome! Happy to help.” Peppermint Pappy said as he waved goodbye to him.

Later that evening, in another house in Pawhill, a little boy lived with this three-year-old Dachshund.

Tommy was saying good night to his little dog, Ollie. Tommy asked Ollie if he had a good time at the Christmas party with his canine friends.

“Ruff, yes I did,” said Ollie.

“What was the best part?” asked Tommy.

“I got to make a gingerbread house with an Elf named Peppermint Pappy. He helped me with frosting because I kept licking it!” said Ollie as he barked.

“That sounds like fun. We should get to bed before Santa arrives with our presents,” said Tommy.

Ollie and Tommy went to bed that night, all nestled in their fleece blankets, waiting for the anticipation of Christmas morning to arrive.

All the dogs bedded down for the night with their families throughout Pawhill town.

In another charming home, there was a little Schnauzer named Sheba.

This Schnauzer was into a lot of playful, high-energy activities. Hannah, her owner, had taught Sheba to take a breath, relax, and enjoy the moment.

Hannah lit some Christmas candles and had Sheba sit still and practice being present for the moment.

They both sent prayers to all the dogs and cats who didn’t have homes and hoped they would find a loving, safe place soon. Sheba also sent love to all dogs, cats, and furry animals with their families, wishing them a safe Mary Christmas and a Happy New Year.

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Thank you for reading.

I am a huge dog lover and have owned many Cavaliers.

All of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniels in this story are my dogs.

Duke, the Labradoodle, is also mine, so I refer to the Cavaliers as sisters to him.

Ewing is a Rhodesian Ridgeback of my niece, while another niece of mine owns Thumper the French Pug. I hope you enjoyed this Christmas dog story as much as I did when creating it.

This was originally posted on Medium.