“A dog desires affection more than its dinner. Well – almost.”  – Charlotte Gray

Happy Tuesday! Here's the scoop:

• Does your dog have a favorite Christmas song?

• Who’s a good weatherboy? 🐾

• Your new favorite excuse for cuddling your pup (its backed by science)

Did you know...
Max, the Grinch’s loyal dog and trusty sidekick in the 2000 version of the film, was played by six different mixed-breed shelter rescues! The two lead dogs were named Kelly and Chip, with Kelly doing most of the stunts. The other four were Topsy, Stella, Zelda, and Bo.

Turns out, dogs can feel the holiday spirit too
A recent survey polled one thousand dog owners and asked them to rank their dogs’ favorite Christmas songs in order.

The top response? Wham!'s holiday hit, "Last Christmas.” The poll revealed that, in general, most pups prefer upbeat tracks and are less interested when slower instrumental Christmas classics are playing.

Music is often used to calm dogs in times of change and stress, so it is not a shock that it plays a key role for dogs during Christmastime. Throw these top-rated favorite dog songs on and have a happy howliday!

1st: Wham!'s "Last Christmas"
2nd: Jingle Bells
3rd: Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You”
Bonus: Tails.com created what they’re calling the "first-ever" Christmas song exclusively made for dogs - Raise the Woof! The song uses sounds like squeaky toys, bells and basic commands to elicit reactions and positive emotions from pups. Turn up the volume and watch your dog’s reaction! Ours went absolutely wild. Trust us, it’s worth the watch.

Off Leash

Is cuddling your dog actually good for your health?
According to science, the answer is: duh.

We all know that spending time with dogs, especially therapy dogs trained to provide comfort, is a pick-me-up. A study conducted at the University of British Columbia Okanagan decided to dig into what specific interactions provide the greatest benefits. Participants were assigned to 1 of 3 conditions: canine interaction treatment conditions, touch or no touch canine interaction, or a handler-only condition where no dog was present.

Results showed that all 3 groups experienced enhanced wellbeing on several measures. Only those in the direct contact (cuddling) condition, however, reported “significant improvements” on all measures of wellbeing.

So, if you needed any more reason to spend a few extra minutes snuggling your pup during the chaos of the holidays, now you have it. Cuddling with canines is proven to be a surefire way to reduce stress.

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