We've had the tree up for a week, why now?

Canada
November 22, 2010 10:50am CST
We put up a huge Christmas tree last Sunday, and the dog has been fine around it since then. He's had days alone around it but has never gone near enough to it to cause any trouble. So why now, after it being up already, and him being near one last Christmas, would he decide to go and knock it over? That's exactly what he did. He got up off the floor, went over to the tree and just pushed it right over. He didn't care. And even after he did it, he was wagging his tale, despite me scolding him for doing so. Sure I got mad, I raised my voice, but I sure didn't hit him or anything, I would never strike an animal in anger. But come on, why would he do such a thing? I don't get it, and I don't understand it. He's now outside in the backyard where he'll stay for most of the day as long as it's not raining. I just want to know what would make him do something like that.
2 responses
@inu1711 (5285)
• Romania
22 Nov 10
I find this very amusing! I imagine I would be angry for a little if my dog did the same, but after the first anger I'm sure I'd see the funny part of the experience. Don't wonder why did he do that, he didn't knock the tree for a particular reason. He's a dog, he doesn't do things with the intention to upset you. Maybe he wanted to draw your attention (even the negative attention, which he succeeded to draw ), maybe he wanted to tell you that he need more action in his life and knocking the tree brought the action he longed to have.
• Canada
22 Nov 10
If he wanted action, he sure got it. I guess that being ignored was upsetting him and he did want my attention. But he normally gets it by simply coming up to me and nudging me. This is a lesson learned, but hopefully he doesn't do it again.
@owlwings (43902)
• Cambridge, England
22 Nov 10
He clearly believes (quite rightly) that it isn't Christmas yet! Well, it's not for me to say what you should or should not do for Christmas but, in my house, we always abhor the 'early Christmas' commercial rush in the shops that seems to start in early October now. It just isn't proper to start decorating for Christmas until Advent begins. Actually, when I was a child, we spent all of Christmas Eve transforming the house with greenery and sparkly things. My father would cut a large bough from a pine tree and that was our tree. It was the children's job to find all all of last year's decorations and to deck the tree with many oohs and ahhs. By supper time, we were ready to sing carols round the tree and each take a star from it to take upstairs and hang over our beds, along with a large stocking which lay empty until the exciting early morning awakening when it was fat, heavy and crinkled deliciously when felt in the dark.