Do you hear that? Thanksgiving has just passed and the radios are already ablaze with songs of Christmas before you even were able to store the leftovers from dinner in the fridge. This is the time of the year when the holidays come upon us quicker than any of us would expect. Soon enough, you will be hearing the sound of jingle bells and leaving out milk and cookies for Santa. The stockings will be hung up and ready for stuffing. Yet, one is missing: a dog stocking for the one that belongs to that one in your life who loves you unconditionally and is happy to see you come home every day.

I have a dachshund. Every Christmas he seems to get somehow even more excited than we do. Before I owned a dog stocking, we would resort to trying to hide his presents among all the others under the tree. Needless to say, his nose is a hard one to trick and before we knew it, he was happily tearing into random presents looking for the treat Santa brought him. It did not take very long for me to realize that something had to change in effort to save the hours of wrapping the elves surely had to go through. Aside from the stocking being a cute idea, it was born out of necessity for me and now I have no idea why I did not think of it sooner!

Christmas stockings have been around for ages. In fact, they have been around for such a long time that we are resorted to legends rather than written history as to their origin of existence. To say they are a family tradition is the least. Yet, so many of us overlook the idea of purchasing one specifically for our dogs. Besides your possible fear of friends and family thinking that you are absolutely nuts for doing it, have you given it any thought? Our dogs are an essential part of our family are they not? I do not know about you but growing up (and even now truthfully), going through my Christmas stocking was the perfect way to start Christmas morning! Now, with your pooch having their very own dog stocking, they can get in on it too.

Dog stockings are so much more accessible now and they come in a wide variety that is sure to fit any home. My personal favorite is the needlepoint dog stockings. Their traditional look comes right out of "Miracle on 34th Street" or "A Christmas Story". Needlepoint stockings are always of great quality and are meant to stay within a family for years. And better yet, they would be able to withstand the bit of abuse your dog will inflict upon it.

Now, do me a favor and just imagine this: you wake up Christmas morning and as your children run to the Christmas tree, your dog follows closely behind. You then hand your children your stocking and while you do, your dog is anxiously waiting. Next, they all go through their stockings together. That is the recipe of unforgettable memories and that is what owning a dog stocking can do for you (along with saving some of the elves' wrapping if you have a dog like mine).