“No gift can ever replace the value of being there in person.”

This is a beautiful sentiment, but Balto would like to call horse feathers on this claim.

To say that Balto is a little spoiled would be a gross understatement. Balto thinks he is Ian’s brother and that Ian’s grandparents are Balto’s grandparents. Balto also thinks that he’s the favorite grandchild. This dog gets ridiculously excited when he sees a grandparent pull in, and he demands all the ensuing attention.

Clearly holidays like Christmas will resonate strongly with a husky/person like Balto. His first Christmas is one that we will always remember vividly. Brinn and I woke Ian up early the morning of Christmas 2019 so we could watch him enjoy Christmas with all the wonder and enthusiasm that a seven year old possesses. We also pulled down stockings for Mogwai, Chaco, and Balto as we always include the dogs in every holiday. They happily gnawed on their pig ears and dutifully played with their new toys. Their Christmas Eve gifts from Nana were still strewn about the floor.

Later that morning, Grandpapa came up to spend Christmas day with us. A delighted Balto walked back and forth with Grandpapa from his explorer to the living room, “helping” Grandpapa carry in every festive package with all the shiny ribbons and bows. Balto sat politely, watching Ian open all of his presents, actively observing every movement and taking inventory of the growing pile of toys. When Ian finally tore the paper off his last gift and stood up, Balto looked up at his Grandpapa with delight that it was finally his turn! Except Grandpapa didn’t have a gift for Balto, because who wraps a gift for a 9 month old Siberian puppy? Balto’s entire face fell. I mean, absolute devastation! I wouldn’t have believed a dog could express such emotion with these kind of facial features if I weren’t there to witness it myself. This little dog was absolutely crushed. And it broke his Grandpapa’s heart to see it.

Mind you, Balto had already received a plush chicken from Nana, and plenty of other gifts from Ian that morning. But Balto truly thought that he was a grandchild on equal standing with Ian, and as such, eligible for the same treatment.

After Balto’s disappointment, he turned to a life of crime. Any wrapped gift fell victim to Balto’s thieving ways. When he saw a wrapped gift, he felt fully entitled to unwrap it. We bought Grandma Cross a lovely quilt kit of fabrics for a project she’d been wanting to sew for quite some time. The quilt shop I bought it from wrapped it so beautifully for Mother’s Day. Then Brinn came into the living room the Friday before Mother’s Day and found that Balto had unwrapped the box and scattered fabric everywhere!

Unfortunately Balto’s misdemeanors did not end with Grandma’s quilt. He became a porch pirate and started stealing deliveries before we could bring them inside! He never destroyed the contents, but the boxes and any wrappings became confetti. This conduct disorder persisted until Christmas rolled around again, and Grandpapa walked in with shiny gift packages labeled with Balto’s name. The reign of terror finally ended once Balto received equal treatment from his Grandpapa. Now Grandpapa comes prepared with small gifts for Balto every time he visits.