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A parti-color Cocker Spaniel with long ears rests beside a white mug of cocoa with marshmallows on a wooden table. 4 / 26

Penny Was Being Very Good Beside the Cocoa. Mostly.

AI imagecocker spanielhot cocoachristmas

The steam is still rising, and the Cocker Spaniel has noticed. Her long black-and-white ears hang beside a face dotted with freckles and tan eyebrows, and her dark eyes slide toward the camera with the innocent look of a dog who is simply resting nearby. A white mug of cocoa with marshmallows sits within easy reach on a wooden table, while a grey throw, pine sprigs and a gift box fill the cozy room behind her.

Cocoa is one of the classic holiday hazards for dogs. Chocolate contains theobromine, which dogs can't break down well, and dark chocolate and baking cocoa are the strongest. Some sugar-free drinks and marshmallows may also contain xylitol, a sweetener that is very dangerous to dogs. The safest plan is to keep mugs well back from the edge of tables and to wipe up spills right away. Cocker Spaniels are cheerful, food-loving dogs with a famous nose, so they're quite good at finding anything tasty. If a dog does get into chocolate, call your vet or an animal poison hotline promptly rather than waiting.

Let's call her Penny. She seems well-behaved at this moment, sitting with one paw out and her head tilted slightly, but her eyes keep drifting back to the marshmallows. Maybe it's pure curiosity, or maybe she's calculating her odds. A dog biscuit might be the best compromise, and the cocoa can stay safely on its coaster.

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