A Havanese Got Tangled in the Christmas Lights and Stayed Calm

A fluffy cream Havanese sits in the middle of a rug, looking sideways with a soft frown as a strand of tiny warm lights loops around his body. Wispy hair falls over his dark eyes, and his little paws are partly hidden in the glow. A sofa with a grey throw, a plant, a basket of toys, and a pair of slippers fill the living room behind him, and a window brightens the whole scene. He seems less alarmed than puzzled about how it happened.

String lights can be a hazard for dogs: wires can be chewed, and tangled strands can wrap around legs or necks. Lights that are plugged in near a pet also raise safety worries, so unplug them when decorating and keep cords out of reach or covered. If your dog gets tangled, stay calm, unplug the lights, and slowly free him. Check that nothing is chewed or loose, and call your vet if he has chewed a cord. Havanese have long silky coats that can tangle easily, so brush gently after a run-in with decorations.

Let's call this glowing fellow Twinkle. He sits still and lets the lights glow around him, as polite as a little white tree. In the quiet room, he looks like the most carefully decorated dog in the house, and perhaps the most patient.