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A red and white Border Collie sniffs a plate of chocolate chip cookies on a kitchen counter. 2 / 21

Santa's Cookies Were on the Counter, and the Border Collie Noticed

AI imageborder colliechristmascookies

With her nose just above a plate of chocolate chip cookies, a red-and-white Border Collie leans over the counter in deep concentration. Her white blaze runs down her face, her ears fold softly, and her eyes are cast downward at the treats. Behind her is a bright kitchen with a white cabinet draped in garland and a green towel, and a window lets in cool daylight.

Cookies left out for Santa are a lovely tradition, but they are risky if a dog gets to them. Chocolate is toxic to dogs, and chips, raisins, and some nuts in cookies can cause serious trouble, so keep the plate high on a shelf or on a table she cannot reach. A Border Collie is clever enough to figure out how to reach a counter, so closing the kitchen door or using a baby gate might be necessary. If she ever swallows chocolate, call your vet or an animal poison hotline right away. Meanwhile, plenty of safe treats and puzzle toys can keep her sharp mind busy.

The sniff itself is perfectly polite. She seems to be studying the evidence, as if she were a detective at a very sweet crime scene. For now, the cookies are still all there, and the whole story depends on the next five seconds, which this clever dog is weighing carefully.

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