Nestled all snug in their beds, do pets have visions of sugar plums, or maybe squeaky toys, dancing in their heads?

If they could ask, what would our house pets request from Santa?

"Usually it's the same thing," said Laurie Christy of

Butler,

whose four German shepherds receive gifts each year.

"It's those pig's ears and squeaky balls. Anything squeaky is good. Then, we also get them grooming things."

"We have little Christmas stockings made up with their names on them," added Christy, whose dogs range in age from 2½ to 12 years old.

"I make homemade dog biscuits," she continued, listing wheat germ, flour and liver baby food as some of the ingredients.

"If you look on the Internet, there are thousands of different recipes. You can vary the recipes; you can use peanut butter, (make them) cheese flavored or grind up chicken," she noted.

RECEIVING GIFTS IS only half the fun, said Tammy Boice ofFranklin Township, whose three Dalmatians are also awaiting Santa's arrival.As in the case with Christy's shepherds, Boice's canine cohorts participate in shopping as well as in opening gifts."Usually we go, one at a time, to (the pet store) to see what they want," she said, explaining how animals will sniff out chews and other toys.Much like with children, Boice and other pet owners note what items evoke interest before making a purchase."We have a lot of friends that are doggie friends, and we typically have three to four dogs per family that we buy for," said Boice, whose circle of dog-loving friends has widened due to her participation in agility training."We train together; we go out to dinner together; we travel together," she said, noting how her dog hobbies play a role in her social activities.

On Christmas, Christy and Boice said a big part of the fun is watching the dogs open their gifts, which Boice said are usually held together with ribbon and minimal tape to make the opening easier."We do a little routine in that everybody has to do a sit-stay," Boice said. "Everybody gets one present, and they have to open one present at a time.""They shred the paper," she added.Theresa Price of Butler, who owns Pets in the Park at Moraine Pointe Plaza, also can attest to the fun of unwrapping.She said customers frequently tell her "as soon as I get home, my dog knows I was at the pet store. He goes through all the packages until he finds what I bought for him.""I don't' know how many people have said that to me," she said, relaying a similar account of her own dog, who recently died."The wrapping paper would be strewn through the house. That made my dog a big part of our Christmas - because everyone would be laughing," she said.<BR>

For feline friends, opening gifts is also part of Christmas. "I've always gotten my (three) cats some little thing," said Lois Whitesell of Butler, a member of the Butler Cat Fanciers group."They like to open packages - especially paper. They like the tissue paper," she said. "I just let them rip them open." The catnip inside could be one reason for their haste, Whitesell said."They usually get a new scratching post of some sort, and a new ball or a catnip mouse - or even just plain catnip. You don't have to put it in a toy for them."They like balls or any kind of toy that moves. Other than that, they like to chase feathers. I keep a couple of peacock feathers around. Those are about their favorites.""My nieces and nephews get them something, too," she added.

ALTHOUGH PET GIFTS at Christmas appear to be a recent trend, the practice is not new, according to Price, who has been selling such items in her store for 30 years. The difference is that more products are now available, she said."We've always sold Santa costumes (for pets), but now we sell reindeer and elf costumes. I even have a candy cane this year."We have hoodies and sweatshirts and T-shirts and coats and sweaters. Right now I probably have 500 different coats and sweaters to choose from," she said."The newest genre are called interactive dog toys. They dispense treats, they can talk and the ball can roll around."There are a lot of new toys that normally the dog wants to kill the squeaker in the toy. New toys have replaceable squeakers or a little ball that comes out of the toy that squeaks," she said, explaining the dogs can find and remove the squeaker from toys, which can later be reassembled."We sell the most toys three or four days before Christmas because... if you buy (the present) too soon, your dog will find it," she said.In addition to gifts, pet portraits with Santa have also gained in popularity. Penni Laine Lechner, location manager for North Pole Photo in the Clearview Mall, is entering her eighth season of offering the service."They have definitely increased," Lechner said of the photographs. "I would say they've honestly doubled in the past eight years, if not more," she added, speculating the rise is due to increased awareness of the service more than an increased interest in pets."We get dogs and cats; we get the occasional ferret and hamster. We (once) had a big, black snake," she said."They dress them, not everybody – but I'd say a third of the people bring (their pets) in Santa hats," she said.Since some children are allergic to pet hair, Lechner said special hours are set for pets - Mondays in December from 8 to 9 p.m. - and Santa wears a special suit when receiving them.

BUT WHAT MOTIVATES Santa to deliver the gifts and pet owners to have the photographs taken?"Because they're part of our family," answered Christy. "And they're fun to torment and dress up and take pictures of. … It's just fun. The kids like it, so why not?""But they're always spoiled - not just at Christmas," she added."At least it's fun for the people," Whitesell said of holiday gifts her cats receive. "I'm not sure whether we insult their intelligence or what. But many of them enjoy the hustle and bustle."Boice and Christy also said their shared interest in dogs adds a playful dimension to holidays and other social celebrations."I had a baby shower for (my dog) Alex when she went to have a puppy," Christy said. "Everybody had to bring a toy. … We do weird things, but that's our hobby. We don't golf or go to bars, so we just play with the dogs."Boice echoed Christy's sentiment, telling of a birthday party once held for one of her Dalmatians. "It's fun," she said.