‘My dog gets spoiled most in the family – he’ll sit with us for Christmas dinner and even has his own mince pies’

A dog owner from Wales is excited to involve her dog Patchie in every part of her Christmas, from helping her decorate the tree to having his own seat at the Christmas dinner table, saying he gets “spoiled more than anyone in the family”.

Rhiannon Thomas, 37, says Patchie the Border Collie is a central part of the family, and a part of all their festive traditions – including having his own Christmas jumper.

Rhiannon, from Tregarth, north Wales, explained how she got Patchie as a rescue dog in 2020 when he was seven weeks old, after he was “thrown out at a farm”.

“He’s just a massive part of my life,” Rhiannon told PA Real Life.

“I don’t have children, but he’s like a child to me. He’s included in every part of my life.”

Rhiannon, who is an unpaid carer for her mother Beryl, who suffers from Addison’s disease, takes Patchie everywhere with her.

She said that in the build-up to Christmas, he accompanies her when she goes shopping for presents.

When it’s time to decorate the tree, Patchie helps to unpack everything, and they even turn it into a game as he helps take bags down from the loft with his mouth. He then puts his head in the bags and gets the decorations out with his teeth.

He also has his own doggie advent calendar with dog biscuits hidden behind each window, so that he can join in with the countdown to the big day.

Rhiannon said that on Christmas morning her husband Huw will take Patchie out for his first walk of the day while she carries out the prep for their meal.

She said: “We open presents first when we first wake up, and he’ll open his presents,” adding that Patchie will get some new tennis balls, a squeaky toy in the shape of Optimus Prime from the Transformers films, and a squeaky snake this year.

They will then also be joined by Rhiannon’s mother Beryl and her two whippet dogs, Eliab and Yentl, for their Christmas meal.

Patchie wears his Christmas apron for the meal, and gets stuck in with all of his humans’ favourite festive treats.

“He has a full dinner with us, but I only give him little amounts of human food,” Rhiannon explained.

“He’ll have maybe a slice or two of the turkey. It’s quite rich. He’ll have a couple of sprouts, because he loves vegetables. Then he’ll have a little bit of mashed potato because that’s good for him. I don’t do parsnips. He’ll have a smidgen of gravy on it, and he’ll have one sausage or bacon round.

“He’ll have his little apron on, then he’ll sit at the table with us after he’s had his little meal.

“We’ll have another walk after dinner. I did actually get doggy mince pies, so he’ll have one of those in the evening when we go to sit down. And then I always give him a chew, if we sit and have snacks and have cold meats.”

Rhiannon said that they recently had a log burner installed in their home, which Patchie loves lying in front of when it’s lit, so she expects that they will end the day with Patchie falling asleep in front of the fire.

Rhiannon admitted that Patchie gets “spoiled more than anyone in the family” but explained she likes to make Christmas extra special for him as “dogs don’t live long and he never asks for anything”.

Explaining how Patchie and his brothers and sisters all ended up at the Dog’s Trust, she said: “We rescued him back in 2020 and he was seven weeks old. He was a little bundle of joy. He was thrown out at a farm, not wanted. They just kept having litters that they didn’t want.”

In terms of their daily routine, Rhiannon said she loves playing games with Patchie, which often involve bubbles and balloons.

“He loves, obviously, tennis balls. I play football with him. He’s fantastic at that,” she said.

“He loves balloons – that really tires him out. I pass a balloon to him and then we have bubbles. That stimulates him a lot – the balloons and bubbles he goes crazy for. So I do that every day with him.

“I’m a housewife, but I’m an unpaid carer for mum. So I’m with mum every day, and in my van, he comes next to me, he comes in the shops, he comes everywhere. He travels so well. He just sits and lies next to me. It’s fantastic.”

Border Collies are renowned for their intelligence, and Rhiannon said Patchie is “really clever”.

She added: “He knows so much. And when you’re with him, he just reads your facial expressions. You don’t even have to say anything.

“He’s so used to our routines, it’s like clockwork. You don’t even have to say anything to him. He just knows. It’s just lovely.”

“He will have as many walks as possible,” Rhiannon added.

“In the morning, when we get up, at six. Then he’ll have a second walk with me about 11 o’clock, and then he can have another walk about half past three. And then when my husband gets home, he goes for a walk at about eight.”

Patchie also “loves swimming” in the sea near their home on the north Wales coast.

“He doesn’t want to come out of the water,” she said.

Rhiannon’s festive plans come as research by Pets At Home has found that 3.1 million households will spend more on gifts for their furry friends than any other family member.

Almost half of pet owners (43%) organise their festive celebrations around their pets, with 14% even skipping events with family and friends to stay at home with them.

More than half (54%) of pets will wake up to their very own Christmas present, while two out of five (41%) can expect a specially prepared festive meal. Nearly one in five (17%) will have their own stocking, and more than one in 10 (13%) will have a special festive outfit to wear.

Dr Samantha Butler-Davies, veterinary services director at Pets At Home, said: “In so many households pets are firmly at the heart of festive celebrations. From special gifts to planning Christmas around them, it’s clear how much love, joy, and companionship they bring to families up and down the UK.

“As we increasingly integrate pets into our festive traditions, it’s more important than ever to provide a quiet space where they can retreat and relax. Choosing pet-safe decorations, introducing guests gradually, sticking to familiar routines, and keeping an eye on their social cues can all help reduce stress and ensure they stay happy and calm throughout the entire festive season.”