Cheshire dogs get dressed up for Christmas

This month's collaboration with Facebook Group Dogs in Cheshire features our favourite festive pooches, getting into the Christmas spirit with their pals.

Stanley and Dib Dab

Stanley and his little big brother Dib Dab the guinea pig (Image: Sandra Smith)

Best friends come in all shapes and sizes. Meet Stanley and his little big brother Dib Dab, a story that'll warm your heart even on the chilliest days. Owner Sandra Smith explains: 'Stan is a two-year-old chihuahua cross miniature pinscher. The boys get on great – always carefully supervised of course. Stan loves our lovely hometown of Nantwich especially on speciality market days for lots of cuddles, treats and the odd puppuchino, but his favourite walk is the woods, any woods, for a good explore.'

The Nativity

Emma Caskie took this photo of the dog nativity at Houndclub Pet Services (Image: Emma Caskie)

Emma Caskie runs Houndclub Pet Services based in Crewe and Nantwich. She sent in this brilliant nativity scene. We can only imagine how long it took to get the dogs in their costumes and posing for the camera. She says: 'All the dogs in the nativity are regular walkers with us and we enjoy exploring public footpaths around the local area on our daily walks.'

Barney, Digby and Amber

This fun dog nativity was organised by Hayley Massey at Lyme Park (Image: Hayley Massey)

This dog nativity was organised by Hayley Massey at Lyme Park last year, as a fun activity when lockdowns stopped most traditional Christmas shows. ' A few friends got together to do a doodle nativity at Lyme Park just for fun,' she says. 'My cavapoo Barney played Jesus. At the time he was only nine weeks old. Joseph and Mary were played by cockapoos Digby and Amber, owned by my friend Ruth Coxon.'

The Doodle Nativity, continued

The dogs, including Digby and Amber, loved staging a nativity scene (Image: Ruth Coxon)

Fellow doodle owner Ruth Coxon also took an even bigger nativity scene with Digby and Amber. 'We live in Bramhall and appreciate all the fabulous walks we have on our doorstep on a daily basis,' she says. ''The group photo of the Nativity was taken in Lyme Park with our regular group of dog walkers consisting of eight doodles and a beagle. Digby was Joseph and Amber was Mary, with Barney as the baby. Holly was a shepherd, Iggy was a donkey, Pippa and Bella were angels and Henry and Brie were Kings.'

Digby and Amber

Ruth Coxon's doodles just love a day in the snow (Image: Ruth Coxon)

Ruth also sent in this beautiful snowy photo of Digby and Amber. 'This was taken on the Alderley Park estate which is one of our favourite walks,' she says. 'The walk starts on Bradford Lane near the National Trust Alderley Edge car park, goes through fields and enters at the back of the Alderley Estate. My cockapoos, Amber (the pale tan one) and Digby (the apricot one) adore spending as much time off lead as possible on their dog walks. Amber takes her role as Chief Squirrel Monitor very seriously and should one of those pesky furries make a run for it, then she’s in hot pursuit. Fortunately, she’s never caught one. Digby, at seven years old, is more mature. His passion is food, in any shape or flavour and has the self-taught skill of hearing the fridge door open from the far side of the garden. His speed of movement is then equal to that of his four-year-old sister chasing squirrels.'

Wolfie

Wolfie the Huskey Labrador cross is in festive spirit (Image: Charlotte Moss)

This festive photo of seven-year-old husky labrador cross Wolfie was taken by his owner Charlotte Moss from Hartford. 'He loves nothing more than a long off lead walk, particularly if squirrels, water and mud are involved,' she says. 'The Christmas addition is fitting for him, because he loves nothing more than opening his and the family’s presents, usually early.'

Rosie and Alfie

Pawfect pals Rosie is on the left and Alfie on the right (Image: Samantha Lowndes)
Rosie and Alfie the westies from Holmes Chapel are no longer with us, but they just loved posing for stay-at-home dog mum Samantha Lowndes. 'Christmas morning, they would get up and be so excited to go into the lounge, which we kept the door closed for obvious little reasons,' says Samantha. 'They knew what was in there, barking at the door, then chaos erupted paper everywhere they were like two-year-olds. Once they finished opening theirs, they start helping us with our presents. What a joy to watch them.' Rosie, 14 and Alfie, seven, loved nothing more than a run in the hills to Castleton or on the beach in Anglesey. 'We have years of the happiest of memories with these two woofers and they will always be with us,' she says. 'We now have gorgeous George who has the honour this year of our famous Christmas card.'

Alfie, Yogi and Ella

The three amigos - Alfie, Yogi and Ella, dressed up for festive fun (Image: Vesna Kirby)
Alfie, the chocolate labrador on the left, died in May aged 11. Here he's joined by best pals chocolate labrador Yogi, eight and two-year-old black lab Ella. Owner Vesna Kirby, from Smallwood, says: 'All three labs were rescued, I volunteer for the Labradors In Need charity, assessing labs for rehoming. I home check potential families, do transport runs and fundraise.

'I love to train my dogs. We are part of the Cheshire K9 training group, where Yogi is on the Obedience Display Team, and Ella has just passed her Advanced level 1 Obedience; she goes to agility, with a hope to compete next year, and also is a working gundog. As you see we like to keep busy.'

Huxley

Huxley is a cockapoo who loves cheese or dried spratts (Image: Sue Caldwell)

This handsome two-year-old cockapoo is loving and cheeky and nicknamed Sir Barkalot by owner Sue Caldwell, who says: 'He likes nothing more than chasing squirrels and getting into mischief, and his favourite food is cheese or dried sprats. We live in Winsford close to Knights Grange, where we enjoy our daily walks together, along with my other cockapoo, Jasmine.'