The first Christmas after I adopted my dog Tyson from the MidAmerica Boston Terrier Rescue, I found out that he most certainly believed in Santa and the magic of Christmas. You see, I had filled a paw-printed stocking with treats and toys for him to tear into on Christmas morning, then, in the week following, he’d hop off the bed in the middle of the night and I’d find him waiting by the fireplace, hoping for Santa to return and refill his stocking.
I’ve made so many sweet holiday memories with Tyson over the years — from him unwrapping his Christmas presents like a pro, to dressing him up like an elf, to the year I put up a real Christmas tree and caught him lifting his leg on it soon after it was set in the stand. (He is very potty-trained, it was just confusing to have a live Douglas Fir inside and I’m sure he thought I was just making things more convenient for him since it was so cold outside).
Tyson on Christmas
(Brittany Anas)
Over the last couple years, Tyson, now 17 (at least!), has been slowly losing some of his vision. Our vet told us that he can still see shadows and we’ve noticed that he really perks up and gets excited when we’re around bright lights, which makes Christmas a fun time of year for him. My husband and I take Tyson on drives to see Christmas lights. Since Tyson can no longer go on super long walks, we bring along a dog stroller so when he tires out, he can look at our neighborhood lights and enjoy an open-air ride.
Last year, which ended up being our last year with Tyson, we wanted to make Christmas extra special for him. So, we packed up his stroller, dressed him up in his Christmas sweater, and took him on an overnight staycation in Denver, booking the themed holiday suite at The Curtis Hotel, a dog-friendly stay that’s in the downtown theater district. (The hotel is so dog friendly that there’s a cute little dog house as soon as you enter).
Tyson poses with an elf at The Curtis hyper themed holiday suite.
(Brittany Anas)
Each floor at The Curtis has a theme, with suites dedicated to everything from a video game room with a Donkey Kong arcade, a Final Frontier sci-fi suite, a shagadelic disco pad and a “Talladega Nights” room.
Our seasonal hyper-themed Christmas suite was decked to the nines with fun holiday decor—mini Christmas trees, wreaths, Santa hats, and more. But when we swung open the door we knew Tyson would love all of the multi-colored Christmas lights strung around the room.
A family photo in The Curtis’ hyper themed holiday suite
(Brittany Anas)
For our dog-friendly staycation, we set out to watch Denver’s nightly holiday drone show with lights in the sky of iconic Denver landmarks and art, including the blue stallion at Denver International Airport (nicknamed Blucifer) and the Beaux-Arts Union Station train station. (By the way, the show runs through Dec. 31 in Denver, with 400 drones lighting up the sky each evening at 7 p.m.)
Tyson watches the Visit Denver drone show.
(Brittany Anas)
While there are several rooftop bars where you can watch the drone show from, we opted to go to a park fronting the Denver Performing Arts Complex so we could take Tyson. We pushed him through the performing arts complex, which is set in an 80-foot glass canopy, and he was dazzled by all of the warm, white lights and then we hoisted him in the air to watch the drones light up the sky.
Visit Denver puts on a nightly drone show for the holidays.
(Brittany Anas)
Afterwards, we returned to our hotel and snapped some family holiday photos in The Curtis’ cheerful lobby. This time of year, there’s a Christmas tree on display, but year round the lobby is like a selfie studio with fun spots that make perfect photo opps, like a chairlift with an illuminated sunshine in the back, a vintage camper, and a pool themed area for remote workers, complete with lawn flamingos.
To round out the night, we retreated to our room with snacks (including dog treats) and snuggled up for a Christmas movie. Light shows, snuggles, and treats is a Christmas magic trifecta for our dog.