Have Yourself a Barking Mad Holiday!

Episode 73 • 24th December 2025 • Barking Mad • BSM Partners

00:14

Dr. Stephanie Clark & Jordan Tyler

Happy holidays!

00:17

Jordan Tyler

Tis the season. We're here. We all love it, we all love Christmas, but we also know the holidays are stressful, right? Everybody always talks about how stressful it is. And there are a million blog posts, articles, podcasts, memes out there about how to manage holiday stress with pets or, you know, gift guides for your pet this year. So, we could certainly have a conversation like that on this podcast. It wouldn't be very off brand, but why not just kind of have some fun? So, we wanted to just get together today and have some holiday-themed animal fun.

00:58

Dr. Stephanie Clark

So, before you deck your in laws—I mean, halls… let's share some fun holiday-themed animal facts as we snuggle by the proverbial but hopefully real-life fire (not too close though), sipping hot chocolate and petting the dog or cat that's snuggled into your lap.

01:18

Dr. Stephanie Clark

Welcome to Barking Mad, a podcast by BSM Partners. We’re your hosts, Dr. Stephanie Clark—

01:25

Jordan Tyler

—and I’m Jordan Tyler.

01:28

Jordan Tyler

Somebody was talking the other day about how fireplaces, like, they're not putting fireplaces in modern, like home builds these days because, you know, the wonders of central air and heat. But man, do I love a good fireplace and how I feel that it's kind of sad that people don't get them anymore.

01:46

Dr. Stephanie Clark

Let me tell you. I always got to tell you a personal story. So, let me just tell you about my life. So, when the tundra came to the Midwest a couple weeks ago—

01:57

Jordan Tyler

Christmas early!

02:00

Dr. Stephanie Clark

—yeah, Christmas in Thanksgiving, we were having a white Thanksgiving. Our heat went out. Not a big deal. We have a fireplace, right? Except our fireplace is electric and like, it turns on, like, with a remote. And our lovely selves… the batteries were dead and we didn't have any spare batteries. So, our heat is out. We have a fireplace, no batteries, and we can't get to the store. So, we just stared at the fireplace and imagined us being warm. No, I should rewind that. My husband braved the cold and the blizzard and got the three AAA batteries that we needed.

02:47

Jordan Tyler

Jonathan saving Thanksgiving-Christmas, whatever that holiday was.

02:52

Dr. Stephanie Clark

One AAA battery at a time.

02:58

Jordan Tyler

Yeah. Yeah, I do miss the old fireplace. We had a fireplace in our last home and we don't have one here. But we are still continuing the tradition of wrapping all of our pets presents because—so growing up, we had a family dog who just absolutely loved unwrapping presents and he was really good at it. And so we would like, meticulously wrap all of his little toys and they would all be… kind of look like lumps of coal, right? Because it's just like this little stuffy in a bunch of paper and it's like, what could this possibly be. But he just had the best time just, like, getting in there. He would get so excited when we would hand him a present and he would get to just, like, go after the paper.

03:41

Jordan Tyler

And it was funny because he would go right for the toy. He would pull the toy out of the paper and then he'd be like, “Okay, that's me. I'm done.” And go off to a corner somewhere to enjoy said toy. And then all the paper on the ground afterward became cat toys. And so it's just, like, fun for the whole family, truly.

04:00

Dr. Stephanie Clark

So, what I'm gleaning from this story is your cat didn't get any Santa gifts? No, just kidding. I love it, though, because that's what we always did. So pre-kids, imagine us, we have this family tradition where we make our own stockings. My mom did it when she was pregnant with each one of us, my brother, my sister and I. And we have just carried on that tradition. So, I actually stitched together, sequenced up a super pretty dog stocking, and Jonathan and I had to fill it every year and—again, pre-kids so we had lots of time on our hands—I look back and I'm like, what did I do with my life? But we would literally, like, take pictures and, like, film them, like, opening up their stocking.

04:48

Jordan Tyler

Yeah, yeah. For the keepsake, right?

04:52

Dr. Stephanie Clark

And now I look back on it and, I don’t know, I just… Now I have them in my phone forever. Of our dogs opening up all their toys from their stocking. But I'm like, not the stocking. Because I can't put that sequence back on. It’s too much.

05:06

Jordan Tyler

Well, ‘cause the dog doesn't know, right? He just sees something, you know, crinkly and glittery with really good stuff inside. And he's like, I get to take this whole thing, right? And you're like, actually, I want the bag back.

05:17

Dr. Stephanie Clark

So, prior to Barley, we had Gracie Lou Freebush, our original OG beagle. And for anyone, Ms. Congeniality, reference there, the name, it's not just some random words together. But she was like a true beagle, and like, she would sniff it out. So, like, we had to, like, really, like, put it up, put it aside. Because she would, like, just, like, sniff out all the treats and, like, start eating the bag of treats before we even opened it.

05:42

Jordan Tyler

For sure. Yeah, yeah, they're smart. They know. They know what they're here for. So, question. Did any of the stockings that you guys used to make as part of this family trend—tradition include, like, you know, like an outline or a silhouette or, like a face of a reindeer?

06:03

Dr. Stephanie Clark

So for those of you that know me, my stocking actually has a lot of animals, and a reindeer is definitely one of them. Because maybe reindeers and Santa kind of go with the holidays, right?

06:14

Jordan Tyler

I don't know. I don't know. Why would you think that?

06:16

Dr. Stephanie Clark

I don't know. Good ol’ what's his name? Randolph? Rudolph.

06:23

Jordan Tyler

Rudolph, that's it. Yeah. Yeah.

06:27

Dr. Stephanie Clark

I never knew how fascinating reindeers were. Like, they're always like this mystical, magical beast. And, yeah, they fly, but, like, do they really fly? Where do they come from? Are they even real? Is it kind of like a unicorn for Christmas time? So, I wanted to break down some really fun facts about reindeer. Can they fly? So, sadly, no, reindeer can't fly. However, they're very good swimmers. So Sisu, Datu, Raya—Disney—they swim like dragons!

07:2

Jordan Tyler

Hey, there you go.

07:04

Dr. Stephanie Clark

But they're also really fast, and so they can, quote, unquote, fly over the tundra. They actually run or gallop or I guess, prance. What do reindeer actually do? I mean, they're flying, right? Like…

07:18

Jordan Tyler

They're zoomin’.

07:20

Dr. Stephanie Clark

Right. They get the zoomies at 50 miles per hour, which is crazy. I mean, if you want to think about it, like, in terms of, like, when we're on a highway or when, as I was talking to my daughter today, interstates, you're going 50 miles per hour. A reindeer is going to be right next to you. And because they go so fast, they can cover 20 miles a day. But okay, you're like, okay, 20 miles. Like, we're maybe dropping the kids off at daycare and then coming back, or maybe dropping off, like, one gift. Sorry, Santa, can't do it. But their migration spans 3,000 miles.

07:55

Dr. Stephanie Clark

I don't know where they're going in this tundra, but they're moving places. And they actually have the longest migration of any land mammals… land animals? Land animals. I guess they're mammals up here.

08:07

Jordan Tyler

Lanimals!

08:10

Dr. Stephanie Clark

Lamimals. Mystical beings of laminals.

08:16

Jordan Tyler

Yeah, I think, like, I never knew any of that stuff about reindeer. And I think probably until I was old enough to be embarrassed to admit how old I was when I, like, finally realized that reindeer are totally real. Like, we didn't just make them up for Christmas. Like, they're real animals. They totally exist. I always just thought, I guess they were, like, part of the Christmas folklore, you know, and, like, the story of Santa and his reindeer. And then I was like, “Oh, right… these guys actually do live in the tundra.” But I know reindeer have some, like, interesting, like, interesting genetics.

08:53

Dr. Stephanie Clark

Yes. Yes. Oh, they are so fancy. So, like, back in the day when we could actually, like, put contacts in to change our eye color, I don't know why I just poke my eyes daily so I can see, let alone for fashion. Their eyes change colors. And I was like, why would their eyes change colors? So, I started doing a little bit of looking into this, and it makes sense. It totally makes sense. So, they live in the Arctic Circle, right? So, things are going to either be like, ahhh, super bright, or they're going to be dark. And so, their eyes change colors to allow different amounts of light in. So, in the summertime, they get real fancy with some gold. And that's so it can reflect the light, the harsh light. But in the wintertime, they turn to a cool blue because it gets dark and it needs to let in more light. So, thought that was super fancy. Crazy. I just thought it was for fashion. It's not. There is actually science behind it.

09:59

Jordan Tyler

Reindeer out here changing their eye color before it was even cool.

10:04

Dr. Stephanie Clark

They’re just over here. Don't mind me. She's going to get my gold eyes on for today.

10:08

Jordan Tyler

You're like, oh, you had to get these off Amazon. I came with these.

10:13

Dr. Stephanie Clark

Sorry. And I mean, again, they were fashion before fashion was even fashion. Changing eye colors. I mean, we're putting makeup on our face to, like, have the rosy cheeks and the rosy little nose that is supposed to be all cute.

10:28

Dr. Stephanie Clark

And so it got me thinking. Rudolph, he has this shiny, glowy nose. Okay, cool. It works in a blizzard, you can see. But, like, do reindeer actually have glowing red noses? And I dare I say, actual researchers did a study on this. Yeah, they did. And the answer is. Drum roll, please... Yes!

10:53

Dr. Stephanie Clark

Yeah, their nose can turn red, just like our nose. And it's because all of the blood vessels that are isolated and come together in the nose, and so it helps them thermoregulate. It helps them when, like, it's really cold. And so, I mean, is it, like, bright red? Like, you're in my Christmas sweater? Not really. They actually had a picture, which is really cool. But it's a cute little pink nose, and it's so adorable. So, who knew that if you and I were out in the winter long enough and the cold, we could actually lead Santa's sleigh with our cute little red nose.

11:28

Jordan Tyler

Oh, every little girl's dream!

11:33

Dr. Stephanie Clark

What is the girl version of Rudolph? Russeloph? I don't know.

11:39

Jordan Tyler

Rudolphia.

11:42

Dr. Stephanie Clark

There we go.

11:44

Jordan Tyler

Yeah. I had no idea that was a thing. And I was just doing like a quick search because I was like, no way. No way their noses actually turn red. Mostly because I was like, solidarity. Right. I just—my face gets red. I have rosacea. But also, like, in the winter, a girl is constantly blowing her nose and she's walking around like that little girl in the Puffs Kleenex commercial.

12:06

Dr. Stephanie Clark

Yes!

12:07

Jordan Tyler

And I'm like, okay. I'm basically like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. But I thought it was so cool to learn that it actually has, like, okay, like, scientifically, they have done this to adapt to the super cold climates that they live in. And I saw it must have been part of, like, some of this research. But I saw like a... It was like a heat map of a reindeer. And it was like, showing where all of its, like, body heat, like, is. And it was just like his little snoot was all lit up ‘cause it's all warm in there.

12:36

Dr. Stephanie Clark

I mean, like, normal spots like armpits, groin area, nose. We're protecting vital parts of the body.

12:45

Jordan Tyler

Absolutely. So, yeah, the more, you know, Rudolph really could have had a red nose. And all of his brothers probably did, too. And sisters, sorry.

12:54

Dr. Stephanie Clark

Theirs just wasn't as bright.

12:57

Jordan Tyler

Yeah. Rudolph just was really, really warm. Particularly warm.

13:02

Dr. Stephanie Clark

Those are my fun facts about reindeer. But reindeer aren't the only cool winter animals.

13:08

Jordan Tyler

No.

13:09

Dr. Stephanie Clark

So, take it away with some arctic animals.

13:11

Jordan Tyler

Yeah. As were kind of thinking about, like, animals that are associated with, like, Christmas, holiday times. Reindeer, obviously. But there are other animals that, like, adapt the way that they look and the way that they behave in order to, like, you know, quote, unquote, winterize themselves. So, like, they have this kind of like, built in, like, winter coat or, like, winter gear that helps them get around and, like, be safe and shelter and all these great things in the winter. So, a really good example is the arctic fox. So usually the arctic fox is like a brown, like, earthy tones. Right. And that's for camouflage. So, it helps them blend in when there's not snow all over the ground and it's more earthy.

13:55

Jordan Tyler

But then when it starts to snow, when the weather starts to turn, they'll actually like their whole coat will change and become this like arctic white, like this pure white. And it's so that they can continue to camouflage. I also read that snow is a really good insulator. So, like a lot of animals that like live in like arctic climates or colder climates will use snow as like their shelter. Because like, I guess if you can fortify your own body and then like, you know, dig a nice hole in the snow, it can actually be pretty warm in there.

14:31

Dr. Stephanie Clark

I was reading that and I was like, there's no way that cold can keep you warm. But yeah, I guess when we think about igloos.

14:38

Jordan Tyler

Yeah.

14:39

Dr. Stephanie Clark

Somehow people survive in them. I get really cold. So I don't. I don't know. I mean, I am also, I think I'm along like the bears of like hibernation or like maybe even like some of like the marine mammals of like the blubber maybe that's more me.

14:55

Jordan Tyler

The blubber thing too. Yeah, like just super dense layers of fat to insulate against such cold temperatures. That does sound really frickin’ nice. That sounds like a nice winter coat.

15:07

Dr. Stephanie Clark

That's why we eat so much on the holidays, ‘cause we're just insulating.

15:10

Jordan Tyler

Yeah, yeah, 100%. But yeah, to your point, like bears, that's why bears hibernate over the winter. They eat as much as they possibly can to hold themselves off and then they find a nice little den and crawl in there and they just sleep for the whole winter. And that's so that they can conserve energy, their metabolism slows down, and bears aren't the only animal that hibernate. But they're a really good example of how the animal kingdom, like certain species in the animal kingdom, they just know these things. They know that's what they need to do to live another year. And it's just like part of their behavior. So, super fascinating. I think it's cool, like, and just speaks to like, animals are so resilient.

15:51

Dr. Stephanie Clark

Yeah, and speaking to the resilience, let's talk about dogs and their double coats. So, we know that animals have double coats. And taking this back to some of our domestic partners, dogs have a double coat. So, they have an outer layer. It can help repel like water. It can actually keep dirt. And you're like, why would you want to keep dirt out? And it's just so like bacteria and everything doesn't get close to the skin. So, it's that really rough coat. But under there they have what's called an undercoat. And this is different. It's kind of more soft. And what it can do is it can really insulate the dog. So, sometimes we see, for instance, like, huskies out in the snow, and we're like, “Oh, those poor dogs must be freezing. How dare them let those huskies out.”

16:41

Dr. Stephanie Clark

But really, they've got more insulation and fur than we could ever dream of in a coat. But at the same time, we think, “Oh, no, those poor huskies out in the summer,” right? Especially, like in the Midwest. Like, seasons happen and it gets super cold and it can get super hot. But that undercoat actually can trap pockets of air to keep the animal cool. So, it always begs the question, do we shave these dogs in the summer? And the verdict is, please don't. Don't shave them like a lion. Don't shave their undercoat. Shame. Shame. No, just kidding. But it's—yes, it may feel counterintuitive to have a double coat in the summer, but because it can trap in the cooler air and cool them off, it actually works.

17:34

Dr. Stephanie Clark

I'm not saying that your husky, or anyone, or me for that matter, isn't going to be sweating when it's a thousand degrees out in the Midwest, but it actually isn't just trapping in that heat, too.

17:45

Jordan Tyler

But, yeah, anybody with a husky will tell you, like, it's hard to get those dogs to come inside in the winter. Cause that's just like, they thrive in that. That's what their bodies are built for. And so, I think people, like, will try to, you know, “Oh, they must be cold. You know, we’ve got to put a sweater on the dog.” Or, like, in the summer, “Oh, they must be hot because of that double coat. Like, let's shave them to do something about it.” But, like, dogs are actually really good and have evolved to be really good at regulating their own temperature using the tools at their disposal. Like, if they have a double coat. Panting is also a form of thermoregulation. So, they've got this. Don't go crazy with the clippers this summer. And your dog's just—

18:28

Dr. Stephanie Clark

Let your dog play in the snow if they want to.

18:31

Jordan Tyler

Yeah! Lenny loves the snow.

18:33

Dr. Stephanie Clark

But PSA about that—don't leave your dog in negative 100 and don't leave them out in 100. Like, there's common sense.

18:41

Jordan Tyler

Use discretion. Please use discretion. And I know. So, I'm going to backtrack just a second. I know what you might be hearing is, “Jordan, your dog really doesn't need a Christmas sweater.” And that might be true from a factual perspective, but have you seen him in a Christmas sweater because it's really cute, and he's 100% still going to be wearing a Christmas sweater. So, he might not need it. He might be totally fine without it. But, you know, Christmas sweater really never hurt anybody, so…

19:20

Dr. Stephanie Clark

So, I mean, guilty as charged. My dogs had winter coats when I was living in Rochester, Minnesota. Yes, the snow was, like, taller than me, and I have a little dachshund and a beagle, but I put their little winter coats on, and I was like, “Let's go outside.” Because, of course, like, it's snowy 9 months out of the year, 13 months out of the year. Who knows? It's snowing always. But I don't know. Did it help? Did it not help? But they sure look cute doing it, so…

19:50

Jordan Tyler

Yeah. Yep, it's really more about the aesthetic for me. I know he doesn't really need it, but, dang, does he look cute.

19:56

Dr. Stephanie Clark

He's got fashion.

19:57

Jordan Tyler

He is. He's fashion dog. He seems to be excited, too, when I pull it out. Because, like, I've had… I've had people be like, “Does he like wearing that?” Like, what do you, “How do you know you're not just, like, torturing him?” And I'm like, well, when I bring it out, he seems to get excited, and he lets me put it on without, you know, much of a fight. So, I'm going to just tell myself that he likes it as much as I like it.

20:22

Dr. Stephanie Clark

Yeah. And if he doesn't, I mean, we can always just sing him Christmas carols and pretend to be Jolly Holly.

20:30

Jordan Tyler

100%.

20:31

Dr. Stephanie Clark

So speaking of that, singing Christmas carols in case we're not warm enough in our Christmas sweaters and feeling the holiday joy by forcing our dogs to be as festive as we are. The twelve days of Christmas. Let's talk about this, because not only is this a ridiculously catchy in your head stock song, but it talks mostly about animals, Specifically birds. Right? Why in the world are we singing 12 days about birds? But hear me out.

21:05

Jordan Tyler

Stephanie has the tea.

21:07

Dr. Stephanie Clark

I do, and I have—I have consulted many historians on Google and have many possible hypotheses to be confirmed. I don't know. Let you be the judge of it. So, the first hypothesis was, it is food for feast. So again, going to reference Disney, because I—or I guess now Pixar… Disney? Pixar? Both. Unlike Bruce in the Finding Nemo, birds are not pets, but they are actually food. And so, these birds are referenced to the Tudor Christmas pies where they, like, layered different bird species to make a dish. And I thought, “Well, that's really weird.” But then I thought, turducken, right? We do the exact same thing. And like when we eat a turducken for Christmas, like again, we're all about being fancy today. So, maybe all of these birds were just in relation to this is going to be our Christmas dinner and we're so fancy. Maybe, maybe not.

22:13

Dr. Stephanie Clark

If we wanted to take a maybe more traditional Christian approach, we can be sneaky-sneaky and kind of like a prohibition with a Christian twist is what I like to think of it as. And the second hypothesis was this was a way for the English Catholic to teach about their faith in a time where they could be persecuted for talking about their faith. And I got really down this rabbit hole. So, each gift represents a religious concept. I will give a hole to this or a limitation to this hypothesis; they don't do all the 12 days, but they do like nine out of 12.

22:55

Dr. Stephanie Clark

So, like they get an A for effort, with like a partridge and a pear tree equaling Jesus. Where like two turtle doves equals the Old and the New testament. Or like 10 lords a leaping is for the 10 commandments. So yeah, maybe not. But wanted to take a TO in this and go on a little partridge in a pear tree tangent. Because what is a partridge? Do we even have them? So, I got to digging into what is a partridge and are they even in a pear tree? Do they even like pears? I like pears, but just the partridge. So, to the basics, they are medium sized ground birds. And I was like, what in the world is a ground bird? That basically means they're not flying. So, is a partridge in a pear tree? Not unless you put them in there. Don't put them in there because they can't get out either.

23:58

Jordan Tyler

Who put this partridge in a pear tree? He's stuck in there.

24:03

Dr. Stephanie Clark

That's like animal cruelty, right? Like, their nests are on the ground. Yeah, I guess wild chickens, but they're only native to Europe, Asia, Africa, and then they were finally introduced to U.S. So maybe they're the fancy birds of the ground, maybe they're the fancier versions of chickens. Either way, don't do it. Don't put them in a tree. But then of course, like referencing back to our Halloween episode where we talked about symbolism, a partridge can be symbolized as Christ's sacrifice and protection to Christian tradition. And so, dare I say that the partridge, the medium sized brown ground bird in his famous role is the 12 Days of Christmas. So, like, number one, he's a celeb. Welcome to the world, partridge. Welcome to the U.S., where anyone can be a celebrity. But second, like, completely different symbolism.

25:11

Dr. Stephanie Clark

And again, referencing back to the Halloween episode, we've seen this. It can also symbolize hunting, lust, and a divine warning. So… bird, you dangerous. Maybe you deserve to be in a tree if you're going to be a bad symbol. No, just kidding.

25:31

Jordan Tyler

Full of lust. Go sit in a pear tree.

25:34

Dr. Stephanie Clark

You deserve to tree. Sit in the tree and think about what you have done, you lustful bird.

25:42

So anyway, reeling it back in from my tangent, number three, the third hypothesis, for again, we're talking about the 12 days of Christmas, in case we're still tracking. Church bells are ringing. This is, the theory is around it's wedding gifts of a suitor. So, back in the day when you wanted to marry some lady in the town who you thought was fancy, you would give a gift and usually that gift considered some sort of animal, right? Like, I'll trade your daughter for a cow.

26:17

Dr. Stephanie Clark

However, as the 12 Days of Christmas keep going on and on, the gifts get more and more luxurious. And so, the suitor is really trying to, like, win this lady over. Like, if a partridge in a tree didn't do it for you. How about 10 lords of leaping? Swooned, right?

26:41

Jordan Tyler

Hilarious. Yeah, yeah, I can see that.

26:45

Dr. Stephanie Clark

And then just reeling it in, just. Just rounding it out with hypothesis number four. And we are making this way harder than it has to be. It's just a song to help children memorize things. It's repetitive, it rhymes. You're welcome, kids. Like, that is like the epitome of, like, how to design a lesson in school.

27:08

Jordan Tyler

100%. It also is a brain worm if I've ever heard one. Because once you hear that song, there is no getting it out of your head for at least the rest of the day. And if you can do that, tell me your secrets, because I am… It's in there. It's deep in there.

27:23

Dr. Stephanie Clark

Who would have guessed? 12 Days of Christmas is a nursery rhyme. We all just didn't know.

27:29

Jordan Tyler

So, 12 days of Christmas. I never heard about the link to the Bible. I thought that was really fascinating and it makes a lot of sense, like historically and like all of that. But it also kind of made me think of other Christmas songs that talk about animals and like, we would be remiss to not talk about the Hippopotamuses song: “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas.”

27:56

Dr. Stephanie Clark

Yes.

27:57

Jordan Tyler

It's got to be one of the most iconic Christmas songs. Just because… what, like—

28:04

Dr. Stephanie Clark

And if you don't know it and listen to Christmas music…

28:09

Jordan Tyler

If you haven't heard it, you might actually live under a rock. But yeah, it's basically just this little girl who's talking about how she wants a hippopotamus for Christmas and… why, how, why?

28:24

Dr. Stephanie Clark

This is what happens when you let 10-year-olds write songs. I can for sure see Esther doing this when she's 10. The amount of songs she makes up now at almost 5, she's for sure… I don't know if she's going to be able to hit those notes that Gayla does, but…

28:44

Jordan Tyler

But she might be the next Gayla Peevey.

28:47

Dr. Stephanie Clark

Leave it to her long enough, I'm sure she'll create something.

28:52

Jordan Tyler

But I thought it was interesting. So, we noted this. Actually. You noted this. And I'm just gonna read it.

28:56

Dr. Stephanie Clark

Read it, girl.

28:57

Jordan Tyler

…Pretend like… Anyway, that the extra S's, you know, “Hippopotamuses… and hippopotamuses like me too.” She added those in like unbeknownst to like the recording studio or like her parents or like the people that actually like helped her produce the song. It was just like an off the cuff thing, and it's totally made it like such a famous Christmas song. It's kind of ingenious. And we also put down she actually did receive a pygmy hippo for Christmas?

29:36

Dr. Stephanie Clark

Mathilda.

29:38

Jordan Tyler

Which again… Mathilda?

29:40

Dr. Stephanie Clark

Mhm. That's the name of the hippo. The pygmy hippo that she got for Christmas. His name is Mathilda.

29:46

Jordan Tyler

Again, why? But she ended up having to return it to a zoo because the zoo didn't have a hippo. And really the hippo belongs in the zoo. Let's be real.

29:57

Dr. Stephanie Clark

So, is there a Santa, Charlie Brown? I'm not sure. No, just kidding. The gift that gets taken back.

30:08

Dr. Stephanie Clark

But I thought it was awesome. Like, they really rallied around after she had changed the song, like literally walked into the recording studio, decided, I'm not feeling it today. I'm gonna jazz it up, change the S's Changed a couple of other lyrics. Clearly the recording label didn't just, like, mute her there. And then the town felt really sorry, and they were like, you know what? We're gonna raise funds and we're gonna get you a hippo for Christmas, because.

30:34

Jordan Tyler

That's what we should be fundraising for... Sorry, Gayla.

30:39

Dr. Stephanie Clark

Listen here, Hallmark. If you don't have a story about this yet, this is your next Christmas story. I mean, yeah, we can have, like, a city guy and a farmer guy, and who's going to donate the hippo that will make it feel more Hallmark-y? But we literally have the basis of.

30:58

Jordan Tyler

Is… it's a movie. It's already a movie. It writes itself. So, I thought that was interesting. But we also pulled some hippo facts just because this is a pet podcast, this is animal podcast. So, like, yes, while it is absolutely ludicrous to ask for a hippo for Christmas and also to receive one and then have to donate it back to the zoo.

31:20

Dr. Stephanie Clark

The whole thing is crazy.

31:22

Jordan Tyler

Like, reasons why you wouldn't actually want a hippo for Christmas: they're actually, like, kind of aggressive. Like, can be dangerous animals. They're huge, first of all. But they have a stronger bite than a lion’s, so like, that's pretty up there. They're semi aquatic animals, so they're related to whales, but they, like the term is they gallop underwater. They don't actually, like, swim in the conventional sense. They just kind of, you know, do their best.

31:53

Dr. Stephanie Clark

So what you're telling me is we ever cross an aggressive hippo because we have come into its territory, go to deep water because he can't get you?

32:04

Jordan Tyler

That may or may not work for you. Let us know.

32:08

Dr. Stephanie Clark

No, I don't think that would work because I think they can hold their breath for like, five minutes or something like that. So, as they're galloping under the water, they're getting you.

32:15

Jordan Tyler

Yeah, yeah, true. Best to just avoid. If you see a hippo in the wild, just don't. Just don't, you know…

32:21

Dr. Stephanie Clark

If you see a hippo in the wild, where are you?

32:23

Jordan Tyler

Yeah, also that. But a couple fun facts about hippos. So, they actually produce their own sunscreen, quote, unquote. It's this pink, oily substance that helps to keep them, like, moisturized and also protected from UV rays. And diving deeper into the pink hippo lore, they actually produce bright pink milk.

32:49

Dr. Stephanie Clark

So, like, what you're saying is they are the OG mean girls because they're wearing pink? Not just on Wednesdays?

32:57

Jordan Tyler

Every day. Everyday they’re wearing pink.

33:02

Dr. Stephanie Clark

I just think it's interesting that it's bright pink, right? Like, yeah, I mean, I've seen green and blue and white and yellow milk, but never pink.

33:10

Jordan Tyler

Yeah. Which is kind of a bummer because, like, it seems like the most fun color. Okay, so I feel like we've gone through a lot of animal, wild-animal holiday-themed lore. We've talked a little bit about dogs and why they're special, you know, winterizing themselves and then de winterizing themselves based on what they need from a temperature standpoint. But let's talk a little bit about cats. I'm going to skip over the Yule cat thing for now and we can maybe come back to it in the essence of time.

33:42

Dr. Stephanie Clark

No, we have to talk about it. No, no, we can wrap this. We can wrap Yule cat up in a minute.

33:50

Jordan Tyler

All right, all right. So, to kick us, to kick the cat—the Yuletide cat off. As I was looking up, you know, there are some fun traditions, especially in, like, Nordic Europe where they, like, use animals as like, symbols for, you know, like statues or like, things they construct around the holidays. Look up the Gavle Goat—“gavel” goat perhaps is a better pronunciation of it—in Sweden. I'll let you find that one out on your own. But I wanted to talk a little bit about the Icelandic Yule cat, or the Jólakötturinn, how they say it in Icelandic.

34:29

Dr. Stephanie Clark

Yeah. Props to you for even attempting it. Clearly, I didn't even write it down because I was like, I don't feel like I can even spell this correctly… Copying it from Google.

34:41

Jordan Tyler

this poem that was written in: 1932

35:35

Dr. Stephanie Clark

I have some people in my life that I look, I am a gift giver. Like, I don't like to receive gifts. But I love giving gifts. Like, don't send me a link on YouTube—or YouTube, good Lord—on Amazon of like, what I need to buy your kids. Tell me what they like. And then my brain is just like, I'm going to get them something crazy. I'm going to get them this. They're going to love it. But if you do not show genuine excitement when you open my gift, I die on the inside. Like, literally just put me… put me six feet under. Maybe 18 feet, I don't know. So, you know what? This monstrous cat, she should eat people who are not grateful for gifts.

36:13

Jordan Tyler

We're taking a stand.

36:16

Dr. Stephanie Clark

Say thank you. ‘Cause you never know, the gift giver may get more joy out of giving gifts than receiving.

36:25

Jordan Tyler

Yeah, it is true. It goes both ways. It goes both ways. But yeah, I thought that was funny and kind of like a dark tale around, like this happy, cheery time. Like, there's also some darkness to it. And if you've heard of the tale of Krampus, which I think is a German thing, I'm not really sure. So, David Perez, who was on our Halloween special because he is, like, a Halloween aficionado, it's his favorite holiday and they go all out for it. He has replaced his skeleton hand candle holder that he had on his desk and all the Halloween decorations that he had pasted up across the office with a poster of Krampus that's just like sitting on his desk. And it's just like this demon Santa Claus and it's like the least cheerful thing I've ever seen. And he's like, yeah, it's Krampus.

37:28

Jordan Tyler

So anyway, go look up Krampus if you've not heard of it because it is also a dark twist on the usual cheery holiday type of folklore.

37:36

Dr. Stephanie Clark

So eat, drink, and for the love of the Yule cat, you better be merry and thankful.

37:43

Jordan Tyler

You better be merry.

37:47

Dr. Stephanie Clark

Yeah, now we can talk about cats. Regular cats.

37:50

Jordan Tyler

Yeah. I mean, Yule cat is a cat, but it's more of a fictional cat. But let's talk about, okay, real cats, our cats, and Christmas. Why do they love Christmas trees so much, is actually what I want to know.

38:02

Dr. Stephanie Clark

I mean, first off, who doesn't love Christmas trees, right?

38:04

Jordan Tyler

That's true.

38:06

Dr. Stephanie Clark

I mean, I gave birth to Buddy the Elf. I'm also Buddy the Elf. So, my daughter loves, loves Christmas. Like, and I don't think anyone could have loved Christmas season, like, more than me. Like, I am Buddy the Elf on steroids. She can. So, we got a new tree this year, literally after Thanksgiving. I was like, on Amazon, like looking at trees on Home Depot, and my husband, like calls me out on our way home from Thanksgiving, was like, “Are you looking up nine-foot Christmas trees?” And I was like, “No… I'm looking up eight-foot Christmas trees.”

38:43

Jordan Tyler

Big difference. Get it right.

38:46

Dr. Stephanie Clark

I decided to spoil ourselves and we got a huge Christmas tree. It's awesome. It's so great. So anyway, set it up. And my daughter literally came home from school and like, is crying, clutching her pearls and just saying, like, how beautiful this Christmas tree is. So, there's also—she sometimes pretends to be a cat and recognizes and identifies as a cat. So, maybe there's like some sort of cat love there. I did the same thing too when I was that age. So maybe again, I don't know.

39:17

Jordan Tyler

Takes after her mom.

39:20

Dr. Stephanie Clark

Buddy the Elf is slight cat. But Christmas trees and cats, they're just, they're a match made in kitty heaven. And it's because they're perfect for them. So perfect, they provide climbing, they provide hiding, they provide lots of fun because look at all the ornaments. They're shiny, they dangle, they move, they are asking to be batted. Like, you literally have set up a cat tree in tree form. So, cats can't help themselves. I can barely help myself. I mean, for the love, my daughter can't help herself. She has to hit the “I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” ornament that we have every morning.

40:04

Jordan Tyler

So, that's so cute though.

40:08

Dr. Stephanie Clark

She'll clutch her pearls and like, “Oh, it's just the most beautiful thing.” I'm like, if only anyone looked at me like half of like the enamor that you're looking at our Christmas tree… yeah.

40:18

Jordan Tyler

Don't forget to look at your partner the way Esther looks at Christmas trees this season, it will make them feel so loved.

40:25

Dr. Stephanie Clark

Clutch your metaphorical pearls for the love. So, can you really cat proof a tree? I mean, at the end of the day, cats do what cats do, right? Like honey badger don't care. Kitties don't care either. But I mean, you can try baby gates. You can try protecting the cord because we don't want to electrocute the kitty. And you can even secure the tree. You can even try and get some boring non breakable ornaments that don't dangle and don't shine. But at the end of the day, is anything really cat proof? Is anything really badger proof? No.

41:03

Jordan Tyler

It's so true. It's so true. I will say so. I don't know. Pro tip, rec, I don't know. But we used to have a tree skirt, and we would put, like, little fluff under it because one of our cats really just loved to sleep under the tree. Like, she wouldn't try to climb it or anything. The other cat would. That was her prerogative. But Neela's just, she just wants to snuggle under the tree. She just thinks that it's a really great nap spot. So, this year, Ron ordered a cat tunnel that, like, acts as a tree skirt. So, it goes all the way around the base of the tree. And. And they can get in there, and there's two entry points, so they can get in and out and be all sneaky about it. They are absolutely obsessed with it.

41:45

Jordan Tyler

Every time I've come home, one of them is running out of there to greet me. So, I know that they're in there throughout the day. But it has also, I think, helped us to mitigate some of that collateral damage because she's like, oh, this is. This is for me. So I don't need to, like, screw up all of your stuff that you did. Like, I'll just. I'll just sleep under here. It's been great.

42:09

Dr. Stephanie Clark

Please tell me you put this in the holiday gift guide that we're putting out.

42:14

Jordan Tyler

I think I was too late, but I will put it in the comment section for sure, because…

42:18

Dr. Stephanie Clark

I need to see a picture.

42:19

Jordan Tyler

…it's been a wonderful purchase. I'll send you one. I'll send you one.

42:21

Dr. Stephanie Clark

I mean, I don't have a cat, but Anny is old and crotchety at 15 years old, and she's beginning to sit under the Christmas tree to take naps. So, maybe she may like a tunnel. I don't know.

42:33

Jordan Tyler

Yeah, I bet she would like, because she likes to, like, hide around, too. So, she might like a little hiding spot.

42:40

Dr. Stephanie Clark

Yeah, I think so, definitely. But let's talk about other cozy, cuddly, warm, snuggly-buggly things.

42:49

Jordan Tyler

Yeah.

42:50

Dr. Stephanie Clark

And I'm going to Hooked-on-Phonics this, and I'm probably going to butcher it. So, you can definitely correct me the term… Hygge. Hoo-gah?

43:03

Jordan Tyler

Yeah, it looks like hygge, but yeah, I think it's pronounced “hoo-gah.”

43:08

Dr. Stephanie Clark

Okay. I was like, my Hooked on Phonics is failing me right now, but maybe…

43:13

Jordan Tyler

I mean, it is in, like, Norwegian. So, like, you get a free pass.

43:17

Dr. Stephanie Clark

I don't even know how to do a Norwegian accent to like really like understand… Anyway, the word hygge… Ah-ooo-gah! I'm sorry it had to come.

43:30

Jordan Tyler

Intrusive thought.

43:33

Dr. Stephanie Clark

it just like. So anyway, the science behind cozy and snuggly and I am like total TMI. I love to snuggle. I have a weighted blanket. My dogs must snuggle me. I must snuggle. I finally have a daughter that likes to snuggle and it is like I could live a thousand years just snuggling my daughter. So anyway, a Danish and Norwegian term, this hygge that doesn't really relate to any English term that we have, which totally makes sense because I'm finding more and more that we don't like to snuggle. I am an oddity, but it's used to describe a mood of coziness. I'm like, I'm even like doing like warm, cozy like snuggles as I'm talking about it. Because I'm like, yes, but fun fact though, like Denmark is ranked among the happiest countries in the world.

44:32

Dr. Stephanie Clark

And it's because this hygge is a way of life. And maybe that's why I'm like not very like combative or maybe like so passive just because like at the end of the night I just like to snuggle and I'm just. I don't know. I don't know.

44:48

Jordan Tyler

Yeah, it's the science and the psychology of what it means to be cozy. Like there is totally something there.

44:53

Dr. Stephanie Clark

So, let's break down some science real fast. It involves like our sensory, like we are triggering psychological, biological, like it activates our brain's relaxation response. So, the exact same thing as like when you get stressed out and you need that hug and that pressure like against your chest and it just relaxes you. Most people, maybe not everybody, but then there's something wrong with you. But it reduces stress and it promotes feeling of this like safe and well-being and safe and good well-being. People are nice. Like you don't feel safe and you don't feel like warm and cozy and happy and like need to like tear somebody down.

45:38

Jordan Tyler

Yeah, it's a full body experience. I love that. I think that there like the psychology behind coziness and like safety is so interesting. And I love that like, I think that's why like subconsciously we all get a little bit excited around the holidays because we know we're about to enter this season of like slowing down and you know, cozying up and just being a little less go-go-go and more just like, okay, let's just, like, relax for a second.

46:10

Dr. Stephanie Clark

Let's turn on the fire. Let's get some hot cocoa, maybe read a murder mystery book or watch a Hallmark movie. Whatever floats your boat.

46:22

Jordan Tyler

Yeah, 100%. And it also, like, so, you know, like, your dog curls up like a cinnamon roll before going to bed. Your cat probably does the same thing. I don't know. Ferrets probably do that. There are probably other animals that do that, but that's like, they do that because it helps them to feel safe from a survival instinct perspective. It makes sure that their vital organs are protected during their most vulnerable times while they're sleeping. But also, it makes them feel less anxious about their surroundings. And so if you got a cinnamon roll on the couch next to you right now, that guy feels really safe around you, and he's. He's living the best life.

47:02

Dr. Stephanie Clark

But let's talk about cats, though. Cats and their cinnamon rolls, because they come in boxes. You can get a box of cat cinnamon rolls.

47:11

Jordan Tyler

A baker's dozen.

47:15

Dr. Stephanie Clark

I think my husband may kill me if I come home with a baker's dozen of cats.

47:21

Jordan Tyler

I think mine would, too. And he really likes cats.

47:23

Dr. Stephanie Clark

So Jonathan is deathly allergic. Yeah.

47:27

Jordan Tyler

He might actually die.

47:27

Dr. Stephanie Clark

It will give the gift of keep on giving.

47:30

Jordan Tyler

Give the gift of cardiac arrest this Christmas.

47:36

Dr. Stephanie Clark

So do you want to wrap up? And let's bring some science behind why cats like cardboard. I almost called it catboard.

47:42

Jordan Tyler

I mean, you wouldn't be too far off because, like, seriously, what is. What is up with that?

47:48

Dr. Stephanie Clark

It's like, why do you even give your cat a gift? Just give them the box.

47:53

Jordan Tyler

Literally. Or like, cat toys. Why would I spend my money on cat toys when they'll play with all my hair ties that are significantly cheaper?

48:02

Dr. Stephanie Clark

Brands, we're calling to you. Hair ties. Boxes. You'll make a fortune. Just market it with a cat face on it. And you're good. You're solid.

49:11

Jordan Tyler

100%.

48:13

Dr. Stephanie Clark

I'm trying to remember there was a brand that actually had their shipping box, and you could turn it into a cat house.

48:21

Jordan Tyler

So smart.

48:22

Dr. Stephanie Clark

We didn't have any cats, so we didn't do it, but I was like, that's a fabulous idea. And it's because cardboard is such a good insulator. And so, our little snuggly warm cinnamon roll donuts that we love so much, if they go inside that box, their heat is going to be trapped in, and it's just like this, like, perpetual warm, toasty box. Everyone likes when their cinnamon rolls are kept on warm. Cats do, too.

48:50

Jordan Tyler

Wrapping it up like a present. Wrapping it up like a dog toy. Shorter, yes—dare we say less predictable than a Christmas Hallmark movie—but we hope that you enjoyed this holiday special, some fun facts about all things seasonally furry and furry year-round, red-nosed and the like.

49:13

Dr. Stephanie Clark

So, whether you are the Grinch or Buddy the Elf, solidarity. The holiday season is upon us and life can beautifully stressful. But in the midst of rage wrapping, take a beat because you deserve it.

49:29

Jordan Tyler

You do. You do, trust us. From the Barking Mad family to you and yours, may your Christmas and holiday season be merry and bright, and full of pets.

49:41

Dr. Stephanie Clark

Watch out for the Yule Cat. Meow! Thank you for tuning in just to another episode of Barking Mad. If you want to learn more about BSM Partners, please visit us at www.bsmpartners.net. Don't forget to subscribe on your favorite leading podcast platform or share it with a friend to stay current on the latest pet industry trends and conversations.

50:05

Jordan Tyler

We'd also like to thank our dedicated team: Ada-Miette Thomas, Neeley Bowden, Kait Wright, Cady Wolfe and Dr. Katy Miller. A special shout out to Lee Ann Hagerty and Michael Johnson in support of this episode and to David Perez for our original music in the intro and outro. See you next time!

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