'Tis the season for Christmas trees, and many of us still have live trees - which necessitates watering them.

The water in the tree bowl is not good, and in some cases even poisonous, for our dogs.

So here's a tip to use: get out the old Elizabethan collar and put it to use. NOT on the dog. Put it around the bowl of water in the tree holder, placing the narrower neck part around the trunk and then the bigger sleeve over the water, kind of like the clear glass sneeze guard over the restaurant salad bar. And our fur kids can't get access (at least not without a good deal of grief).

Christy Bergeon