In a nutshell: because they were BAD. They started out as good girls but then it all derailed!
They began the year loving each other. But then Lilly got jealous of Vivian because she created a new game called "Running Like a Crazy Girl". This involved when I got home, Vivian would run into the living room and then run at me and jump for me to pick her up. And I would because she's so tiny and cute. Lilly is cute but not tiny, so when she figured it out she would go maybe 10 inches from me and run 1 step to beat Vivian to me. I would pick her up and then Vivian would be jealous and go sulk. Then, it got to the point where they would greet me at the door, and then get into a fight with Vivian jumping on Lilly's back. Funny, but not appropriate!
Next, they began growling at each other: from opposite couches. So annoying when you're trying to listen to the TV! And this turned into Lilly attacking her sister just to be mean. That's what squirt bottles are for!
At some point Vivian decided she wanted to be pack leader and tried to bully ME. If she wanted a treat she would come to me, stand on her hind legs and push on my leg while verbally demanding a treat. That got old real fast!
But the piece de resistance (add your own accents) was their defiance if all 3 of us left the house and they were alone. I know they are needy and clingy and have abandonment issues. However, they started something new and a bit dangerous.
I was the first one home one day. They greeted me and we came into the living room. There, in the dog bed, was an opened package of dark chocolate M&Ms. Dark chocolate will kill dogs and mine are small! "Where did this come from???" I asked, like they were going to tell me. I snatched it up and threw it in the garbage. I also told them if they had eaten any: to pray to their God because Pumpkin used up all the emergency vet money. Thank God they were safe, although I had a sneaking suspicion that it was Lilly's doing and she was trying to kill her sister. Good thing there is no evidence that Vivian ate anything!
So over a few months we have come home to several unusual things in their bed. This includes a container of potato salad, marshmallows, popcorn, a strawberry Belvita biscuit, Hershey Kisses and other things that we had no idea where it came from. So we had to make sure everything was put away and there were no lunch bags left on the floor with leftover food.
However, the best (or worst) thing I came home to was a chef salad in the dog bed. No lie! The container was bigger than Vivian so I know she didn't put it there. Thank God it wasn't open. But that one was my fault: I had gotten it the night before, didn't finish it and had put it back in the to go bag by my dining room chair: forgetting to toss it away. But still: the dogs knew we didn't serve them salad!
So there you have it: the first year our pets got nothing for Christmas because I don't reward bad behavior. Maybe they can redeem themselves for next year and make it back onto the nice list.
