Christmas Gifts for the Dog and the Dog Lover

Are you struggling to find a gift for your best friend?  Our gift-giving guide can help you find the perfect gift for the dog who has everything, as well as for the dog-lovers on your list.

Kong Dog Toys

The new Kong toys out this year are called “Tugger Knots“.   They are really cute tug toys that have heavy rope loops at each end, and a cute animal in the middle.  Inside the animal is a twisted, knotted portion of the ropes which gives the toy strength and gives your dog a variety of shapes to gnaw on.  Tugger Knots come in four fun characters – Green Frog, Golden Lion, Purple Monkey and Chocolate Moose – and two sizes, Small/Medium, recommended for dogs under 20 pounds, and Medium/Large, for dogs over 20 pounds.  I haven’t tried these out yet, but they look like a ton of fun!

Now you know the Kong toy I’m in love with is the Wobbler, which is filled with food or treats, and your dog has to work to get them to come out of the small hole on the side.  Cooper plays with his for hours on end – even tries to chew through the thick, impenetrable plastic.

Dog Chew Toys

Another toy meant to give your dog hours of chewing fun is the Bottle Buddy from UPCO.   Recycled water bottles are covered in plush, allowing your dog to hear the bottle crunch and crackle without any danger of sharp torn edges cutting up his mouth.  Bottle Buddies are normally available as a cow, a dog, a pig, or a sheep.  But for the holidays, you can also get a Santa or a Reindeer.

Betsy and Norman at the Best Friends General Store have several top picks for your dog.  Betsy is partial to squeaky plush toys like the Squeak and Rattle Snowman and the Reindeer Toys Dog Puzzle.    The puzzle is a sack containing two squeaky balls.  Your dog must untie the sack to get to the balls.

Norman likes his balls (hmmm…maybe I could have said that differently) whether they are in a puzzle bag or they are the Babbling, Singing, and Talking Babble Ball.   Babble balls babble (say that three times fast!) when they are moved, so every time your dog touches the ball, it sounds off.  The holiday version plays ten different sounds and jingles.

Dog Sweaters

If your dog is too dignified – or old – to be chasing toys through your house, you might be interested in a warm dog sweater from PetSmart.   With over 35 patterns to choose from, surely you can find one your dog likes.  Some of these cuddly sweaters are even designed by Martha Stewart!  I thought she kept busy cooking and decorating, but it turns out she’s quite the dog lover, too.

Dog Slippers

Want to keep warm while helping homeless animals?  Check out PetSmart’s Dog Head Slippers.   These slippers have a non-skid bottom and plush upper to keep your feet warm and cozy.  The toe-cap is made to look like a dog, with breeds including Yorkies, Labs, Dachshunds, Schnauzers, and Chihuahuas.  When you buy a pair, PetSmart donates 10% to help save homeless pets in the United States through their PetSmart Charities.

Edible Greeting Cards

Sending greetings to your dog friends near and far?  Check out Petco’s Crunchkins Holiday Crunch Card an edible rawhide card with a festive holiday design and greetings such as “Merry Christmas from Santa Paws!”.  Each card comes with a bright red envelope for mailing.

Dog Home Décor

Don’t forget to show the world who you love when you decorate your house for Christmas.  Dog Décor has Christmas wreath ornaments featuring your choice of eleven breeds of dog sticking their head through the center of the wreath.  They also carry an ornament that looks like a gift box with a puppy in it.  You can choose from 200 breeds for this one.

If you haven’t checked out Dog Stuff yet, it’s worth your while to pay them a visit.  Their highly customer-friendly site allows you to search for gifts by breed or by category (clothing, stationary, supplies, etc.) so it can really cut down on your surfing time and frustration.  They also give a portion of their profits to rescue organizations, with one featured each day on their site, or you can choose from a list to benefit a shelter in your home state.  My favorite thing on their site is the Miniature Snow Globe with a Beagle inside.   Of course, you can get other breeds, but who would want to?

Don’t forget to check out Calendars.com, where they have pages and pages of calendars featuring your best furry friend so your human friends will think of you all year long. You can search by breed name or AKC breed group to narrow down your choices.

Their sister site, Dog Breed Store features everything from clocks to clothing to towels to yard sign to mugs to special Monopoly games featuring your favorite breed.

Dog supplies

For the more practical dog lovers on your list, check out products like Greenies, the dog treat that freshens your dog’s breath and can even protect joint mobility;  Furminator,  the best de-shedding tool I’ve ever used; or even a gift card good for micro-chipping.  (You might have to do this as a hand-made gift card since the vet is usually the one who implants the chip.)

Is your dog a little tense?  You might need a Calming Collar.  I was sent a demo calming collar, but I haven’t had a chance to try it out yet.  I am fascinated by the idea, though.  The cloth-covered collar is filled with herbs meant to provide peace to nervous dogs.  They are said to help with separation anxiety, fear of thunderstorms and other bad weather, fireworks or other loud noises, and in most stressful situations like a trip to the groomer or to the vet.  They are even touted as the cure for motion sickness.

Donations to animal charities

And last but not least, if the dog-lover on your list already has everything he or she could want, consider donating to a charity in his or her honor.  Donate to the Humane Society, the ASPCA, or the local shelter or rescue of your choice.