So here come the holidays (quickly, I know!), and you’re looking for some ideas on what to give that special dog lover in your life. We’re here to help: Read on for a tree’s worth of cool items that won’t get re-gifted or shelved in the back garage.
FOR THE PROUD PARENT:
Custom gear featuring their dog. You may be sick of seeing pictures of Bentley on Facebook everyday, but his people probably aren’t. You can get these pictures put onto mugs, t-shirts, tote bags, posters, calendars, magnets and more. (You can even snatch the pictures right off their dog-heavy Facebook feed.)
The quality of these custom-made items has increased a lot in the last few years, while the prices have also declined. No longer does one wash-cycle lead to a crumbling, peeling disaster. You can get this done at places like Costco, or online at sites like Cafe Press and Zazzle.
FOR THE FETCH LOVER
They may already have heard of the Chuck It, but if not, this tool will gets TONS of use with the ball-loving terriers, retrievers and herding dogs. It allows you to launch the ball like Andrelton Simmons, save your back by not bending over 762 times in one afternoon, and keep your hands clean from the slobber, dirt, debris and worse the balls will gather. A lot of fetch-lovers will already have these, but those who don’t will view you as an absolute genius for introducing them to it.
FOR THE TECH LOVER
The Whistle Activity Monitor. It tracks the dog’s activity, and a version with GPS-tracking capabilities is also in the works. (Requires a smart phone.)
FOR THE FRIEND WITH A BIG HEART
Many rescues sell merchandise these days to help support their cause. The stuff is often great quality, and it provides a fantastic conversational opener for the gift recipient. It’s also a little more exciting than receiving a note that says “a donation has been made in your name…”
Some cool rescue stores to check out:
New Rattitude, which does great work with rat terriers.
Angels Among Us, one of the largest all-breed rescues in the Southeast
Great Pyrenees Rescue of Atlanta (you can probably guess the breed focus based on the name)
FOR THOSE WHO LIKE FREQUENT SURPRISES
Bark Box sends a range of dog treats, toys and more to subscribers every month. They range from ‘awesome’ to ‘huh?’, but it’s fun to receive a new boutique collection each month.
FOR THE PLAYFUL AT HEART
It’s like Monopoly, but there are dogs. So it will be enjoyed by anyone who likes friendly competition. Or dogs.
And yes, you can get it tailored to certain breeds. Pug-opoly. Golden-opoly. Bulldog-opoly. Poodle-opoly. The list goes on for a while.
FOR THE BUDDING TRAINER
Designed by the late Dr. Sophia Yin, the Treat & Train enables treat dispersal at a distance (or even on a timer). A great tool for teaching dogs behaviors like settle, stay, relax calmly, and more.
BONUS STOCKING STUFFER
Like socks, guitar picks, and pens, one can never have too many clickers lying around (as they seem to magically disappear). Buy a bunch and hand them out.
So what’s your favorite dog gift you’ve given or received?
Coming next: book recommendations for the dog-loving reader.