Gift Ideas for Dogs

Dogs are our loyal and faithful companies all year round, so why not show them how much we care with some fun new goodies under the tree?

Deck the halls this year with the Orbee-Tuff Holiday Bulbs. This is a fantastic company, and I love all their dog toys. They are non-toxic, recyclable, smell great (mint!), FDA approved, rinse clean and the best part - they really are very tough. My family's doberman, Shadow, has the Orbee Green Bone, and its one of the few toys that she hasn't ripped to smithereens. These bulbs are 6" long, and they come with the optional Treat Spot for challenging your pets to get to the good stuff. They also have an adorable Christmas Mint if you want more holiday toys.

I bought the Kyjen Hide-A-Squirrel for Whiskey to have at the office this summer, and it was a huge hit. Not only are they adorable nestled into their tree stump, but dogs love to get them out. Whiskey can spend hours carrying them around and putting his head right in the stump to shake it around. You can really put any toys or treats in the stump and watch them go crazy. Its a great toy to keep dogs busy while you work. The only downside is that it isn't very durable. Within a couple of weeks he had the stuffing ripped out of 2 squirrels, but when I called the company they were happy to send replacements.

Is your dog always trying to attack flying snowballs? Then they will love the Orbee-Tuff Snowball. Made with the same durable minty material as the Holiday Bulbs, this is a fantastic toy. It makes big unpreditable bounces and has a great knobby texture. Whiskey has the Earth Ball from the same company and goes crazy for it. They are a little more expensive than most balls ($11), but its worth the money to have something durable and fun.

With the bitter winter just waiting around the corner, its a good idea to grab a nice warm coat for all those short coat pooches out there. Take a look at Etsy for lots of homemade jackets made to your dog's specifications. What I like about the jackets from Hoverfly is that the fabric is a windblocking, water resistant, breathable and stretchy fleece. The inside is soft and cosy, while the outside is more durable to block wind and rain. This is so important when you are walking through bitter conditions like we get here in Canada. The turtleneck collar is a nice touch to keep the warmth in, while still allowing you to put the leash through a small hole. Adjustable straps and leg tie downs keep the jacket snug against your dog's back, preventing wind and snow to sneak inbetween. Nothing is worse than snow down the back of your winter coat, right? And it comes with a blinking light to make it easy to see your dog on those long winter evening walks.

After all the excitement of the holidays, your dog would love a new bed to curl up in by the fire. Now days it is easy to find comfy and chic beds that also go with your decor. Nothing looks worse than a beautifully designed room with a giant pink and purple paw print dog bed in the middle. Again, there are an incredible number of handmade beds at Etsy that you can have custom made for your dog and decor. I'm really digging the duck canvas beds from Bow Wow Beds. They are made like an overlapped duvet cover, with no zippers or velcro to chew on, plus the material is really durable and comes in a variety of colours. That being said, my favorite part is the personalized stamping of your dog's name....just so that nobody else gets any ideas about who's bed it is.

Another thing to think about if you like going for evening walks, is a reflective leash and collar. Especially now that its winter and it gets dark so much earlier, its a safe way to make sure that both you and your dog are visible to drivers. Glow Dog has a variety of reflective accessories for both dogs and humans.

Are you traveling over the holidays? I highly recommend the Sherpa Original Deluxe Carrier for taking your dog on your trip. I have one for Whiskey for when I go on the train every week to visit my parents up north and its so much better than lugging around one of the old plastic carriers. It took him a little while to get used to it, but now he uses it like a home away from home. If its open, he'll go over and hop into it for a nap (he even puts his toys in it while I'm packing my suitcase...I kid you not). They aren't chep ($60-90), but if you plan to travel alot with your pet its a godsend. The carriers are no larger than a duffle bag, and have mesh on the sides for ventilation. In the winter I put a small fleece blanket inside for him to snuggle up in and block any wind.

I hope that this little list gives you some ideas to share the holiday cheer with your pets. I still haven't figured out what I'll give Whiskey...maybe Rogaine for Dogs?