“Dog Gift Buying Guide”

Hello, Sit, Stay, & Bloggers!  In light of the holiday season, please enjoy this gift buying guide of Pinella’s favorite items for those of you doing any last minute holiday shopping, for your pet’s upcoming birthday, or just to provide a fun and special surprise to your four-legged friends! 🙂 

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TOYS:

Benebones:  Pinella’s personal favorite, Benebone offers three different types of chew toys, Wishbone, Dental Chew, and Pawplexer.  They are long-lasting and especially great for pups of all sizes who are avid chewers!  They come in bacon, peanut, and chicken flavors and are sold at various retail stores.

Kong Toys:  Kong rubber toys have been a game-changer for Pinella, especially those that can be filled and frozen with Xylitol-free peanut butter, organic pumpkin, or treats!  Doing so has actually helped with her separation anxiety too.  Instead of whimpering and crying about me leaving, she now gets excited as she anticipates the Kong toy stuffed with her favorites! 

Omega Paw Tricky Treat Ball:   Offered in small, medium, and large, this toy is designed to keep your pet occupied and entertained.  After loading it with treats, they are dispensed as your pet pushes the ball across the floor!  Shh…nobody tell Pinella that this is one of her holiday gifts! 😉

Buster Food Cube:  I recently stumbled across this toy as I was pursuing Amazon.  Much like the Omega Paw Tricky Treat Ball, this toy is designed to keep your pet mentally engaged as they roll the ball around in an effort to dispense treats!   

Nylabone:  Nylabone offers various toy options for pets, large and small, in the forms of toys, chews, treats, and dental chews!  

Soft Squeaky Toys:  For the more gentle pets like Pinella, squeaky toys are an inexpensive gift option.  Not to mention, they are often irresistibly adorable, and your pet will love them too! (Be sure to throw out any toys that have been ripped as the stuffing can cause intestinal blockage!) 

Tug Toys:  For Pinella, these toys initially had more meaning to them than just being a fun object to tug on!  While in training to be a service dog, they served an essential purpose to teach her how to tug on items so that she could later learn to open doors, drawers, etc. for her future partner, if needed!

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Treats:

Marrow Bones:  Marrow bones are often sold in your local grocer’s deli.  Most often, they come with the marrow encasing the bone.  Be wary, however, puppies (under the age of 6months-1 year) should not eat the marrow off as it can cause a stomachache.  Also, avoid boiling the marrow off as it can make the bone more susceptible to splinter! (Marrow bones are NOT the same as rawhide bones…Word of caution:  Avoid rawhide bones as they are unsafe for pets!)

Bullysticks:  From small to extra large dogs, bully sticks are a tasty, relatively long-lasting treat.  Be on the lookout for all-natural bully sticks from grass-fed bulls.  FDA/USDA approval is an additional bonus! 

Dog Food:  It may not seem like an exciting treat, but kibble from your dog’s normal food can serve as an alternative low calorie treat, especially when training your furry friend! 

Miscellaneous Treats:   Some of Pinella’s favorites include carrots, watermelon, apple slices, bananas in moderation, cantaloupe, strawberries in moderation, and oranges (Comment below if you want to hear a funny story about the first time I fed Pinella oranges!). With all of these treats, be sure to take out any seeds before feeding to your dog!

Remember:  It is always recommended that your pet be supervised when enjoying toys, treats, etc. such as the aforementioned!  🙂

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Miscellaneous:

Does your pet already have their fair share of toys and treats?  Read below for some more creative gift ideas! 

• Collars:  Personalized collars complete with their name, owner’s name, and/or owner’s contact information make great gifts! 
• Leashes:  A new, stylish leash to match their personalized collar because…why not? 
• Microchip:  Having your pet micro-chipped is a great way to increase the likelihood that your pet will be reconnected with you should little Fido ever run away! 
• Water and Food Bowls:  Treat your pet to new food and water bowls!  At the very least, be sure to clean their existing ones weekly to avoid buildup of bacteria!   
• Photos:  Get photos of your pet to create a scrapbook, photo album, or to hang their portraits on the wall! 
• Bedding:  Sometimes a new pet bed can make all the difference in your pet’s sleep!  Pinella just got a new orthopedic bed and hasn’t “barked out” any complaints! 
• Books:  Treat yourself, the dog owner, to a new book about dog behavior, dog language, and/or the significance of the human-animal bond!  Some of my personal favorites are Temple Grandin’s Animals in Translation as well as Alexandra Horowitz’s Being a Dog and Inside of a Dog:  What Dogs See, Smell, and Know. 
• Training Classes:  Training your pet is not only fun and rewarding, but it also makes for a well-behaved pup!
• Vet checkup:  Although it might not be fun for Fido, you can help to ensure your pet’s health and wellness via a checkup at the vet!

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As always, thanks for reading!  If you have any other suggestions for safe, pet-friendly treats, toys, and fun gift ideas, I invite you to leave them in the comment section below! 🙂

Wishing you and yours a happy, healthy, and safe “pawliday!”
-T.