We’re finishing our seventh year of full time house and pet sitting with this brand new doggy gift guide for dog lovers and their four-legged friends. We’ve put together a list of 60+ gift ideas, including the most innovative items we’ve discovered while dog sitting, our favourite picks for gifts this season, and our must-have practical items that we always recommend to our clients and friends with dogs! Whether you’re shopping for your dog, a dog owner or a dog lover (like us!) we have something for everyone, and for every budget.
Table of Contents
Dog clothes and accessories
Knitted Christmas jumper
Starting off with the cutest Christmas jumper for any breed or size of dog! This sweet knitted jumper comes in three different designs, so you can choose whether to get matching ones for your dogs or mix and match! It’s the perfect outfit for a fashionable, festive pawtrait together in front of the Christmas tree.
Spark Paws gingerbread pyjamas
For pooches that struggle to get out of bed even on Christmas Day, these cosy gingerbread patterned pyjamas are great for a more casual, cosy look. The same design is available for human pyjamas too, so you and your dogs can wear matching family jammies at Christmas!
Next Christmas pudding outfit
If your dog just LOVES to dress up, look no further than this adorable Christmas pudding costume. The accompanying hat will ensure your four-legged friend gets lots of belly rubs and ear scratches this Christmas – after all, who can say no to the cutie in this outfit!
Knitted scarf
If you struggle to get your dog’s ample fluff into jumpers, or they just aren’t happy wearing clothing, this sweet knitted scarf is a fabulous way to give them a festive accessory that won’t make them uncomfortable.
Adorable Pooch Co bow tie
For the more sophisticated pooch, this Christmassy bow tie features a traditional pattern to elevate your dog’s look this holiday season! Plus, the pattern is also available in a collar, lead and harness to complete the ensemble on walkies.
Human clothes and accessories
Set of 5 dog socks
If you don’t own at least one pair of dog-themed socks, do you even like dogs?! If not, this sweet set of five has you covered, showcasing a variety of breeds and colours for a fun way to show off your love of pooches. Bonus points if the recipient of this gift owns one of the breeds!
House of Dog Dachshund beanie hat
For anyone that’s Dachshund mad, this cosy knitted beanie has a subtle and stylish design and is perfect for chilly winter walkies with your sausage friends!.
Personalised pet portrait sweatshirt
While there’s an abundance of Dachshund, Greyhound and Labrador gifts on the market, sometimes it can be hard to find a doggy present for a dog owner or dog lover if their favourite breed is more obscure. That’s why this made-to-order pet portrait jumper is the perfect gift! Simply send your photo to the shop and they’ll stitch it into an intricate personalised design that your dog-loving recipient can wear with pride.
RSPCA hoodie
If you’re like us and you get easily distracted by dogs whenever you’re out and about, this hoodie from the RSPCA is a great way to let people know you’re dog-friendly, while supporting a dog charity! Suze received a jumper in this range for Christmas last year and it served as a good ice breaker to make friends with four-legged pals out on walkies all year!
Dog food and treats
Christmas can be a hectic and stressful time for your dogs as you rush around shopping, baking, cooking and preparing for a house full of guests. So, before we get to food for the big day, we have a few suggestions for little foodie items that would make sweet gifts to pamper your dog during this busy time and make them feel extra special in the run up to Christmas.
Dog By The Hob cookie kit
We LOVE the idea of baking these dog treats with your four-legged friend as your sous chef – just be careful they don’t snack on the ingredients before the biscuits make it to the oven! This festive set makes around 70 blackcurrant and apple flavoured oat biscuits, and includes a bone-shaped biscuit cutter so you can make your homemade dog treats look like they were bought in the shops!
Lily’s Kitchen advent calendar
Another way to space out giving your dog treats (in case your homemade biscuits are just too tempting to ration!) is with this advent calendar by Lily’s Kitchen. What makes this doggy advent calendar stand out to us is the variety of treats inside, with flavours like chicken and beef or turkey and cranberry. It’s a lovely way to give your dog a little reward for being a good boy or girl during advent, without overindulging.
Pooch & Mutt Ski-Sonal gift box
If you just can’t decide what to buy for your dog this Christmas, this beautiful winter skiing themed gift box from Pooch & Mutt is crammed full of a variety of tasty treats! From cheese fondue flavoured dental sticks, to the Christmas Dinner flavoured wet food for Christmas Day, your pooch will love the different festive flavours and snacks. This super affordable and well-presented gift box might just be one of our top picks for Christmas this year!
Pedigree stocking
For a traditional gift with a doggy twist, you can’t go wrong with a stocking that’s stuffed with tasty treats. This Pedigree stocking contains four different treats so you could share it between your fur babies… But they might prefer one each!
Forthglade Turkey wet food
While you’re rushing around preparing Christmas lunch for your human friends, why not get something special for your pooch too? This grain-free food from Forthglade contains 75% turkey and a whole host of healthy ingredients to take care of your dog’s gut, joints, skin and coat.
Lily’s Kitchen Three Bird Feast wet food
For a really indulgent Christmas meal, Lily’s Kitchen have a Three Bird Feast wet food containing turkey, goose and duck with all the trimmings! Your dog will love being included in the Christmas food festivities.
Lily’s Kitchen Turkey Jerky treats
It just wouldn’t be Christmas without a few treats! Once again, Lily’s Kitchen has you covered with these turkey jerky treats that can easily be ripped up to control portion size.
Scrumbles Turkey Cranberry Softies
Scrumbles have their own twist on a turkey flavoured treat, with added cranberries in these bite-sized biscuits that have a soft texture for little teeth to chew.
Pets at Home Christmas Tarts
For the Christmas traditionalist, Pets at Home offer dog-friendly mince pies that are intricately decorated with a holly leaf design, and contain pork fat for a mince pie treat that your dog can safely enjoy.
Pets at Home Pigs in Blankets
Pets at Home also have dog-friendly pigs in blankets for those times when your pup is eyeing up the food on the dinner table! These bite-sized treats contain chicken, duck and pork and have no added flavourings, colours or preservatives for a tasty snack your dog will love.
Deli Christmas Barkuterie Board
What better way to reward your dog for getting through all the Christmas chaos than with a calm festive treat. For the boujee poochie, we LOVE this Barkuterie board containing a selection of nibbles from duck fillets to Doggy Dodger biscuits.
WOOF&BREW Posh Pooch ‘wine’
Why not wash down those treats with a bowl or two of Posh Pooch ‘wine’! This gift box contains one Tailwagger Creek White and one Barker Bay Rose ‘wine’. Don’t worry – it’s alcohol-free and made with natural herbs for a novelty dog-friendly tipple.
Rosewood Christmas tree lickimat
If your dog is just not the barkuterie and wine type, then this simple Christmas tree design lickimat is a sweet, calm activity for them to relax with while you put your feet up. The mat comes with a cranberry and turkey flavoured paste that you simply spread on the mat and let your dog enjoy!
Human food and treats
Whether you’re buying for your dog-obsessed partner, your dog walker, or maybe a little something for yourself, here are our top picks for dog-themed food gifts for dog owners and dog lovers this year.
House of Dochester festive dog milk chocolates
We love this simple chocolate set from John Lewis featuring a variety of breeds on the wrappers. This one’s a good pick if you need a simple gift, and could be a great gift for a dog walker or pet sitter that cares for a lot of different dogs! The wrappers could even be saved and reused to make Christmas cards for next year, so nothing goes to waste.
Hotel Chocolat A Dozen Chocolate Dapper Dogs
Hotel Chocolat offer doggy-themed chocolates in this set of adorable round coins, featuring a sweet pooch face on each. We’ve previously been gifted this set and, trust us, they are so delicious they won’t be around for long!
Biscuiteers The Snowman biscuit set
If you’re looking for a gift that looks as good as it tastes, Biscuiteers make this set of four biscuits based on The Snowman. The biscuit Snowdog is almost too cute to eat… Almost!
Honeywell Bakes Christmas Dogs biscuit gift set
Honeywell Bakes have their own set of dog-themed biscuits with a variety of cute breeds which is perfect for a dog lover. Out of the five festive pooches in the box, the husky on the toboggan is our favourite!
Dogs Trust Snowy Dogs biscuit tin
To support a dog charity while gifting yummy biscuits this year, Dogs Trust have this shortbread selection in a gorgeous keepsake tin, featuring a snowy dogs scene. With flavours like stem ginger and lemon and clotted cream chocolate chip, there’s something everyone will like!
Honeywell Bakes Dog Cupcake Baking Kit
What do you get the dog lover that has everything? Sometimes it’s easier to find an activity they can enjoy instead of looking for the one dog item they don’t own! We love this baking set from Honeywell Bakes that includes all the pre-weighed ingredients and decorations they’ll need to make a cute set of dog (and cat) cupcakes! It even comes with a craft activity to keep children occupied while the cakes are in the oven, making it a truly thoughtful gift that a family can enjoy together over the Christmas period.
For walkies
We’ve walked thousands of miles with dogs by our sides, all over the UK, for the past seven years with our pet sitting business. Almost all of our picks for dog walking gifts this Christmas are items that we either own or have tried out at house sits, and the rest are ones we’ll be putting on our wishlist this year!
Dicky Bag
Starting with our number one, all time favourite, top recommendation that we tell EVERYONE to buy… The Dicky Bag! We will never stop singing its praises as we truly don’t know how we got by without one, especially on walkies through the countryside. The Dicky Bag is essentially a portable poo bin, with a section for empty poo bags and a section for full ones. The bag is odour-proof and machine washable, and this neoprene style we have is also water resistant which we’re always thankful for on rainy walkies. If you’re still not convinced, check out our dedicated Dicky Bag review for more information on why this is a must-have for all dog owners and walkers.
Dicky treat bag
As an accompaniment to our Dicky Bag, we also own the Treat Bag in the same style. It features a zip for filling the pouch with your dog’s favourite treats, a handy slot in the top for quick-to-grab rewards when training, and a carabiner clip to easily attach it to your dog walking bag. Like the Dicky Bag, we have the neoprene version that is water resistant, so no soggy bones in sight!
RUFFWEAR Trail Runner belt
For hands-free dog walking, you can’t beat this Ruffwear belt bag with a clip-in belt loop that’s specifically designed to attach your dog’s lead with ease. It features a reflective trim for late night walks, and light padding for extra comfort even when it’s crammed with dog walking essentials.
OCOOPA Hand Warmers
These pocket-sized hand warmers are ideal for Winter walkies as they are fully rechargeable and have a 15 hour battery life, so will last for more than a few walks around the block!
LED beanie hat
If your gift recipient has more than one dog, they’ll find this LED beanie hat super useful for lighting their path on evening walkies when their hands are full with leads. The light is easily removed from the hat for recharging the battery or washing the beanie.
Wurkkos TS22 Torch
We always take our Wurkkos torch with us on late night walkies as it shines up to 4500 lumens (so bright it could light up a village) and is rechargeable so you don’t have to worry about replacing batteries.
OLIGHT light and tracker holder
To make sure your pooch stays safe in the dark even when they’re off lead, we LOVE this dog light that has a built-in space to place a tracker. The battery life lasts for 28 hours and the light has four different colour settings, so you can easily identify multiple dogs in the dark. In the past we’ve used Apple AirTags in holders on a dog’s collar for daytime walkies but this clever light and tracker combination solves two problems at once!
Tractive tracker
Another product we always recommend to our clients, especially those with dogs that tend to run off while on walkies, is Tractive. Having a Tractive tracker that easily clips onto a dog’s collar means we can see their exact location at all times, via the app on our phones. We’ve only had to check a dog’s location on two or three occasions, but it gives such peace of mind when a dog is nowhere to be seen in woodlands or on countryside footpaths – we simply follow their picture on the map and we’re reunited! It’s the perfect gift for those with four-legged escape artists.
Adorable Pooch Co collar and lead
A chic way to give your dog a festive makeover on walkies this season is with a Christmas themed collar and lead! We’ve been such huge fans of Adorable Pooch Co for years – their hand drawn designs and seasonal products are not only high quality but gorgeous too! Our top picks are the Christmas Tree Farm collar, featuring a pick-up truck driving a Christmas tree home for the holidays, and the Candy Cane Forest lead with its peppermint stripes for a sweet and festive dog walking look! The best part about Adorable Pooch Co is that all their prints are available as collars, leads, harnesses and bow ties – so you can buy a matching set for a cohesive wardrobe!
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Grooming
There’s nothing like a muddy Winter dog walk to give you a good work out, whether you’re chasing after a spaniel through rain-soaked fields or breaking a sweat trying to wash dirt off your Bernese Mountain Dog! We’ve previously posted about our Ways to tackle muddy dog walks, but for the festive season here are our top picks for doggy gifts.
Mud Daddy portable shower
Starting with the Mud Daddy – a portable shower for muddy walkies! This is a game-changer if you need to travel in your car to walk your dog, as you can rinse off muddy pups before they get soaking wet and dirty paws all over the back seats. The Mud Daddy comes with a brush attachment, so you simply fill the bottle with warm water and use the brush to get rid of debris and dirt. It uses 90% less water than a hose so it’s more cost-effective and environmentally friendly that washing dogs with a garden hose at home, and is useful in Winter if your hosepipe freezes!
Paw Buddy paw cleaner
When your dog just needs a little wipe of their paws, the Paw Buddy is just the ticket. It’s essentially a small bottle with a brush at one end and a comb at the other for giving paws a quick wash and brush on the go, and makes a great little gift for Winter walkies.
Bugalugs festive shampoo and cologne
For post-walkies when your dog smells a bit… Doggy! One of our favourite new discoveries this season is Bugalugs’ festive shampoo and cologne range, to make your dog smell fresh and with the added bonus of Christmas scents! We recommend the Gingerbread scent (in shampoo and cologne) for a heavenly baking scent that will make your home smell like a gingerbread house, or the Roasted Chestnut and Cinnamon scent (in shampoo and cologne) for a more traditional aroma. All Bugalugs products are vegan, pH balanced and paraben free, so your dog will be safe AND smell deliciously festive.
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Dog Christmas stocking
Is there anything more idyllic than stockings hung on a fireplace at Christmas time? Make sure your dog is included in the traditions with this fun dog design stocking that you can stuff with presents and treats!
Portmeirion treat jar
Speaking of treats, this classy ceramic treat jar is large enough to fill with all your dog’s favourites, for quick access at home or to grab a handful before you head out on walkies.
Phitihui dog mug
For the dog pawrent that loves to relax with a cuppa and their pooch by their side, we love this unique mug with a 3D pup inside! As you drink, its happy face appears through the liquid or if you prefer a herbal tea, you’ll see your loyal pal sitting at the bottom smiling up at you.
Spotted Dog Gift Company dog coasters
These happy pup coasters are a great addition to any dog lover’s home! We love that they come in a full set of six so guests can have their own cute dog coaster too.
The Range Santa Claus pet bed
For owners of a small or tiny sized breed, your pooch will love cosying up in this Santa bed. The round design makes it great for curling up into a ball and staying toasty by the fire this Christmas.
ACE2ACE pet hair remover
If you’re hosting family and friends this Christmas, but are battling to de-fluff the furniture before your guests arrive, you NEED this pet hair removal brush. As you roll it back and forth over your sofa, bedding, carpets or clothes the roller collects fur in the storage compartment to easily discard later.
Furbo 360° dog camera
For the dog owner that needs to occasionally leave their furry friends at home alone, but likes to check in on how they’re doing, we highly recommend the Furbo camera. It links to your phone so you can see your dog no matter where you are, and has a 360° rotating view with auto tracking so you’ll never lose sight of your dog. The Furbo will alert you if your dog starts barking, you can talk to your dog AND you can even toss them a treat via the app! It’s great if you need some peace of mind while you’re out, and to reassure your dog too.
Oliver Bonas dog cable tidies
If, like us, you love your tech but your tangled cables are always getting out of hand, these stylish dog cable tidies will keep everything neat and tidy, and out of reach of pooches that love to chew!
Graeme Hall’s All Dogs Great and Small book
We love watching dog behaviourist Graeme Hall work his magic on the tv show Dogs Behaving Very Badly. For fans of the show, Hall has written ‘All Dogs Great and Small: What I’ve learned training dogs’ – a mix of personal stories and dog training advice.
Graeme Hall’s The Ultimate Kids’ Guide to Dogs book
If you have a dog-obsessed child in your life, Graeme Hall has also written ‘The Ultimate Kids’ Guide to Dogs: Everything you need to know to be a dog’s best friend’. Full of factual information about different dogs, as well as fun how-to guides for dog training and helpful pictures showing how to pick up on a dog’s body language, this is a brilliant read to help kids understand and bond with their four-legged friends.
Dogs Monopoly board game
We love a board game at Christmas, and this dog themed Monopoly set might just be our new favourite twist on a classic! With fun playing pieces like a treat bag and a chewed shoe, any dog-loving family will enjoy collecting all the dog breeds on the board – just make sure you don’t land on the Vet space or you’ll have a big bill to pay!
National Trust’s Great British Walkies book
There’s nothing that makes us happier than getting out in the countryside for walkies, and we love that our job as pet sitters allows us to travel to new places all over the UK to explore with our furry pals! The National Trust’s Great British Walkies book provides details of 100 different dog walks and includes their ‘pawprint rating’ system for dog-friendly places, to inspire you to get out and explore with your dogs.
Wisdom Panel Breed Discovery dog DNA test kit
We’ve met so many rescue dogs over the years whose owners are unsure of their breed background. For better understanding of a dog’s temperament and possible behaviour or health issues, Wisdom Panel provide the most accurate pet DNA test to identify your dog’s breed mix. Simply swab your dog’s mouth, send it off, and receive a comprehensive results package in 2-3 weeks!
Dog toys
Pooch Selfie phone attachment
When you’re taking your family Christmas selfie this year, make sure your dog is looking at the camera with this Pooch Selfie attachment for your phone! Simply pop a tennis ball in the top and snap Insta-worthy pawtraits every time.
Good Boy Christmas oinking pig
Suze is obsessed with these oinking pigs all year round, so she’s even more delighted that there’s a festive version with a fun Santa hat making it a great Christmas gift!
Rosewood Christmas Pudding snuffle mat
We always recommend snuffle games to our clients as the best way to keep dogs entertained indoors, and provide them with a mental workout while rewarding them at the same time! This Christmas pudding snuffle mat is perfect for festive enrichment games if you need to occupy your furry friend while you’re eating your Christmas lunch, especially when filled with seasonal treats.
TastyBone festive chew toy
To keep your dog’s eyes from wandering to your roast turkey this Christmas, TastyBone have this turkey and cranberry flavoured chew toy to keep your pup busy while letting them have a little taste of Christmas turkey! There are different flavours and sizes available so you can find the one that is appropriate for your dog.
Tug-E-Nuff WondaBaa tug toy
For the energetic dog that loves playing tug of war for hours, this high quality rope toy from Tug-E-Nuff features a large bite area made from responsibly sourced sheepskin, as well as bungee cord running through the rope section to reduce jarring on your arms while you’re playing with your dog.
Good Boy Snowdog soft toy
Fanatics of the Christmas film The Snowman will love this toy! This sweet Snowdog is soft and cuddly and has a squeaker inside, plus it has rope legs for pups that love to chew.
Candy cane rope set
Another of our favourite festive chewing toys is this set of candy cane rope toys. We love that they come in different colours and as there’s three in the pack, you can share them out if you have multiple dogs.
TastyBone hot chocolate soft toy
If your dog is a big softie and loves a cuddly toy, this hot chocolate plushie is a sweet festive addition to their toy box this Christmas. Who doesn’t love a puppuccino?
CatwalkDog Pawlity Street soft toy
One for the traditionalists that always have a tin of chocolates on the table at Christmas – this Pawlity Street soft toy is the perfect way to involve your pooch in this quintessentially British tradition, but with a dog-safe squeaker inside instead! The unique dog biscuit design on the ‘tin’ really sold it for us!
