The presents are under the tree, and your dog has already made two trips around it. They’ve sniffed the one with your name on it and come back to see if you need any help opening it. Of course there’s something for them.
If you’re wondering what to get your dog for Christmas, we’d go straight to the part of the day they already lose their mind over. The ball coming out of the closet. Your hand touching the leash. The delivery person leaving a suspiciously dog-sized box on the step. Somewhere in that list is a gift you’ll have as much fun giving as they will getting.
1. What To Get Your Dog For Christmas If Fetch Starts Before Breakfast
There’s a dog at every family gathering who spends the whole afternoon quietly passing a tennis ball from guest to guest. Your uncle throws it once and discovers he’s signed up for the rest of the day. A ball launcher feels made for that dog.
The GoDogGo Fetch Machine sends the ball up and out in an arc. Picture it in an open yard with the dog poised a few feet away, already leaning forward. VCA’s holiday gift ideas include ball-throwing toys for active dogs, and our best interactive dog toy guide has more games for devoted chasers. The part we’d look forward to is that first round together, especially if your dog brings the ball back to you out of habit.
2. A Moving Rope Ball For The Dog At Your Feet
You’re on the couch. A small dog sets a toy on your foot, backs up a step and waits. You know exactly what that means.
The PawsPik Rope Runner brings a little more to that game than the usual ball. It’s rechargeable and moves on its own, with a rope attached for the dog who likes the chase to end in a good grab. We can see it coming out on a wet afternoon when the walk was brief and somebody still has a lot of play left in them. You get to sit on the floor and see which half of the toy wins. A dog who loves to carry things may end up parading the whole thing around by its rope.
3. A Little Glow For The Evening Walk
The December walk has its own look. You’re bundled up to your eyebrows, the neighbors’ windows are lit, and your dog is taking a very long time to read whatever happened to the lamppost since yesterday. The Nite Ize NiteDog adds a bright line around the neck of the little silhouette at the other end of your leash.
It’s a rechargeable collar, and we like it as a gift for the person who does the evening lap in every kind of weather. They already own the good coat. They probably have a pocket full of bags. This is one little thing they get to enjoy while they’re out together. If the dog’s neck size is a family mystery, a gift receipt fits quite nicely under the bow.
4. Talking Buttons And One Very Popular Word
Some dogs have already perfected the art of asking to go out. They look at the door. They look at you. They look back at the door, just in case you missed the first part.
FluentPet’s Tester Kit gives that conversation a new prop. We’d happily spend part of Christmas break with one button that says “outside,” pressing it as we open the door and seeing where it goes. In a study of soundboard-trained dogs, dogs already familiar with buttons responded to recorded words for going out and playing. There’s more on what the kits are like in our best dog talking buttons guide and FluentPet review. The sweet part of the gift is the time you spend figuring it out together, whether the dog ever decides to do the pressing or simply keeps giving you the look.
5. A Camera That Can Send A Snack
A picture from the dog sitter can get a whole family out of its own conversation. Is that your dog sleeping with their nose tucked under the curtain? Everybody wants to see. The Petcube Bites 2 Lite gives you a live view on your phone and can toss a compatible dry treat when you feel like saying hello from a distance. Our dog gadgets guide has more ideas in that spirit.
Imagine propping it up where your dog likes to lie after a walk. First you get a nose, then a close-up of one ear, and then the whole dog comes into view as the treat lands. That’s what makes this feel like a present. It’s a sweet gift for the person who always asks the sitter for one more picture. Their dog gets a snack out of it, too.
6. A DNA Kit For The Family Group Chat
One cousin has been saying “part shepherd” since the day the dog came home. Your mom is basing her entire case for hound on a photograph of one ear. A kit is a lovely way to give this family something new to text about in January.
Wisdom Panel Essential turns a mailed cheek swab into a breed report. It’s a gift for the curious human, so we’d add a small something the dog can enjoy while everyone else takes sides. Our best dog DNA test guide explains the kinds of reports you can get, and the Wisdom Panel dog DNA test review gets into what Essential includes. The most fun version of the reveal might be having everybody write down their guess first. The dog, who knows exactly who they are, can sit this part out.
7. More Mail For The Dog Who Thinks It’s All Theirs
The doorbell rings and your dog comes to supervise. If there’s a cardboard box involved, they’re available to help. A BarkBox subscription stretches out that bit of Christmas morning by bringing more toys and treats in the mail after the holidays.
We’d give it to a dog who greets a new plush toy like a long-lost friend, especially if you get to watch them carry it around the house afterward. BARK also makes one-time themed gift boxes, which have all the fun of a parcel with the dog’s name right there on it. For a friend’s pup, you can make a small occasion of finding out what their dog loves to play with and which treats they already get excited about.
8. A Bag Of Treats For The Present Inspector
You know the dog who can hear the cheese drawer open from two rooms away? We’d put their name on a bag of Bocce’s Bakery Soft & Chewy Cheese Treats. White cheddar is in the recipe, which feels right for a dog who has spent the whole holiday watching people help themselves to the cheese board. Their turn.
We’d keep this one in the cupboard until Christmas morning. A dog who catches a whiff under the tree might gleefully chew their way through Grandma’s slippers and your brother’s new socks looking for their own present. It’s hard to explain tooth marks on a gift you haven’t given yet. Besides, there’s a lot to be said for getting to see that face when the bag finally opens.
The Present That Makes It To January
The Christmas gifts for dogs we get most excited about are the ones we can picture coming out again on a nothing-special Saturday. You’re both a little stir-crazy and the rope ball is right there. It’s dark by dinner and the glowing collar’s hanging beside the leash. Or the family’s in the kitchen comparing DNA guesses while the dog sleeps through their own big reveal. Whatever ends up under the tree, there’s a very good chance the dog would also like you to sit down beside them for a bit.
More than one stocking to fill? We also have ideas for what to get your cat for Christmas and what to get your bunny for Christmas.
