Dogs Can Expect Plenty of Cheer this Holiday Season
Top 8 Gifts for Dogs in 2013
By Stacy Mantle
According to a poll from Petside.com, just over half of American pet owners will buy gifts for their pets this holiday season and they’ll spend an average of $46 doing so. Toys and treats top the list as favorite pet gifts, but new bedding, clothing, leashes or harnesses and grooming products make up 12 percent of Santa Paws’ gift list.
Here’s a look at our holiday favorite gifts and stocking stuffers this year.
1. Wacky Paws Travel Harnesses
When it comes to traveling with pets, you want something colorful and lightweight. This harness comes with a detachable pouch for easy storage of keys, phone and doggy bags while on your walk. They range in size from extra small to extra large and make the perfect harness for active pets. You can choose from light pink, deep pink, green, and blue. MSRP: $39.99 – $54.99
2. Honest Kitchen Treats
Have your pets been extra good this year? Treat them with a festive, limited-edition container of Holiday Quickies! These one-ingredient treats feature dehydrated haddock, making them grain-free with no fillers or by-products. These healthy treats make the perfect stocking-stuffer for dogs who deserve the purest, most delicious treats this holiday season. MSRP: $9.99
3. Sherpa Park Tote
Fashion meets function for pets on the go. This stylish carrier unfolds into a blanket for lounging on the grass with your pup. Lined with cozy faux lambskin, the carrier also features a side window with privacy flap. Pets can enter from the side or the top with easy zippered access. The entire carrier is machine washable for easy cleaning on the go. MSRP: $54.99-69.99
4. Loving Pets
Every dog should receive a new set of bowls this holiday season, and Loving Pets has a large selection of colors and designs to fit any personality. Milano Bowls™ are dishwasher-safe, resistant-to-bacteria and veterinary-recommended. The fashionable outer shells can be easily matched to your pet’s personality and consider this adorable treat jar from Loving Pets. Loving Pets brings new life to veterinarian-recommended, stainless-steel treat canisters by combining a stainless-steel interior with an attractive poly-resin exterior. MSRP: $14.99
5. Cycle Dog Collars
If you’re looking for something unique, consider an earth-friendly collar from Cycle Dog. These collars are made from recycled bicycle tires and are some of the softest, longest-lasting collars we’ve ever seen. Each collar features a latch-lock, stainless-steel buckle (which is more than 400 percent stronger than plastic buckles) and even contains a “pup-top bottle opener” for easy opening on the road. Perfect for dogs who are as active as their owners. Choose from a large variety of fun colors and designs. MSRP: $25.00
5. Hear, Doggy Ultrasonic Toys
If your dog loves plush squeaky toys, but you have no love for the sound of squeaky toys, the Hear, Doggy! Plush ultrasonic line of pet toys is for you. Hear, Doggy! toys are tuned to an ultrasonic range of 24 to 28 KHz (out of human hearing range) and are available in a variety of characters, both plush (stuffed) and flat (unstuffed). Select designs feature Quaker Pet Group’s proprietary Chew Guard™ Technology, a unique manufacturing process that adds a super tough, durable mesh liner inside the plush as well as reinforced, double-stitched seams. MSRP: $11.99 – $17.99
6. Busy Buddy® Bristle Bone®
This is a great toy for heavy chewers. Made from durable nylon and rubber, each Busy Buddy toy includes natural rawhide treat rings that encourage chewing. Soft bristles help keep teeth clean as dogs chew, and the natural rotation of disks help keep their attention. These fun toys will keep your dogs busy for days at a price you can afford. MSRP: $6.99 – $19.99
7. ThunderWorks Thunder Sweater
We all know the ability of ThunderShirt to ease a dog’s fear and anxiety, particularly in stressful situations (such as storms, having company over or the holidays). ThunderShirt’s patended design is based on the principles of T-Touch and applies a gentle, constant pressure around your dog’s torso, which has a calming effect during stressful situations. Now when you have holiday visitors, you can leave your Thundershirt on your pet and simply snap the stylish ThunderSweater over the shirt for a quick jaunt outdoors in cold, snowy weather. The new ThunderSweater offers all the calming benefits of ThunderShirt, but with added warmth. (Each ThunderSweater includes a ThunderShirt.) MSRP: $59.95
8. Duck Dynasty Dog Toys & Apparel
If you’re looking for a creative and unusual gift for your four-legged friend, we reckon you ought to join the Duck Dynasty revolution. A&E’s show has taken the world by storm and we know you’ll be as happy as a duck-huntin’ dog with afun selection of fashionable coats, T-shirts bearing the favorite slogans of Uncle Si, plush duck toys (shown) and yes, dog beards. Cat-bearding is so 2013; bring in 2014 with a dog beard and Duck Dynasty hat fashioned after your favorite duck commander. Toss a pair of dark Doggles on your dogs, and you’ll be ready for the New Year with “family-certified, redneck approved” duck gear from America’s first family of duck callers. MSRP: $9.99 – $19.99
View Our Top 8 Cat Holiday Gifts
About the Author: Stacy Mantle is the founder of PetsWeekly.com and the bestselling author of “Shepherd’s Moon.” Learn more great tips for living with animals by visiting PetsWeekly.com or get to know a little more about the author at www.StacyMantle.com
my dog apparently never played before I got him and he’s 5 years old. he acts confused by toys and walks away from them. plus I got him a dental bone made from nyla and he chewed straight through it trying to swallow it in chunks. does anyone have any advice for something I can give him? I’ve tried a Kong and stuffed it with peanut butter but he showed no interest(he’s very treat motivated when toys aren’t involved) I tried loofa toys, squeaky toys, balls, etc. so far the only toy he showed any interest in is anything my cat has. he wants treats constantly but I keep him on a strict schedule for those. I give him something to chew/eat twice a day since he will not chew on his toys. any advice would be helpful as he’s my first dog.
I have a dog at 3yrs of age I adopted from the shelter who was crated and no social interaction except to have several litters of puppies and was neglected by her previous owner. When she arrived at her new home she did not understand people, indoor spaces, much less toys and social interactions with other dogs.
It took weeks to get her acclimated to her routine outside the crate. My other dog who is very mellow, but good with other dogs & people. Was a huge help. He seemed to know how to be very easy around her and would offer her his tug toy during outside time. I also did separate play sessions with her and a very soft tug or a small firm toy. Any time she would look at it, sniff, or touch the toy I let her have it. If she would not take it in her mouth, I gently tossed it to land in front or at her side. When she looked I grabbed it and offered it in my stretched hand to aee if she’d take it. Each look, or sniff was met with a gentle toss toward her and a touch met with a happy voice and YES!
Eventually, and it took months of touch & toss sessions she eventually developed a play pattern and would pick it up in her mouth and carry it away. I would happily follow and say YES! The game then became for. her to pick it up I followed and waited till she dropped it or lost intrest and I would grab it, wiggle it and say toy, toy then toss to her. She would grab and I said YES!
I kept sessions short 5-10 tosses, gentle and at short distances until she became very confident taking the toy.
I then introduced my other dog who brought her a toy and I would shake & encourage her to take the other end. Mind you there was absolutely no toy obsession with him and the tug toy and he would easily GIVE IT or DROP IT at any time.
Be very, very patient and associate the tug or toy with happy and positive interactions.
Keep all toys picked up and they will become special items to be associated with playtime and your interactions with your dog.