Doggone great gifts for dog lovers
Is a birthday or Christmas approaching? Need a few gifts for dog lovers?
You're in exactly the right spot if you're looking for a few great gifts for dog lovers! I'm currently owned by six of the beasts (Barley, Hops, Killian, Margarita, Gizmo and Matee), and I spend a ton of money buying myself everything needed to keep the dogs healthy and happy. My dogs may all be rescued (with the exception of Matee, the pug) but they ain't cheap to keep in toys and bones. And, letmetellya, if there's not bones to dole out, there's a mutiny brewing....
The below gifts for dog lovers are all things that I would be thrilled to receive for any occasion. I'm sure any dog lover among us would love these gift ideas too.
And, yes, there are six dogs in the attached picture...
Update: 9/17/12 - I had to make a very difficult decision in May regarding my 3-legged dog Hops (he's the blond dog in the photo on the right). Hops was 15 and suffered a stroke one afternoon; one look in his eyes told me all he needed me to know. He was my sweetest dog and is well missed. To read more about Hops, check out: Hops - my 3 legged hero
Gizmo was born to ride and is aptly equipped.
Get your dog lover a set of Doggles to protect doggy eyes.
Gizmo never gets in my convertible without donning her very own pair of Doggles! Thousands of dogs are blinded a year when they have their heads outside the car window and debris scratches the eye. Protect your dog with a pair of these Doggles.
I particularly like this style of Doggles as it's lighter than the other types on the market. It only took Gizmo about 10 minutes to leave them alone.
More Doggles are available on Amazon
For anyone who likes to take their dog along for rides, doggles are a wonderful gift.
A booster seat is just what this girl needed.
If your dog lover friend has a small dog, how about getting a gift of a booster seat?
Every small dog will appreciate a leg up when riding in a car. After all, seeing all of the wonderful stuff whizzing by is half the fun of the ride.
Gizmo uses this booster seat which is fully adjustable. This particular dog booster seat will hold up to 20 lb so she's got some growing that can be done! Sadly, I think I paid about $42 for this at PetSmart.
Dog booster seats
For a small dog, seeing out a window may make the difference between suffering car sickness or truly enjoying the ride. Here's more booster seats for your dog lover friend's best doggy friend:
A dog booster seat for the larger dogBUY NOW
And a booster seat for even larger dogsBUY NOW
Here's a search box for more gifts for dog lovers
Feel free to add your own search term to the box below. At the moment, you'll see some fun gifts for dog lovers from Amazon.com.
Killian with his Outward Hound backpack
Calm an energetic dog down with an Outward Hound backpack
I figured this trick out early on - Killian was just not burning up enough energy on our walks so I needed to find a way to calm him down. Enter the backpack!
Not only do working dogs, like this Aussie, need to do jobs, but, by adding extra balanced weight to the sides of the backpack, I was able to get more energy out of him. I started off having him carry a paperback book on each side and, I'm slightly ashamed to say, we progressed to a bottle of wine, cheese and crackers for John's and my picnic (before you berate me, we shared the cheese and crackers with Killian).
I keep the top of the backpack packed with poop bags, a collapsible water bowl, and liver treats for when Killian is a really good boy.
When I'm cleaning house, I have him follow me around and add items to the backpack which go into different rooms or up or down the stairs. He loves his job and so do I!
Every dog needs 1 (or 10) dog beds
I have dog beds everywhere in my house - literally everywhere! There's at least 2 in every room and my bedroom sports 3. Of course, I'm not sure why I bother as the little dogs sleep in bed with us but it's a good theory.
Treat your dog lover friend to a brand new dog bed. I like the ones spotlighted here - they're the most plush, and the dogs seem to enjoy them. If you do buy a dog bed, keep in mind that most dogs prefer a booster edge over a flat edge (everyone needs a pillow!).
Interestingly, my teeny dog sleeps in the biggest bed and my biggest dog tries to sleep in the littlest. It's fairly amusing around here to watch "musical beds" as the guys and girls settle in for the night.
When good dogs go bad....
Some dogs I've loved... - ...and who have loved me
Click thumbnail to view full-size
A dog can't have too many dog toys.
My other Squidoo Lenses featuring my dogs
I have two passions in life - caring for my 94 year old Mom, Gertie, and dogs (not necessarily in that order). The below lenses or blogs detail our life around here.
- How to calm down an energetic dog like an Australian Shepherd
Killian was my first foray into the thinking dog realm. I knew I had to do a lot of training so he's been to two week-long dog camps in Vermont, agility training, canine freestyle (dog dancing) and helps me tend to my mom (he puts laundry in the wash - Gizmo's Squidoo page
Gizmo is my very first little teeny dog. She was a stray and was at a local adoption show when she was walked by and spotted me. We locked eyes and have never stopped looking at each other. She's one of my heart dogs. - My 3-legged boy, Hops', Squidoo page
Hops came to me from a no-kill shelter in Southern Maryland. He had lost his leg to a car accident just 5 months before. At 14, he's slowing up a bit but still gets around. He is the sweetest of the sweet and only gives one kiss a day (exactly one). - Wee Margarita, my island girl
Margarita is the shy one of the group. She doesn't like strange men and takes quite a while to warm up to them. But, once she does, she's quite the love. Rita likes nothing better than a good belly rub and is frequently found in my Mom's arms - both
Here's a few toys for the "thinking dog."
If your dog lover friend has a smart dog, one of these toys is just right to keep their pup busy for a while. Killian, my Australian Shepherd, has all of these toys - he's the only one who can figure them out!
What's your favorite gifts for dog lovers
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