If your friends or family members own a dog, then you’re probably familiar with the intense love affair that goes on between a canine and its human. So much so, that in some cases, having a throw pillow or wine tumbler with the sentence “I love my dog more than people” is a common feature in their home.
If you’re ever in a quandary of what to gift a friend or family member who owns a dog, then never hesitate to purchase something that reflects their pride and love for their pet. It can be something as simple as a T-shirt or as complicated as a canine cookie making kit, but no matter what you choose, you won’t have to worry about them appreciating the gesture.
We feature six doggone delightful wild, wonderful and fun gifts available for purchase online that we know any dog owner would love to receive.
Best for the Baker: Hapinest Make Your Own Homemade Dog Treats Kit
There are so many additives and unhealthy ingredients in dog treats that some people have started to make and bake their own cookies and biscuits for their pets. If you’re looking for a unique gift that keeps on giving for that dog loving friend, then consider this cool kit that sets them on their way to cooking up healthy treats for their pup, and then gifting them to others.
This Make and Bake Dog Treat Set includes everything your friend needs to get on their baker’s hat to start making treats – well, everything except the ingredients. With two dog bone cookie cutters, one heart cookie cutter, one rolling pin, 24 dog treat gift bags and tags, red ribbon and twine, and three healthy recipes, there’s enough to bake for their own dog and to make dog cookie gifts for a friend.
The treat recipe uses simple all natural ingredients with delicious flavors dogs love: peanut butter apple, oatmeal banana peanut butter, or sweet potato. Each dog treat recipe makes 24 to 30 dog treats per batch, so yes, there is enough to share.
This is also a great gift for kids who love to bake and want to make something special for their pooch, or a friend’s pup. That way, they can package up some of the dog biscuits in the bone gift bags, secure it with a ribbon and a paw print gift tag, and you can feel good that you’ve given them a gift that keeps on giving.
Pros:
- Perfect gift for Christmas or a birthday
- Everything needed to make healthy dog treats
- Cute gift wrapping to give the cookies as gifts to other dog lovers
- Makes a good gift and activity for dog-loving kids
Cons:
- May not be good for someone who doesn’t like to bake
Best for the Foodie: Totally Bamboo Paw Shaped Bamboo Serving And Cutting Board
If you’re looking for a functional and attractive gift for that friend who just doesn’t stop talking about his or her canine family, then they may love having this serving and cutting board that is shaped like a dog’s paw.
This cute cutting board is made with a flat-grain bamboo construction that measures 11 inches by 10 inches by 5/8 of an inch. Lightweight, durable and knife-friendly, this paw board is not just a pretty face – it’s functional, too. There are juice wells surrounding each paw to catch any liquid of from cut fruit or meat, and it has enough space to present a few varieties of cheese and some crackers.
Easy to care for, it just needs to be hand washed or wiped with a damp cloth. To keep it looking nice and performing well, it does need some maintenance and should be treated occasionally with mineral oil. While it can be used for food prep and entertaining, there is a hang tie and hanging hole so it can also be hung on the wall for some cute kitchen décor.
This paw-shaped cutting board would make the ideal gift for a teen as room décor or for the chef who loves to entertain as much as they love their dog.
Pros:
- Affordable
- Practical and cute
- Ideal for the host or hostess with the mostest
Cons:
- Should not be washed in the dishwasher or soaked in water
Best Overall: Texts from Dog 2021 Day-to-Day Calendar
This humorous desk calendar is perfect for the dog lover who is so attached to their phone, they are always texting the latest news and events of their life to friends and family.
Everyone can use a desk calendar, especially these days when every day seems to melt into the next. Why not keep it funny? If their dog had a phone, what would they be saying in their text messages?
Based on the website textfromdog.tumblr.com, each full-color page of this Texts from Dog 2021 Calendar has a different imaginary message that might have gone on between Dog, a foul-mouthed British bulldog, and his very patient and loving owner.
Aside from it putting a smile on someone’s face every day, each page has the day and date, with all the official holidays indicated, plus there is a daily extra on the back that consists of fun puzzles, trivia and activities.
The tear-off pages come attached to a recyclable plastic easel that can be nicely displayed on a desk or table. This dog-themed desk calendar is ideal for anyone who loves to imagine the banter that may take place if their dog could talk – or text!
Pros:
- Practical gift as a useful calendar
- Humorous gift to start each day off right
- Affordably priced
Cons:
- Since some of the jokes contain adult content and language, it may not be appropriate for children under 16
Best for the Techie: Furbo Dog Treat Tossing Pet Camera
Some people find it so difficult to leave their dog at home while they are out at work all day. Aside from their sweet pup having separation anxiety, so much can happen without the owner knowing. There’s nothing more valuable or appreciated than giving someone the gift of peace of mind.
We love this dog cam that lets you know what’s going on in the house while you’re out at the office, shopping or vising with a friend. The 720p HD camera has a live-stream video so you can monitor your pet on your phone with a 120-degree wide-angle view and a 4x zoom capability, day or night.
With the two-way audio alert, the camera’s barking sensor will detect when the dog is barking, sending a push notification to the pet owner’s smartphone. This lets them know what’s going on so they can tell their dog to stop barking, or go home to make sure nothing is amiss.
Other alerts that they can turn on or off are when the camera detects the dog moving, like if it is jumping on the furniture or chewing on cords, plus it will allow them see if a person is in the room – a good way to know when (and if) the dog walker shows up or if there is an intruder in the house.
The owner of this dog cam will also be able to program it to toss treats to their pet, using a free iOS/Android app. They can fill the attached container with more than 100 treats, although round 0.4-inch diameter treats work best.
Easy to set up, the recipient of this gift will need a power outlet for a USB cord, a smartphone and a stable Internet connection and Wi-Fi.
Pros:
- A great way to see a dog while the owner is not home
- Real time alerts
- 120-degree wide angle with night vision
- Works with Alexa
Cons:
- Expensive
Best for the Coffee Drinker: Grounds & Hounds Three Blend Starter Kit
This organic coffee starter kit is a gift that will get the day started on the right foot for your dog-loving friend, especially when they discover that with every cup, they will help a pup.
The kit contains three, six ounce bags of unique blends of Grounds & Hounds coffee that contain 100 percent organic Arabica beans, roasted using a traditional European style. The focus is on savory, full-bodied blends, which range from light and bright to smoky and savory, producing a rich, satisfying cup of coffee, perfect to take with them on that first early walk of the day.
The Morning Walk Breakfast blend has a great structure and a full body, with tasting notes that range from citrus and cherry to cocoa and toasted nuts. Paper and Slippers Medium Roast offers hints of brownie and toasted nuts followed by blackberry and blueberry on the finish. Finally, the Alpha Blend Dark Roast provides a big and bold flavor with upfront notes of cocoa, vanilla and a rich eye-opening finish.
Even if the person you gift this to only drinks coffee occasionally, they will be thrilled to know that 20 percent of the profits generated by Grounds & Hounds coffee are used to fund animal rescue initiatives and organizations that provide a second chance to dogs in need of a helping hand.
Pros:
- Excellent gift for coffee lovers
- Gift also supports animal rescue missions
- Organic beans, original blends
Cons:
- Not a good gift for children or teens or anyone who does not drink coffee
Best T-Shirt: The Dogfather T-Shirt
If you’re looking for a fun birthday or Christmas gift for the dog lover in your life, look no further than this cute The Dogfather T-shirt with a silkscreen design drawn by an artist in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The guy in your life will love the tagless feature on this top-quality product, so there is nothing to irritate his skin. The shirt is a ring-spun, 30/1 fine jersey knit on 100 percent USA-grown cotton. This makes it soft and smooth with a high thread-count and tight knit that is a mid-weight substantial T-shirt that is not see-through.
This shirt is a nice balance between comfort and durability and will be worn with pride whether your friend is walking the dog or just hanging out. Either way, the message is clear; this person loves his dog.
And you can feel good that the shirt you have given as a gift has been made in the United States by American artists with high quality inks that are vibrant and durable, and that the shirt is CFC free and rated as carcinogen-free by the state of California.
Pros:
- Quality T-shirt
- Made in the US
- Comfortable fit
Cons:
- Fit runs a bit small so you may have to size up
What to look for:
There are so many fun gifts out there to buy for the dog lover in your life, the only challenge you will have is narrowing it down to one. That being said, when looking for the right gift, think about the dog your friend or family member has and look for a gift that represents that breed. Or, if the person loves all dogs, then something more general would be better, like mug, wine glass, T-shirt or picture frame that has a cute dog-themed saying or drawing.
Photo credit: MAXXSIPHOTO/Shutterstock