My dog as a puppy – ever since she has deserved only the best!
Dogs are the best – and they deserve the best. To make sure this happens, I have personally tried or examined every item on this list, and had them approved by my own best friend (with the sole exception of the Casper bed, in which case the company’s quality, track record and rave reviews speak for themselves).
So if you have a dog – or a dog lover- on your holiday gift list, relax, because I have simplified your holiday shopping and curated a great list of gifts at a wide variety of price ranges.
Also check out my 2018 Gift Guide for Foodies, Kitchen and Cooks, my 2018 Gift Guide for Skiing, Fitness & Outdoor Activities, plus last year’s 2017 Forbes Gift Guides, with many great picks that are still perfect, on a wide range of gifting topics including: Beer, Wine & Spirits (here); Food (here); Kitchen & Home (here); Whiskey Lovers’ Gifts (here); Cycling (here); Skiing (here); and Golf & Fitness (here).
The Furbo dog camera lets you watch, talk to, and even give treats to your dog remotely.
Furbo Dog Camera & Treat Dispenser: The Number One Dog Gift on Amazon’s wish lists and the perfect gift for that person who loves their dog more than anything, the Furbo Dog Camera is the world’s first treat tossing camera, allowing an owner who hates being away from their pup to keep an eye on them and interact remotely. With Furbo, dog parents can watch their dog throughout the day, toss them treats, and speak to them through 2-way audio. In addition, the new Furbo Dog Nanny service lets them set up to receive smart alerts via cloud-recorded videos triggered by activity, barking or people in the frame. You can also have your dog send selfies and receive Doggie Diaries – a 60-second time-lapse of highlights from your pup’s day. The video, audio and treat tossing are all basic functions included with Furbo ($249), while the Dog Nanny features requires an additional monthly subscription.
Filson’s motto, “might as well have the best,” applies to their dog gear as well.
Filson Dog Gear: “Might as well have the best” has long been a slogan of Filson, a legendary outdoor gear and clothing company that took off during the 1897 gold rush, supplying the highest quality items to the hardest working outdoorsmen. Your dog might as well have the best too, and mine wears the Filson Dog Chest Protector ($75) to keep burrs, ticks and mud off her chest and belly and avoid pointy sticks when running crazy through the woods. There are tons of coats and vests for dog, yet almost none of them protect the underside, and while a dog like mine doesn’t need warmth, I like the protection, and this is water and tear resistant but lined with soft cozy cotton, it’s blaze orange for visibility, has very adjustable straps and buckles, is made in the USA and comes in three sizes. For more traditional topside protection, Filson makes the Shelter Cloth Dog Coat ($95), using its proprietary Shelter Cloth, a heavyweight, oil finished waterproof canvas, lined with virgin wool which remains warm even when wet. The coat is reversible, so you can go solid dark green or red and black check. It is easy to put on and off, secure, adjustable and features a double layer sueded moleskin neck for comfort. Like Filson’s human jackets, it’s a real deal outdoor garment for tough environments. You can get cheaper pet coats but as Clinton Filson said in 1914, “The goods we quote must not be confounded with the cheap and vastly inferior grade with which the market is over-run. Such goods are not only useless for the purpose for which they are intended, but the person wearing them would be better off without them.” Or the dog wearing them.
Dog’s spend half their lives sleeping – so they should have the best bed possible.
Better Dog Beds Through Science: Casper has taken the human mattress industry by storm with its futuristic and scientific spring free designs, which have won endless awards and acclaim, including high praise from Consumer Reports, Wired and Good Housekeeping, while Time Magazine named Casper’s mattress one of the Top 25 Inventions of 2015 and Architectural Digest called it “the perfect mattress, according to science.” Dogs spend half their lives sleeping, and the folks at Casper claim to have done 11 months of canine sleep studies and developed over one hundred protypes. The resulting Casper Dog Mattress was designed by the same engineering team behind all of Casper’s mattress products, crafted with a combination of pressure-relieving memory foam and durable support foam. It immediately got the same kind of rave reviews the big versions did, from Gizmodo, Fast Company and CNN, which called it “the perfect mattress for every dog.” Dogs like the feeling of protection and for this reason many prefer bolstered beds – this one gives them four-sided peace of mind. It is also owner friendly, very durable and bite and scratch resistant, the durable cover repels fur, it is easily removable and machine washable, and for dog safety, zippers are hidden. Because dogs often like to scratch or dig before laying down, an inherited instinct of digging up dirt to find cooler ground, they designed the bed’s surface with excess material on top to mimic the sensation of pawing at loose earth. And just like Casper’s human products, it comes with a 100-night sleep trial. In three colors and four sizes, $125-$225
Yeti’s dog bowl is tough enough for any situation.
Yeti Dog Bowl: You probably already know that Yeti makes the world’s best coolers (hard and soft), and the company has quickly built an expanded product line of backpacks, drinkware and other accessories, all leveraging its reputation for products that are over-engineered and nearly indestructible. Well, they took the same approach to dog bowls, with the company’s single model, the Boomer 8, so named because it is large and holds up to eight cups of water (or food) enough for any dog (or more than one). It is built with double-walled, non-insulated, food safe 18/8 stainless steel, and is just bombproof rugged, very easy to clean, resistant to rust, and impervious to even the roughest roughhousing. It has a non-slip ring on the bottom, is heavy enough to not get knocked over, can even go in the dishwasher, and comes in four colors ($50).
Personalized dog gifts like this ornament are the specialty of Susabella.com
Personalized Dog Gifts From Susabella: Susabella.com is an online gift company that specializes in unique pieces from artists, all handmade, so no two pieces are identical, and many of them are customizable to the recipient. They have a whole section of pet gifts that includes this personalized ceramic dog bone-shaped holiday tree ornament (just $20), as well as different sized food bowls, treat jars, food scoops and leash hangers ($20-$50). For personalization in time for Christmas, orders must be placed by December 11.
West Paw’s dog toys are made in the USA – and super tough! This is the Boz ball.
Best Made in USA Dog Toys: Because of all the work I have done reporting on the food industry, I’m frankly scared to give my dog chew toys made in China – which means almost all chew toys on the market. That’s why I love West Paw, a Bozeman, Montana-based company that makes all of its great products to exacting standards right here in the USA. My dog has always loved their plush toys (she still sleeps with one) but now she has grown into a powerful chewer and avid retriever, and because it’s almost impossible to find domestically made tennis balls, we use the durable Jive Dog Ball, made from a latex-free, BPA-and-phthalate-free, solid rubbery material that she hasn’t been able to even dent. It bounces, floats, and comes in three sizes. It’s part of the bigger Zogoflex line, all made of the same safe, clean and ultra-durable material, in a wide array of chew toy shape and sizes. These are great for outdoor play.
Pawscout is a smart dog tag that comes with its own app.
Pawscout Smart Tag: “The Smarter Pet Tag,” Pawscout is a smartphone-compatible and connected tag that goes on your dog’s collar and makes an inexpensive but meaningful gift at just $20. The tag tracks walk distances, a live map lets people watch their pet in real-time within a 300-foot range (like in the backyard), and for peace of mind, the virtual leash can be set to alert owners if Fido scampers out of view. Other owner benefits include the Community Pet Finder, which alerts all other users in the area if your pet goes missing, and will notify you when your pet comes within range of anyone using the Pawscout App; Digital Medical Records, allowing you to create a full digital profile of your pet including photos, contact info, vaccinations and behavioral or medical issues; and Pet-Friendly Favorites, allowing you to use the app and map to discover or share local veterinarians, groomers, shelters, restaurants, stores or parks that welcome pets. It does everything a regular dog tag does plus adds security features and
lets owners join and participate in a community for their pets. The Pawscout App is available in both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Orvis is a legendary outdoor gear company that now makes a great travel dog crate.
Orvis Travel Crate: A fold-flat soft sided (not metal cage) travel crate is a huge boon to pet owners who travel, and I’ve used them for more than a decade at hotels, friends’ houses and in all sorts of on the road scenarios. The problem is that most are flimsy and I went through a few broken zippers and other durability issues before the nation’s oldest mail order retailer, Vermont-based hunting, fishing and outdoor specialist Orvis, introduced this new better version, the Orvis Field Collection Folding Travel Crate. Instead of thin plastic fabric like most, it uses heavy-duty, tight polyester Oxford weave around a strong, tubular metal frame, folds flat, and sets up in seconds, featuring top, side, and front zipped entry doors with ventilated windows. It was designed to keep your dog comfortable and safe in the back of an SUV on the way to and from the field, but works equally well in luxury hotels or wherever your adventures take you and your best friend. It comes in Orvis’ classic rugged dark khaki colors and features leatherette trimmed and rounded corners that protect your floors and auto interior, plus a carry handle for easy transport. It also has removable and machine washable plush, padded Sherpa fleece mat with a water-resistant backing and extra comfort (109-$149).
Ruffwear’s Dirtbag Bench is a dog hammock that will make your friend comfy—and keep your car… [+]
Ruffwear Car Hammock: If you ever take your dog in the car and don’t know about hammock-style seat covers you will be kicking yourself when you check these out – I’ve used them for years. This is the best way to go for both the dog and the car, period. These hook to the headrests behind and in front of the back seat, giving the dog more room by turning the otherwise wasted leg space into an extension of the seat surface. They catch all the dirt, come in and out of the car in seconds, and can be washed in the machine, while leaving the seat underneath totally clean. While the concept is great, I went through a few bargain versions that eventually broke (usually the headrest strap) before I found Ruffwear’s Dirtbag seat cover, which has several advantages. First off, it’s tough, durable and totally waterproof – even for the muddiest dog. Secondly, it has ingenious extra flaps that slide into the space in the seat where the seatbelts are, something I have seen on no other model, which better anchors the installation and makes it lay flat, creating more usable surface area. It has convenient zippered slots where seatbelts come through, and also works very well on bench style seats without a front headrest, like in a minivan or large SUV. Finally, extra side flaps keep the ends of the seat by the door clean, and the non-slip surface is easier on your dogs. Highly recommended!
Cool Collars (and Leashes): Inspired by hiking and climbing gear, Lupine collars and leashes are made in the mountains of New Hampshire from high tensile webbing with extra heavy-duty buckles, and carry an unconditional lifetime guarantee – even if chewed. They also come in a huge range of great looking patterns and designs, with matching collars and leashes (if that’s your thing), and they also have an eco-line made from recycled bottles. Lupine also does a lot for dog charities, which I love.