Welcome to our Christmas Gift Guide for Dogs 2024! Many of the toys, treats and other lovely bits on our list are handmade or crafted. As it’s never been important to support small businesses, this year every pick on our list is from an independent business. We’ve also included free ideas, experiences instead of presents and what not to buy. 

Homemade voucher to dog sit

Instead of spending money on more stuff for your favourite dog & human duo, why not give your time instead? You can create your own voucher (or recruit the small humans in your life to help) and gift blocks of time to dog sit for them. Anywhere from 1 hour to 1 week!  This is an especially fantastic gift if the dog you’d be looking after has separation anxiety and struggles to be home alone. You could even include specific times or days on their dog sitting voucher to look after the dog whilst they celebrate a special birthday or anniversary. 

Visit to a dog field

Buying your dog a visit to a dog field is a great alternative to a physical pressie.It’s worth checking in local facebook groups for suggestions for good spots near you.  Our blog post on Folkestone Dog Fields has a list of great secure fields in Folkestone and the surrounding areas. You can block book for many of these fields and even if that’s not an option on their booking page, it’s worth giving them a message to enquire about this too. Happy hound adisham offers a buy 5 get 1 free package for their field- a great way to ensure your dog gets some lovely walks in January!

Training Gift certificate 

A training gift certificate from Doherty Dog Services was always going to make it on our Christmas Gift Guide for Dogs 2024, wasn’t it?! I offer online training and in person training in Folkestone, Kent area. Our gift certificates can be printed off for a physical gift or sent digitally. I’ll be back training from January 2025 after finishing maternity leave. You can find out more about our in person training packages here and about our online training packages here. Just contact us to purchase.

Donate to a Dog Rescue Charity

Here’s another idea that doesn’t involve buying more stuff, and will really help dogs in need. Donating to a dog rescue charity on your gift recipients behalf is a great way of helping these invaluable charities. You could donate to the organisation your gift-ee rescued their dog from too, if they have a rescue dog. Many of these rescues have wish lists on Amazon so you can buy them dog food, beds etc directly. If you’re Folkestone based, local rescues like South East Dog Rescue and The Lord Whiskey Sanctuary Fund will really appreciate donations.

Dental Treat Box 

We love the chews from Nell + Lola and buy these year round. Chewing is an important behaviour for dogs as it helps them to relax. This is especially important for dogs that struggle to settle and reactive dogs who may need some help calming back down after stressful experiences. We regularly get the ‘Dental Chew Box’ from Nell + Lola as they’re great for keeping Duke’s teeth clean and plaque free.

Ehhh! Handmade Elliot Cotton 100% Flannel Shirts 

If you’ve got a short haired breed, you’ll know they need their own wardrobe of jumpers and coats to stay warm in the cooler months. These made to measure flannel shirts are super cute and handmade in London. They come in 3 different colours and 8 different sizes, some of which are made to order so you can get the right size for your dog. These sirts can be worn on their own in Spring or Autumn or as a layer in the depths of winter. If only Duke Silver wasn’t quite so fluffy, he’d definitely have one of these shirts! 

Fluff and Crumble Dog Treats 

There’s dog treats…. And then there’s Fluff and Crumble Christmas Dog Treat Collection. These handmade biscuits are made in small batches and are so delightful you might not want to give them to your pup! You can order a bag of ‘Everyday I’m Brusellin’ Sprout cookies, a Trio of Decorated Baubles or why not get them their own personalised sack of pressies from Santa Paws? They also do bespoke birthday portrait biscuits- I can’t cope with how gorgeous this brand is!

Lastly, what not to buy….

• Do not get a puppy or dog as a gift for anyone this Christmas! It may seem like it should go without saying, but every January rescue centres see a surge in dogs needing new homes. As the old saying goes, a dog is for life, not just for Christmas. 
• Christmas outfits for your dog, if they’re not used to wearing clothes. They don’t get it and 99% of the time, they don’t like it. I know it’s a shame- if I thought Duke didn’t mind it, you can believe he would be dressed as Rudolph the whole way through December! But it’s just not fair to cause our dogs stress for the sake of cuteness.

What next?

• Looking for help with your dog? Contact us to arrange in person or online training.
• Read more blog posts here.
• Perfect Recall: Teaching your dog to come back when called every time. Our guide is free to download when you join our email list- sign up here.