17 Best Christmas presents for dogs

AS Christmas approaches and you’re running around shopping for family and friends, don’t forget to include Christmas presents for dogs on your shopping list.

Man’s best friend is an important member of the family for many of us so it’s a great time to show how grateful you are for the unconditional love they show you.

Whether you’re buying gifts for your own pooch or presents for friends’ furbabies, take a look at our roundup of the best Christmas presents for dogs this festive season.

Best Christmas presents for dogs at a glance:

• Best for puppy: House of Hugo Christmas Gingerbread Adjustable Harness
• Best luxury gift: The Handmade Christmas Company Pawfect Dog Christmas Hamper
• Best for anxious pooch: Miki Domed Calm House
• Best for winter walks: Proviz Waterproof Fleece-Lined Dog Coat
• Best for older dogs: Scruffs Hilton Memory Foam Orthopaedic Dog Mattress
• Best Christmas keepsake: Bespoke & Oak Co Personalised Pets Christmas Eve Box
• Best for cold noses: Animigo Paw and Nose Balm
• Best for sustainability: Beco Pets Hemp Rope Jungle Ring Tough Dog Toy
• Best for poochie and you: Activity Superstore Pet Photoshoot Gift Experience
• Best heart-warming gift: Battersea Danish Design Playful Dogs Deluxe Slumber Dog Bed

1. Lily’s Kitchen Dog Advent Calendar

• Lily’s Kitchen dog advent calendar, £12 from WH Smith – buy here

The build-up to Christmas is all part of the fun, so why should your best friend miss out?

This advent calendar from Lily’s kitchen contains a bite-sized treat for every day in December until the pawsome day itself arrives. There’s Rise & Shines made from beef liver with carrots and alfalfa, Cheese & Apple Training Treats, and Bedtime Biscuits with yoghurt, honey and soothing chamomile. Perfect for excitable puppies who can’t wait for Christmas!

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2. Aesop Animal Body Wash

• Aesop Animal Body Wash, £29 from Look Fantastic – buy here

Your doggie will smell divine when bathed with this luxurious body wash.

It contains cooling spearmint and antibacterial tea tree which, along with lemon rind, make for a marvellous fragrance. A great gift for all pampered pooches at Christmas.

3. The Pawfect Dog Christmas Hamper

• The Handmade Christmas Company Pawfect Dog Christmas Hamper, £110 from Not On The High Street – buy here

This is the ultimate gift for your pampered pooch and he’s going to wuff it! A beautiful wicker basket that contains a turkey and cranberry Christmas cake mix for the main event, whine to wash it down with, snacks for Christmas Day evening when you just don’t have room for a big tea, and biscuits for Boxing Day.

The knotted tug rope toy will help exercise off festive over-indulgence and the rabbit plush is just pawfect to cuddle up with at the end of Christmas Day.

4. Domed Calm House

• Miki Domed Calm House, £21.99 from Amazon – buy here

Christmas is party time and all of the extra hustle and bustle can become just too much for nervous doggos.

This snuggly bed, with its soft fur inner and raised edge is designed to cuddle and soothe your furbaby, making her feel secure and safe. It’s suitable for puppies or small breeds and is machine-washable.

5. Activity Superstore Pet Photoshoot Gift Experience

• Activity Superstore Pet Photoshoot Gift Experience, £39 from Boots – buy here

A Christmas gift that’s just as much for you as it is for your pet, this photoshoot experience will capture your canine in his most beautiful pose.

Choose a family portrait including your dog – or just of your dog – and make memories to smile at.

6. House of Hugo Dog Christmas Gingerbread Adjustable Harness

• House of Hugo Dog Christmas Gingerbread Adjustable Harness,  £14.99 from Not On The High Street – buy here

Don’t forget your four-legged friend when it comes to Christmas party clothes!

This gorgeous harness is handmade in a cheeky gingerbread man fabric and comes in sizes XS, S, M and L. There’s also a matching lead and bow tie available so your pooch will be top dog at all her Christmas do’s this year.

7. Bakers Christmas Dog Treats Gift Box

• Bakers Christmas Dog Treats Tin, £8.99 from Amazon – buy here

Treats always go down, well, a treat at Christmas so your dog is going to love this selection box containing Bakers’ favourites: All Sorts, Sizzlers and Rewards.

There’s enough for her to share with her friends – or maybe not!

8. Brightkins Surprise Party Treat Puzzle

• Brightkins Surprise Party Treat Puzzle, £22 from Amazon – buy here

These colourful containers are not just for Christmas as your pooch will play with them year-round. Just hide their favourite treats inside then watch as they figure out how to open their presents!

Great for mental stimulation and learning play, with an expert training guide included. The toys are made from BPA-free food-grade plastic, easy to clean, and tested to human safety standards. Supervision required.

9. The 12 Meals of Christmas

• The 12 Meals of Christmas, £19.49 from Forthglade – buy here

Don’t forget your dog’s Christmas dinner or you’ll be in the doghouse! How about turkey with cranberry and parsnip for the main event, then beef with pumpkin and broccoli for Boxing Day?

Available in sizes suited to pooches big and small, with turkey and cranberry Christmas Treats to be loved by all! Ideal for doggos with sensitive tummies, these Christmas dinners are grain-free and contain 75% turkey, beef, lamb or duck.

10. Proviz Reflect360 Waterproof Fleece-Lined Dog Coat

• Proviz Reflect360 Waterproof Fleece-Lined Dog Coat, £34.99 from Amazon – buy here

Perfect for your post-dinner Christmas Day walk! This high-tech dog coat is made from the same material as the Proviz clothing range for runners and cyclists.

The coat is waterproof, but warm, with a cosy fleece lining and it’s highly reflective. It can be worn with a harness or collar, the neck and chest straps are adjustable and there’s also a handy strap at the back to help the coat stay put on windy days. Available in six sizes from XS to XXL.

11. Scruffs Hilton Memory Foam Orthopaedic Dog Mattress

• Scruffs Hilton Memory Foam Orthopaedic Dog Mattress, £59 from Amazon – buy here

Great for older and large dogs, this orthopaedic mattress supports their joints and bones, moulding to their shape and taking the pressure off. The mattress incorporates a water-resistant liner and the hard-wearing fabric cover is machine washable. For all-year-round comfortable sleep, not just for Christmas.

12. Battersea Danish Design Playful Dogs Deluxe Slumber Dog Bed

• Battersea Danish Design Playful Dogs Deluxe Slumber Dog Bed, from £33.99 at John Lewis – buy here

Christmas is a time for giving so why not combine your beloved pooch’s prezzie with a gift to those doggies less fortunate?

Sales of this cool bed benefit Battersea Dog & Cats Home, which has been caring for neglected, abandoned and abused animals since 1860, and has rehomed thousands of dogs since then.

Available in sizes XS to XL, the bed has a 100% cotton outer and is filled with 100% recycled polyester.

13. Personalised Pets Christmas Eve Box

• Bespoke & Oak Co Personalised Pets Christmas Eve Box, £30 from Not On The High Street – buy here

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, nothing was stirring – not even a doggie! Well, that’s not true if this Christmas Eve box has anything to do with it as he’ll be digging his nose in trying to guess what’s in there.

Fill this lovely wooden box with gifts and treats he’ll love – and watch while he rips off the wrapping in seconds. He knows the box is for him – it has his name on it after all!

Personalisation maximum 10 letters.

14. The Pudding Dog Jumper

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• The Pudding Dog Jumper, £20 from Joules – buy here

Your little pudding is going to look gorgeous in this Christmas jumper.

Warm as well as festive, and stylishly understated, it’s available in sizes XS to XL. (There’s also a matching human jumper available so you both dress to impress).

15. Beco Pets Hemp Rope Jungle Ring Tough Dog Toy

• Beco Pets Hemp Rope Jungle Ring Tough Dog Toy, £9.99 from John Lewis – buy here

If like my dog, your little darling is more wolf than teddy bear, then this tough dog toy from sustainable pet brand Beco could be just what Santa ordered.

It’s made from recycled cotton and hemp, so great for cleaning his teeth as he plays!

16. Kong Senior Dog Toy

• Kong Senior Dog Toy, £9.90 from Amazon – buy here

A more giving version of the iconic Kong suited to older dogs and their older teeth, but still just as robust.

Fill it with his favourite treats – peanut butter, liver paste, kibble or perhaps a bit of frozen Christmas dinner – and watch him play happily. Made from rubber and available in small, medium and large.

17. Animigo Paw and Nose Balm

• Animigo Paw and Nose Balm, £12.99 from Feel Unique – buy here

The winter weather can play havoc with their skin so protect it with the soothing organic balm.

Full of natural ingredients such as moisturising shea butter, jojoba, olive oil and vitamin E, this luxurious treatment protects against cracked paws and dry noses – and importantly, it’s lick-safe.

What are the best Christmas presents for dogs?

That depends on the breed and character of the dog you’re buying for. A puppy will love playing with toys, whereas an older dog is more likely to appreciate treats, or a soft bed to cushion their joints.

Some dogs are chewers, so toys won’t last more than a few hours, however, there are tough toys available specifically suited to dogs that chew.

Treats make a good Christmas present, but if you don’t know the dog very well perhaps check with the owner first in case of allergies.

Are all dog gifts suitable for all dogs?

You should choose toys to suit the size and temperament of the dog you’re buying for. A little dog will love Christmas presents she can play with and drag around, whereas a huge hound who is more active (and has bigger teeth) will need something more robust and long-lasting if it’s still going to be around to play with on Boxing Day.

Choose your Christmas presents for dogs bearing their characters in mind also.

What are the most popular Christmas presents for dogs?

Christmas jumpers have to be right up there at the top of the list – especially fun when you can buy one for yourself to match!

Christmas-theme harnesses with matching collars and leads are also particularly popular for the festive season, sporting everything from gingerbread men to Santa Claus. For a more traditional theme, consider tartans with red and green, or muted checks in winter and countryside colours.