dare I say it Christmas is nearly upon us and the last thing you want to do is
to forget to buy the most important family member which is your dog of
course some Christmas gifts well as luck would have it here is a list of the best
Christmas gifts for dogs that they will not only love but that will also improve
their physical or mental health now I've split them into five categories
so you're certain to find the best present for your pampered pooch what
more could you ask for hi I'm dr. Alex from our pets health helping you and
your pet to live a healthier happier life so if that's something you're
interested in make sure you hit that subscribe button down below
so my first category is pet tech gifts we all love a new gadget or at least I
know I do but it's all too easy to waste money on
something that goes in a drawer after or weeks use it never gets recharged and it
never sees the light of day again get something instead that you're not only
used but will also help your dog to stay fit and healthy and my first item is a
Fitz Park activity tracker so there's no need for your dog to miss out on the
latest tech gadgets out there and how about something that not only tracks
your dog's activity levels but can also provide an early warning system to alert
you to the fact that your dog might be becoming unwell sounds too good to be
true well this is exactly what the fit bark two offers think of it like a
Fitbit activity tracker for dogs so the fit bark too comes in a small discreet
package it's got a super cool bone design and lots of kind of quick
changing colors that just get attached to the collar it's super I'm super
discreet your dog won't know it's there and you know they look great
so once attached to your dog's collar like I say they're not even going to
know it's there and that's really when the magic begins so the fit bark two
tracks how active and how much exercise your dog has had and it then compares it
to their normal scores as well as with other similar dogs it also lets you know
how well they are sleeping and when this is combined with activity levels you can
get some incredibly useful health indicators so activity levels you know
are they starting to fall as sleep becoming disturbed well they could be
sick you can track the improvement in your dog's activity levels as an
indicator that their arthritis treatment that used
it is actually working it's actually improving their comfort and quality of
life as your itchy dog sleep quality started to drop well they might be
having a flare-up of their allergy and they might be up to scratching all night
and you're just not aware of that so as well as fun you know this is one
Christmas gift that's guaranteed to help your dog stay fit and also stay as
healthy as possible so next up we've got the whistle GPS monitor so if you live
in the USA and you want to step things up a level then the whistle three might
be just what you're looking for as well as being an activity tracker is also a
GPS monitor and this allows you to know exactly where your dog is and track
their every movement you can even set up safe spaces online and what happens is
if your dog goes out of these safe spaces you get alerted straight away so
if your dog you know breaks out of the yard or you know heaven forbid if they
get taken then you're going to get alerted straight away now the downsides
to the whistle or that you know quite understandably for a GPS tracking
service a subscription plan is needed and all that tech means that the unit's
larger it's less discreet and not as attractive as the fit bark too but still
if GPS tracking is what you want then the whistle too is whistle three sorry
is exactly what your dog needs this Christmas ok mental stimulation is next
he ever thought how boring a dog's life can be sitting waiting for you to come
home or waiting for you to stop and play with them or grab the lead and take them
out for that walk that you've been promising them for a week well a lack of
stimulation can cause a lot of behavioral problems as well as have the
potential to worse and diseases like dementia in older dogs so keep your dog
stimulated with these food puzzle gifts and their happiness will definitely be
improved and first up I've got a snuffle mat so a snuffle mat is a great way to
make your dog actually work for their food stretch outs stretches out
mealtimes it reduces overeating and the concept is really simple you just hide
their biscuits in the mat and your dog then has to work to rummage to snuffle
their way through into every nook and cranny to get their reward you can think
of this as an indoor version of simply just throwing your dog's food out all
over the lawn for them to then look for you know it engages their nose engages
their brain it provides mental stimulation and far more enjoyment of
mealtimes you know compared to a typical dog who just vacuums up their dinner in
two and a half seconds flat so snuffle mats come in lots of
different varieties from simple wool versions to more complex creations where
you can actually vary what your dog has to do to get their food you'll still
need to supervise mealtimes especially in the early days to make sure that your
dog doesn't actually start eating their mat and you're also going to need to put
it through the washing machine every now and then just to keep it clean and keep
it hygienic but nonetheless a stuff all that could make the perfect Christmas
gift for your dog this Christmas do you feed your dog a wet food rather than a
dry food but like the idea of stuff or mats well don't worry a licky mat is the
perfect alternative so these rubber mats they're designed to have wet food or a
treat added bit like peanut butter and the ridges and the fingers then make it
a challenge for your dog to eat whatever it is that you've spread over their
licky pad while they're you know not looking for it and they don't have to
look for it lists have to work hard to get their tongue into every crevice and
work out the best way to do that and a liquid mat is bound to be their sole
point of focus for quite some time again it's a perfect way to spread out
mealtimes but it's also a great distraction for an anxious dog through
something like fireworks or thunderstorms okay so next up we have
the humble Kong and no dog Christmas gift guide won't be complete without two
Kong so these are virtually indestructible rubber toys they're
perfect for stuffing with treats and they provide hours of entertainment for
your dog if they suffer from separation anxiety fear of fireworks again or if
they're just left to their own devices for hours on end then you simply must
get your dog a calm while some people would be happy to leave their dog on the
supervise with a snuffle mat or a licky pad you know like I said before I'd
always worry about the potential for them to eat parts of that which could
then have you know potentially serious complications with Kong so if you get
the right size and the right strength there's absolutely tiny chance of your
dog destroying them they're really robust so they're definitely safe to
leave with your dog you know when they're not supervised so get one it's
that simple now my last mental stimulation toy is just a treat ball so
these are hollow balls they can be filled with kibble
then the hole means that when the ball is rolled the biscuits slowly fall out
it's important to get the right size for your dog too small and they end up may
end up just chewing and destroying the ball itself to large and they might get
their jaw stuck in the dispensing hole and certainly on reviews I've seen this
is a real a main problem funkin of our tiny toy breed dogs you know every dog
enjoys different challenges and it might be that a treat ball is the challenge
that your dog will enjoy the most that's Christmas okay so my next category is be
safe be seen so Christmas means winter and winter means dark evenings this
though is no excuse for you not to take your dog out to exercise and actually
you're fit buck might be telling you off if you don't head out but it's vital
that your dog is visible so that you can see them you can see where they are
other people can see your dog and it makes it much less likely that they
could get hit by a car or knocked over by a bike you know should they wander
off although clearly a good recall is a must for any awfully dog especially when
it's dark and my first item is just a reflective vest so a simple reflective
vest it might not be the most fashionable accessory but it's certainly
one of the best and cheapest ways to make sure that your dog won't be missed
they're lightweight they come in a range of sizes they're super visible to any
traffic but if you're in a dark field by yourself then you still won't be able to
keep track of your dog because it needs that light reflecting off it to be to be
visible so a step up then is a vest with built in flashing lights turn them on
and your dog is gonna be lit up like a Christmas tree there's gonna be no
missing them if you don't like the idea of built-in lights or want something a
bit more robust and heavy-duty then you could instead choose a
reflective harness so there are some great ones out there I really like the
high quality ones from Julia's canine as well as reflective detailing and trim
they also have a built in torch holder and they of course come in a range of
colors and that really are built to last a lifetime
so if you combine your Julia's canine power harness with a light top collar
then again visibility won't be a problem there is of course an even simpler
option than a light top collar and that's to get a clip-on collar light
they're cheap they're cheerful they do a good job but they are only visible from
the front really they're definitely better than nothing but if you're going
to use a clip-on collar light then you definitely want to combine that with
something else to make sure that your dog is definitely visible on the dark
nights around Christmas so using a combination as with many things
it's definitely the best option there okay so my next category is a touch of
luxury now there's nothing wrong with the little indulgence of luxury over
Christmas especially if it improves your dog's quality of life and first up I've
got a memory foam bed so what's more luxurious than a bed that contours to
your body well the cold weather can mean that your senior dog becomes more stiff
than normal they might be struggling with arthritis now of course it's vital
to start a proper treatment program but one part of this can be buying them a
soft padded bed and even better than that is to buy a memory foam bed this
wraps around sore joints it removes pressure points and helps ease any aches
and pains if you've got a young dog or one who doesn't suffer from stiffness
you know and they're not in pain well they still deserve a comfortable bed
don't they you'll also want to make sure you get a waterproof cover to make sure
that they stay clean and dry and they really will last a lifetime if you look
if you look after them okay next up we've got a winter jacket so depending
on where you live Christmas again means winter and winter means freezing or wet
or both so what your dog there needs is a toasty warm jacket and this is
especially important if your dog you know it's not a quick with their own
winter coat so you know an extreme example would be a whippet got no body
fat and they've got really short hair or if they're just small and so more likely
to get wet through and or succumb to the cold so for mild weather you might be
able to get away with something that just covers their their trunk their
torso and chest but when temperatures really drop you want to get something
that also covers their neck so this is really important as a lots of big blood
vessels they run very close to the skin there and without insulation they can
result in you know a lot of heat loss when it's really cold or when it's wet
okay my last category is charity so Christmas is all about giving and maybe
your dog has everything they could possibly want you've got every accessory
Under the Sun maybe they've even stopped believing in Santa
maybe they'd be delighted with nothing more than a tasty pack of dental chews
but rather than splurge then on something that won't get used or you
don't really need consider instead making a donation to charity so you
could give you a lote local shelter a ring to see if there's anything that
they're you know they're desperate for instead you might want to pick a charity
that's close to your heart and working towards a goal that you really feel
passionate out you know there are so many out there
but one that stands out for me is a tractor called Street vet so this is a
team of dedicated veterinarians who volunteer their time to help care for
the pets of the homeless and you know they've got an Amazon wishlist they
accept donations you know as do many charities so the bond between homeless
people in their pets it's really profound and it may actually be that
their dog is the only thing keeping them going and that's where you know Street
vet does fantastic work to keep the the pets of homeless people you know healthy
and safe as possible and entertain you'll see from their their wish list
you know they do ask for toys and things like that because the mental health of
our dogs on the street are just as important as you know our pet dogs and
just as important as the homeless people themselves so you know that's the
charity suggestion but you know wherever you are and whatever charities close to
you I'm sure they would be more than delighted to receive whatever donation
you can give okay so I hope my Christmas gift for dog guide gives you a few ideas
of something that you can get your dog something that you know they'll enjoy
there like that will entertain them but will also be useful and also have
long-term benefits for their health and their well-being or will help keep them
safe and if you've got any favorite gifts that your dog or you know favorite
toys that your dog likes you know please leave me a comment down below and I'd
love to to hear from them and read from them and you know give give people other
ideas of what they could give their dog but until next time I'm dr. alex from
our pets health because they're family