We’ve spent the last couple months testing and curating the best holiday gifts for dogs (and their people) – and today’s recommendations are all gifts for your dog to EAT! If I had to guess, I think today’s probably our dogs’ favorite day of the gift guide!
When it comes to testing edibles, I don’t rely on the dogs. They don’t have the most discerning palates. My first step is to review ingredients to see if it’s something I feel comfortable giving them. Now, I’m not someone who’s “all health, all the time.” I like to balance a little bit of junk food now and then. These winners, though, all rank really highly for being nutritious – and I added our favorite supplements to balance out too many Christmas cookies. I had a tough time narrowing it down, so here are our favorite seven best holiday gifts for dogs that they can EAT!
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DGP
Let’s kick this off with our supplement fave. I’ve written about this before, and if you have a dog with joint problems or you just want preventative care, this is the one for you. DGP is all about supporting mobility and flexibility, and if your dog is already on a glucosamine-type supplement, it can be added to provide additional support. Lucas has bad hips, and he’s starting to get a bit older – though he seems unaware of that fact – and loves to play at doggy daycare one day a week. It was taking its toll on his joints, but with the DGP, he now seems to be pretty solid. I’m SUPER happy with this supplement, and my big boy is going to stay on it for sure! To buy: $28 for one bottle
Indigo Triple Chews
Dental health is critical, but we aren’t great about brushing these guys’ teeth. We look for dental products that keep their teeth clean and their mouths healthy. The Indigo Triple Chews are by FAR our favorites. They’re digestible and grain-free. They combine benefits by including antioxidants and probiotics with the dental care. But why we love them: They actually are long-lasting. We’ve tried every type of dental chew, and they finish them SO fast. Too fast for how expensive they are. These seriously last longer than any other we tried. I wanted a metric, so I gave one to Lucas before I sat down to write today. It took him from 3:24 until 3:51. In my house, that’s a Christmas miracle. To buy: $24.99 for small, medium, and large
Fruitables Holiday Edition: Vanilla Snowflake Flavor
So, these treats have by FAR the best story to them. They are made with real snowflakes! Seriously! You can watch a video of them harvesting the snow. These are small, crunchy treats that are made with 300 snowflakes in every bag. How funny and cute is that?! The ingredients are pretty allergy-friendly, too. The treats don’t contain any wheat, corn, soy, artificial colors, or preservatives. While the boys don’t care too much about those factors, they did gobble them up! I absolutely love the story and think these would make a very sweet stocking stuffer for any lucky pup! To buy: $5.99 for the Fruitables Dog Treats Vanilla Snowflake 7-ounce bag
Zuke’s
Full disclosure: If you have a dog who is as food sensitive as Cooper is, Zuke’s have not been the best treats for him. For some reason, they really aggravate his sensitive stomach. The big boys, on the other hand, couldn’t. get. enough. We love Zuke’s for training because they have a strong smell and are easily broken into little bits. These jerky ones, though, have a lamb that we’re trying with Coop, and so far, so good! The other flavors are great for the other dogs. There are a couple different beef options and turkey, too. These jerky treats – made from totally safe meat sourced in the US and New Zealand, rather than China – contain real meat, carrots, blueberries, apples, and antioxidant-rich herbs. We break them into tiny pieces to use when we’re working with the dogs outside because the strong smell keeps them engaged. These are treats we NEVER want to run out of! To buy: $7.99 per bag
Train-Me Treats
We do a lot of training around here, and we use treats for just about everything from regular walks around the block to teaching new tricks to working on whatever Cooper’s new fear-of-the-moment is. To keep them interested, we have to mix up the rewards. These training treats from Crazy Dog were new to me, and they’ve been working so well. They’re soft – so much better than crunchy when training – and all list meat as the first ingredient. They come in bacon, chicken, and beef flavors and either 4-ounce or 6-ounce bags. To buy: 3 bags for $14
Pet Naturals of Vermont supplements
Many years ago, we drove from DC to Indiana. Then, later, from Indiana to Louisiana. Then, again later, from Louisiana to Indiana. Sigh. All those miles with the dogs is pretty stressful, so we had been purchasing Pet Naturals of Vermont calming treats. They have a HUGE array of supplements beyond the popular calming treats, though, and we’ve been using the Daily Best for Emmett (although, I think maybe he needs the senior formula) and the Skin + Coat. They’re well-formulated and definitely have a good flavor – the boys gobble them up. Bonus for anyone with an allergy-prone dog: The Skin + Coat version is flavored with duck, making it more widely tolerated! To buy: $7.11 for Calming Support for Medium & Large Dogs
PetSafe 2-Meal Automatic Pet Feeder
If you live in a multi-pet household, this may not be the Christmas gift for you (unless you have a cat who has separate access from your dog or something). My herd insists on being fed at a specific time. Every. Single. Day. Breakfast is at 7. Dinner is at 5. I know not everyone has pets so diligent about their feeding times, but these guys insist. For a while, Coop was also eating lunch. And, actually, Newt gets a puzzle toy mid-day. Anyway, this product would be a dream if you had to do a mid-day feeding or if you had a late meeting or dinner plans and wanted to feed your pet on time. For a dog like Emmett – who takes, roughly, 15 pills a day some of which have to be timed with meals – this would be a lifesaver if you had to leave early/come home late. All you do is fill the feeder, set a timer, and TA DA! Your pet is fed the right amount at the right time, even if you have to head out or are running late! $34.95 for the 2-Meal (1.5 cups per side) version (HINT: The five cup version is coming later in the week!)
Barker Kitsen treat assortment — No longer available.
You guys, I’m in love. Can you be in love with a pet retailer? I sure am! This online shop is dedicated to “under-the-radar products,” which means you’re going to discover something NEW in their shop. I seriously loved poking around, and I look at pet products all-the-live-long day! From their mission: “The company’s mission is to help quality-minded pet owners make superior product choices to keep their pets healthy and happy, while giving emerging and unknown brands national exposure as a distribution source for their products.” As I said, I’m in love! They sent us a bunch of treats to try: Raw Bistro free-range bison liver and flaxseed treats, organic sweet potato treats from 2 Dogs Treats, Bixbi’s Skin and Coat chicken breast jerky, and Scrappy Moo treats. Not one of those treats was a flop. We loved them ALL. (Cooper could even eat the bison! Yippee!) And the packaging is super cute. Combined with the great mission, I’m head over heels!
We LOVE all of these tasty pet products, and now YOU have a chance to win some for your pups! This is a Rafflecopter giveaway. The widget should load below in a few seconds, or if you’re reading via email or feed, you may have to click the link. Winners will be drawn and notified on Friday, November 28. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
We think these would make great stocking stuffers – though tell Santa not to put them IN the stockings until the dogs have gone to bed on Christmas Even – otherwise, if your dogs are anything like these three, your whole mantle might be pulled down when you’re not home! 🙂
Come back tomorrow for our next day and a whole new theme for recommendations and giveaways! And if you missed yesterday’s play theme, don’t forget to head over and enter to win those giveaways!
Disclaimer: We didn’t receive any compensation for this guide, though some of these brands sent products for our consideration. Not all made the cut! The ones here are ones we really, truly love.