Gifts for Dog Lovers: Presents for Them and the Dog

Gifts for the daily walk

Most dog owners are walking with a lead that frayed years ago and a pocket full of poo bags and keys. Upgrading the everyday kit is the easiest win, because it gets used on every single walk.

A harness and lead set in a proper fabric, like handwoven Harris Tweed, turns something purely practical into something they are proud to be seen with. A crossbody walking bag keeps treats, phone and bags in one place and leaves both hands free for the lead and the ball. A light collar with a magnetic buckle that clicks shut with one hand is a small luxury anyone who has fumbled with a clip in the rain will appreciate.

1. 1

   Truelove Harris Tweed Harness, Lead and Poo Bag Set

   Handwoven Harris Tweed with a matching lead and poo bag holder: walking kit that feels like a proper present. Made for toy and small breeds.

   £44.99That Dog

   ViewDetailsSave
2. 2

   Truelove Trail Crossbody Dog Walking Bag

   Treats, phone, keys and poo bags in one tough bag, with both hands left free for the lead.

   From £36.99That Dog

   ViewDetailsSave
3. 3

   Truelove Ultra Light Magnetic Dog Collar

   A light padded collar with a magnetic buckle that clicks shut with one hand, in four colours.

   From £21.99That Dog

   ViewDetailsSave

Gifts for winter walks and muddy dogs

Winter is when dog owners suffer most: dark mornings, wet fur and a car or sofa that never quite recovers. A good dog coat with reflective trim helps on short coated or older dogs that feel the cold, and makes them easier to see on evening walks.

A fleece drying coat is the gift people did not know they needed until they have one. It goes straight on after a muddy walk, a swim or a bath and soaks up the worst of it before the dog reaches the furniture. Add a good brush, with pins on one side and bristles on the other, for getting dried mud and loose hair out afterwards.

1. 4

   Truelove Thermal Dog Coat

   Recycled Thinsulate filling and reflective trim for cold, dark walks, with an opening for a harness.

   From £50.99That Dog

   ViewDetailsSave
2. 5

   Truelove Fleece Dog Drying Coat

   Goes straight on after a muddy walk, a swim or a bath, and saves the sofa.

   From £20.99That Dog

   ViewDetailsSave
3. 6

   Truelove Bamboo Double Pin and Bristle Brush

   Pins on one side and boar bristles on the other: a full groom from one brush, at a Secret Santa price.

   From £12.99That Dog

   ViewDetailsSave

Gifts for the person on the other end of the lead

Dog lovers rarely buy themselves anything for the walk, but they are outside in all weathers far more than most people. Proper wellies and a waterproof jacket they actually like wearing make the wet months a lot more bearable.

A travel mug that keeps coffee hot through a long morning walk is a smaller present that gets used every day. These are also good choices when you are not sure about the dog's size or what it already has, because they are entirely for the owner.

1. 7

   Barbour Bede Waterproof Wellington Boots

   Classic waterproof wellies for the owner who is out in every kind of weather.

   £75Barbour

   ViewDetailsSave
2. 8

   Joules Hove Waterproof Jacket, Khaki Green

   A smart waterproof they will be happy to wear on the walk and to the pub after.

   £89Joules

   ViewDetailsSave
3. 9

   Thermos Thermocafe Earth Collection Travel Mug, 340ml

   Keeps the coffee warm on a long, cold morning walk, and costs little enough to add to another present.

   £13John Lewis

   ViewDetailsSave

Gifts that celebrate their breed

Most dog people love anything with their breed on it, as long as it is nicely made rather than a novelty. A good mug with a Labrador or Cocker Spaniel on it is the kind of thing they will reach for every morning and smile at.

Check the breed before you buy. A spaniel owner can tell a Cocker from a Springer at fifty paces, and a mug with the wrong dog on it is worse than no mug at all.

1. 10

   Emma Bridgewater Black Labrador Half Pint Earthenware Mug, 300ml

   A half pint earthenware mug with a black Labrador on it, for the owner who reaches for the same mug every morning.

   £25Emma Bridgewater

   ViewDetailsSave

How to get the size right

Anything the dog wears, from harnesses to coats, comes in sizes, and dogs of the same breed can vary a lot. Coats are usually sized by back length, from the base of the neck to the base of the tail, and harnesses by chest width around the deepest part of the ribcage. If you can, ask the owner for the measurements, or check what size their current coat or harness is.

Some sets are made for particular sizes too. The Harris Tweed set in this guide, for example, is made for toy and small breeds, so it suits a terrier or a dachshund rather than a retriever. When in doubt, choose something for the owner instead, or something one size fits all like a brush or a walking bag.

What to skip

Treats and food are a risky choice unless you know the dog well. Some dogs are on special diets or have sensitive stomachs, and owners tend to be careful about what goes into their bowl. Cheap squeaky toys rarely last long either, so they are seldom worth wrapping.

The safest route of all is to ask. A dog owner always has something on the list, whether that is a bigger bed, a better lead or a coat for the winter. A shared HintDrop list, which works with any shop, lets them save the exact item and size so you can buy the right one and nobody doubles up.