Christmas gift for dogs

Elsa’s pre-Christmas gift which is her absolute favorite and biggest stuffed toy so far.

Are you shopping for your canine? A family member’s or friend’s canine? I’m done my canine Christmas shopping for the season. In fact the dogs were all done before one single human gift was purchased. Every canine member of our family is getting a new stuffed toy. Each toy is selected specifically for the individual dog. Size and texture are factored in when selection is done. It’s very scientific (just kidding).

But what past the toy is there to buy the canines in your life? I like things that are useful. A life jacket for that paddle boarding dog. A safety car harness for the dog/s in your life. How about a new walking harness and/or leash? A new dog bed is a great idea for those who use them and are out of the destructo age. ;)

If you live in a climate where it gets chilly or downright cold; how about a nice warm or weather resistant coat? Elsa has a couple of warm coats but she is in need of a waterproof one. We deal mostly with rain although it does get pretty darned cold here in the morning. If I’m putting on gloves to keep my hands warm I think she might need a coat. She lets me know if she is feeling the cold by the amount of shaking she does. Not the trembling kind of shaking but the fluffing her coat up shaking. When our dogs shake their fill their fur with air which helps to keep them warm.

How about some dog training? I have actually been given as a Christmas gift. That is my dog training package, my me personally. LOL ;) Imagine a frustrated guardian opening an envelope that says “help is on the way?” A gift for both the human and the dog which will help to grow their relationship through understanding…priceless.

Another great gift idea for the dogs in your life are homemade cookies. Of course the healthier the better. How about a whole cookie club? You can give the gift of the cookie club to the canine guardian in your life which results in a lot of gifts for their dog.

Healthy treats are a wonderful idea but make sure that the dog receiving the is use to getting different types of treats. We don’t want any upset tummies around the Holidays.

Whatever you plan to gift the dogs in your life, think about the dog itself. Some gift ideas are geared solely around the guardian which I’m not a fan of. Something that both a dog and human can enjoy is the best. Of course when we give our dogs something that they enjoy, it brings us much joy; a win, win scenario.

Fleece

I'm heading out this morning to get some fleece.  Fleece is one of the most versatile materials you can have around when you have dogs.  I use to have bags full of it but alas I've actually run out.  So I'm off to Joanne's today to stock up.  Recently Luke has been feeling very spry and decided to play more.  Playing more means tug-of-war with Elsa; which means that toys are being destroyed and spread everywhere.  Tuesday night my family room was covered with fluff; yesterday it was my office.   Looking down at all the fluff I disappointed to see the toys ruined.  Elsa has just learned not to ruin her toys but they cannot stand up to the tugging between these two.  But, I am so happy to see Luke wanting to play again that I'm off to Joanne's to buy fleece for more toys.

Previous blog on braiding toys with fleece.

When Jessie and Tilley were with us I used fleece everywhere and everyday.  It covered every bed in the house which were covered first with an absorbent pad and then fleece.  Jessie's bed had fleece in it that required washing everyday.  She could not wear a diaper in the end as her dementia caused her to turn circles in her crate.  The diaper would just fall off within minutes; fleece kept her dry as it tends to be very absorbent.  She had a whole pile that were hers alone piled on top of her crate and cleaned everyday.  Fleece is great for blankets on chilly nights and to keep in the car.  When we travel, fleece is kept on top of the bed for the dogs.  Plus fleece is a great thing to bring into hotel rooms for a familiar bed spot. 

When you buy fleece, there are two types; stretch and non stretch. The stretch is much nicer than the non although it is a bit more work, muscle wise to braid.  The stretch is easier to braid but you have to braid it very tightly for a good end result.  The non is hard to braid as there is no give.  So I always buy the stretch type.  Fleece is cheap too; wait for it to go on sale.  It always goes on sale as it comes in all the seasonal patterns and collars.  You can get remnant pieces for even less than sale price. 

Fleece is my favorite material to cover beds in the house as well.  You can buy colors to match your décor and it makes keeping beds clean much easier.  I absolutely  hate pulling beds out of their cases to washing; so keeping a fleece blanket on top means less washing the whole bed.  Fleece stays put better than most other fabrics too. 

So I'll be braiding today.  Miss Penny is coming over tonight so there will be much tugging going on I'm thinking.  Fleece braids are a great gift idea for your dog this Christmas too.  :)