I never thought I’d be one of those people who treated their dog like some mini human – talking to him in this sickly sweet high pitched gaga language like he’s a baby and spoiling him rotten with all the dog toys and chews and various bits and bobs I can get my mitts on. Jeez it wasn’t even that long ago that I swore blind I would never even get a dog. And yet here I am sat with a 16 week old Cockapoo puppy (Baxter) at my feet and I have 100% become that person.
And with Christmas fast approaching (seriously, is it me or does it feel like the Xmas adverts start earlier and earlier each year!?!) my thoughts turn to not only what to buy the kids this year, but also what to buy Baxter – well, it is his first Christmas after all 😉
Every year we put together our wellness themed Christmas gift guides and this year I thought it would be good to do a similar one for dogs. As I’m sure you’re all aware, owning a pet, particularly dogs, is hugely beneficial to our own health and wellbeing. And so I figured we owe our furry friends a bit of thanks for that. Plus if you’re dog is treated well, then surely those wellness perks are going to come flying right back to you as well.
With the help of one of his friends (Monty), Baxter has tested out the following products and thinks they should all be included in our dog Christmas gift guide. Read on to discover what he’s chosen:
The Perfect Gift For Mucky Pups
At this time of year it’s almost inevitable that you’re going to have a soggy doggy to deal with after walkies. Then there’s the mud and the fox poo and anything else they can find to roll in. And that s**t literally stinks! No one wants their house smelling of wet dog. Giving your dog a bath is a fantastic way to bond, as well as to get them smelling sweeter again, but not all dogs are up for a soak and you do have to be careful what products you use on them to ensure their coats keep the essential oils they need to protect your dog and keep them looking and feeling healthy.
This dog shampoo and dog cologne from Norfolk Natural Living is absolutely perfect, as it contains no nasty chemicals and yet still has the power to make clean even the pongiest of pooches.
The shampoo uses ingredients that mainly derive from coconuts, along with other cruelty free and vegan ingredients that help to gently cleanse and moisturise your dog’s fur and skin. We tried out the Sea Salt shampoo, which has a subtle citrusy scent that isn’t too overpowering, even for a dog’s sensitive sense of smell. Baxter doesn’t particularly like bath time, but he was certainly a lot calmer than he has been before and seemed to love me massaging the shampoo into his fur. It lathers up an absolute treat so you really don’t need too much of it. And it washes out very easily too, which means bath time doesn’t need to take an absolute age.
Norfolk Natural Living dog shampoo is available in either Sea Salt or Lavender scents and is priced at £14.50 for a 500ml bottle.
Now, let’s talk dog cologne. Yep you heard me, perfume for dogs. Available in Sea Salt, Lavender, and Rose Garden, these 200ml spray bottles are perfect for spritzing on your dog in between washes, spraying on their bed or blanket if it gets a big whiffy and for just generally making them smell a whole lot nicer. It’s made from just 3 ingredients – distilled water, witchhazel and essential oils – and is therefore suitable for dogs with sensitive skin. Baxter loved me rubbing it in to him, especially as it meant more belly rubs, and I loved that it made him smell half decent again.
The Norfolk Natural Living Dog Cologne is available to buy from their website and is priced at £13.50 for a 200ml bottle.
Personalised Bowls For Your Pampered Pooch
Who realised dogs could be so picky when it comes to what bowl they’ll eat their food from? But it turns out they can!
When we first got Baxter we bought him a bog standard plastic bowl that came with a silver metal bowl as part of some deal at the pet shop. The plastic bowl he was fine with, but the metal bowl he had huge issues with and refused to neither eat nor drink from it. Eventually I figured out that it was because he could see his reflection in it and so we resorted to using a Tupperware lid for his food until we could find one he would eat from.
Thankfully, the gorgeous handmade ceramic bowls from Chow Bella were bought to my attention and finally we seem to have found a bowl that’s up to Baxter’s high standards.
The company was set up because the owner was looking for a bowl for her Cocker Spaniel that stopped her ears from dangling in the contents. After much searching, she realised there weren’t any and so as a trained potter she set about creating her own. Each bowl is hand painted in your choice of colour and can be personalised with your dog’s name.
As you can see from the photo above, Baxter’s ears sit neatly either side of the bowl and needless to say he hasn’t got any issues about eating from it! Aside from this being a beautiful gift to buy your dog this Christmas, it’s kind of also a gift for you as you can choose a colour to suit your home decor and as someone who has recently undergone a huge home renovation, let me tell you that this matters. The bowls are also dishwasher safe (hooray!) and because they are handpainted it means the colours won’t fade like some other bowls which use transfers instead.
Chow Bella dog bowls are available in 6 different sizes with prices starting at £22.99 for the smallest bowl and going up to £33.99 for the largest one. They also sell treat jars and cat bowls, which can be personalised with your pet’s name or the words of your choice.