Gift Ideas for Dogs and the People Who Love Them

Once fetch begins, when it ends isn’t really up to you. With this automated tosser, it can go on as long as your pup wants; she just has to drop the ball in the bucket and watch it launch out the other end. You can even adjust its throwing power to keep the ball-throwing to an inside distance. There’s a model that throws standard tennis balls, and one for small pups that tosses miniature ones.

When you get a dog, everyone’s like, “You’re going to have hair everywhere!” You think, whatever, it’ll be fine, they’re just exaggerating. Then two weeks in, everything you own is covered in a thick coat just like the dog’s. You can avoid it all with this groomer. It snaps onto Dyson vacuums and goes straight to the source, sucking all the loose hair off the pup without yanking on anything that’s still attached.

In a perfect world, everyone would be home snuggling with their puppers all the time. Until then, we have the Furbo Dog Camera. It’s a Wi-Fi connected machine that let you check in your pets, talk to them, and even toss them treats at the touch of an app. This is a perfect gift for a friend who travels a lot, who is ill, or who is just missing their furry friend this holiday. Read more about it here.

Your friend is always insisting that his Chihuahua is smarter than your honor student. Why not put that claim to the test? This “chess” puzzle challenges brainy pooches to manipulate plastic and rubber cones and slides to find treats. With adjustable levels, the game can be adjusted for any dog, from a scatterbrained puppy to the next Paw-by Fischer.

A dog could sure use a fitness tracker this time of year. All holiday season, ham and turkey has been mysteriously “falling to the floor,” right in front of an all-too-willing doggo. The Whistle 3 Pet Tracker tracks your portly pup’s steps and whereabouts, and it displays it all to you on the Whistle app. It’s an easy way to keep track of Pooh Bear’s fitness—whether or not you’re also tracking your own.

OK, so maybe you’ll never get fully in your dog’s head, but you can at least see the world through her eyes. Drop your GoPro in the Fetch mount, strap the harness around their midsection, and you’ll get to see what it’s like to be on the other end of the tug-of-war or in full romp on the beach. It’s the next best thing to knowing what in the world they’re smelling on the sidewalk.

We know our dogs would follow us to the ends of the earth. Why not make their travels a little more comfortable? Inside the sturdy Traveler’s Kit bag is an airtight pouch made to store 5 pounds of kibble, a portable food bowl, and a water bowl. Pockets galore cam stash leashes and toys, and the durable nylon canvas material is built to last multiple weekend camping trips.

You pad outside, slippers on, for the dog’s morning constitutional. Coffee in one hand, your phone in the other, your leash awkwardly wrapped around two fingers. The dog yanks a little too hard, and you fling your coffee all over yourself. Forget all that. Use a hands-free leash like this one. It wraps around your waist so you can run, bike, or just amble around the front yard with both hands still free.

You’re playing fetch with only your arms? You’re doing it wrong. This simple contraption turns you into a ball-throwing monster. One flick of your wrist hucks a tennis ball hundreds of feet instead of dozens. You’ll go from playing fetch in the backyard to sending your dog up and down a football field. And trust us: your dog will be stoked about your newfound fastball.

Your dog will eat as much food as you put in front of her, no questions asked. If this isn’t true of your dog, congratulations: You have a cat. With the PetNet feeder, you can automate the whole process: Just tell it when and how much. Then say sorry, Bruno, it’s not up to me how much food you get. It’s the robot’s decision.

Don’t let your tiny dog turn into one of those hoity-toity fashion accessories Paris Hilton used to carry around. Toss it into this heavy-duty canvas tote instead, which is both better-looking than your mesh carrier and not nearly as eye roll-inducing as a purse. There’s even a cutout on the side, so Finn can stick his head out without getting caught in the zipper.

It’s OK that your dog sleeps in bed with you every night, and it’s OK that you don’t sleep as well without the little guy snuggling at your feet. This pup-sized sleeping bag zips into just about whatever human-sized model you own and lets you bring the closeness into the wilderness. You each get your own space, with plenty of cuddle room in there too.

Sometimes, dogs just need a little more support. A sturdy harness will keep their bodies secure, whether they're out on a rugged hike or zipping around the neighborhood. The adjustable straps and padded chest make for a comfortable fit, and the reflective tape trim will put your mind at ease during nighttime excursions.

Chewy is like Amazon, but for pets (and also better). Like Amazon, you can get pretty much anything your pet might need delivered in just one or two days. Unlike Amazon, the experiences are tailored for your pet, so you can even get prescription medications and set up recurring refill deliveries. Membership is free, and orders ship at a flat rate—for a shopping experience that's tailored for pet owners, we think it's a pretty doggone good deal.