I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – and I’m sure my wife will agree: I’m not a good Christmas shopper when it comes to finding good gifts for people. However, I believe I’m a world-class gift shopper if you’re talking about finding presents for dogs. I’ll take my Australian Shepherd’s word for it, anyway. Whenever I come home with something for her, she perks her ears up, hops around on her hind legs, and generally goes nuts for 15 minutes or so. I can’t remember the last time my wife did that for a gift I gave her.
If you’re still stymied about a gift for your dog, go visit my sister. She’s a vet in Riverton, and her clinic is called The Stock Doc. She has these treats for dogs called Bark Bright dental kits. They’re a long, skinny treat that looks like a churro from Taco John’s, but they have a channel that runs up the side. The dental kit comes with a tube of paste that you squeeze into that channel, and it cleans the dog’s teeth while he’s eating the churro. A word of caution – if you get any of that toothpaste on your finger, don’t touch your mouth. It will stay there, no matter how much you try to wash it out, for hours.
If your dog likes to get on the furniture, but your better half forbids it, get that dog a couch of his own. A good one is the Moots VIP sofa. Or you could stick with good ol’ rugged toughness and get your hunting dog a Filson pet bed. It’s about the same price as that sofa, but it’ll last forever.
If your dog is energetic and easily gets bored (I’m thinking about all you shorthair owners out there), put a treat in a Trixie Poker Box when you leave him alone. He’ll entertain himself for a while figuring it out.
The bottom line is, don’t forget your dog this Christmas.
