The countdown to Christmas is officially on - which means it's time to get cracking on your festive shopping.
As a nation that owns over 12 million dogs, there are sure to be a lot of pooch presents purchased in the run-up to the big day – to show our closest canine companions just how special and loved they are. In fact, one study suggests that a third of UK owners spend more on gifts for their dog, than they do for family and friends.
So, if you’re looking for the perfect pressie or two to gift your four-legged friend this festive season, global pet brand PetSafe® has curated its top ten interactive gifts that your dog is sure to love. Whether you're in search of something to stimulate, to chew or to stash their food or treats in, this round-up includes presents that will suit the personality of every single pooch – with prices starting at £6.99.
Automatic Ball Launcher - RRP £152.99
This a perfect choice of present for dogs who love balls, playing fetch and interactive play – and can be used both indoors and out, making it a brilliant energy burning gift in winter, when the weather sometimes isn’t great.
With nine distance and six angle settings, this launcher holds up to three tennis balls at a time and shoots them between 2.5 to 9 metres – but only after a tone is played. Its careful design includes built-in motion sensors to safely detect people and pets nearby, and its automatic rest mode ensures our excited dog doesn’t overdo it.
Playtime will become even more enjoyable when chasing treats dispensed from this interactive toy. Just load it with kibble, switch it on and let the fun begin.
The battery-powered interactive toy rolls randomly around the floor to keep your dog entertained - whilst releasing his favourite treats and encouraging lots of active play. It’s also a perfect treat puzzle present for dogs that eat too fast and even comes with a slow feed option, to further control how quickly food is dispensed.
And to make sure our dearest dogs don’t overdo it; this toy’s sleep mode ensures they get a break after 10 minutes, until its nudged again when he’s next ready to play.
This interactive Bouncy Bone™ toy will keep dogs entertained for hours. Its clever design – combining two of a dog’s favourite things, a durable nylon bone and rubber ball – makes for a most enjoyable and lengthy chewing experience. And this is made even more irresistible with its accompanying natural rawhide rings, which are easily loaded onto the toy by unscrewing the nylon bones. They provide a much more robust, long-lasting taste experience than standalone treats. The toy comes with four treat rings, with replacement treat rings also
readily available.
Mealtimes are a great time to introduce brain games because most dogs are extremely motivated by food - and this Busy Buddy® Tug-a-Jug™ is sure to keep him entertained and happy to play for hours.
Available in three sizes, depending on your size of dog, its unique multisensory design lets dogs see, smell and hear the kibble or treats as they roll around in the jug. They’re then dispensed as he tips, tugs and rolls this interactive toy around. For an extra injection of fun, grab and shake the toy with the attached rope.
This brilliant beef-scented, boredom busting toy makes for super-versatile interactive play and can be enjoyed in a variety of ways.
It holds up to two treat rings in its refillable treat-holding cups and, for double fun and extra entertainment, smear peanut butter or cream cheese in the grooves on the back.
As well as looking - and tasting! - like a delicious snack, it’s also a clever toothbrush. Its textured surface helps keep your dog’s teeth and gums clean by preventing and removing build-up as they chew and, for extra doggy dental hygiene, you smear canine toothpaste in the grooves.
It comes in a choice of sizes, depending on the size of your dog. Four treat rings are included, and refills are available to buy separately.
Dogs need mental stimulation and physical exercise to thrive, and this challenging toy achieves this - and then some. It’s sure to stimulate his brain and satisfy his natural canine behaviours, which makes it a perfect addition to your dog’s toy box this Christmas time.
The perfect gift choice for sound-motivated dogs, it comprises two robust Bluetooth paired toys with “moving” squeak noises that will have your dog bouncing back and forth as he tries to catch them. When your dog interacts with one of the toys, a fun and exciting squeak sound is heard from the other toy which, when investigated, bounces back to the first. Your dog will love trying to find the squeaky sound for hours. The play area and exercise can also be extended, as the toys can be positioned up to nine metres apart. Make the game more challenging by hiding one of the toys behind furniture or in a nearby room.
When your pooch is pooped, the toys will automatically turn off after 60 minutes to save its replaceable battery life.
Tug games tap into his natural predatory nature by letting him use his strength and fight the toy. And not only are they mentally and physically tiring for him, but they can also be a good training method. The ideal dog tug toy is designed so that it is as easy to grip with your hands as it is by your dog's mouth. Which is exactly what the PetSafe® Grip ‘n Tug has.
With a unique covered handle that’s easy to hold and will help protect your hand when playing – and to prevent it from getting tired - the braided 75 cm long fleece and rope tug is both soft to the touch, as well as being strong enough to be pulled and yanked during a game of tug-of-war. When the braided tug gets dirty, it can be popped in the washing machine to clean, and replacement tugs can be bought separately.
This chicken-scented rubber treat is fun, tempting and is sure to provide a most suitable substitute for the many festive buffets that you’ll be tucking into yourself at Christmas time. It also provides lots of boredom busting and stress relieving benefits by keeping your dog busy and engaged.
Up the fun by sliding on a treat ring or two – simply by unscrewing the end – or slide one through the grooves of the drumstick to keep your dog entertained for even longer. For extra tastiness, smear peanut butter or cream cheese in the outside grooves.
This toy is also a top choice in terms of doggy dental hygiene, as its textured surface helps keep his teeth and gums clean by preventing and removing build-up as they chew. You can even smear canine toothpaste in the grooves, rather than peanut butter. And, when playtime’s over, you can pop it on the top shelf of the dishwasher.
It’s available in two sizes, depending on the size of your dog, comes with four Treat Rings, and refills readily available to buy separately.
Designed by pet parents to bring peace of mind to ‘doggy dining’, this nifty piece of tech can schedule, monitor and adjust your pooch’s feeding schedule remotely with the user-friendly, free-to-download smartphone app.
Simply connect the feeder to your home’s Wi-Fi and enjoy convenient meal scheduling and smartphone alerts that update owners when he’s been fed, when the food level is low, or if the feeder is empty.
For extra peace of mind, it also feeds on schedule as programmed even if the Wi-Fi connection is lost, or the feeder is offline.
Give your pooch the present of health and hydration this Christmas with a pet water fountain – an especially great gift idea for more reluctant drinkers.
A constant stream of water – and 1.5 litre capacity - encourages dogs to drink, keeping them hydrated. The removeable butterfly topper adds a fun decorative element and creates four free-falling water streams from which your dog can drink. It can also be easily removed to create a quiet, bubbling water flow. A carbon filter and foam filter work together to remove pet hair, debris and bad tastes.