in the past 5 months ; blake and i have fallen hard in love with our [sometimes naughty] pup.
we love the way she jumps on our lap & loves to be held like a newborn baby [except the fact that shes 60+ pounds]. we love the calm, relaxed feeling she gets when blake and i are both home for the night.
we love her for a lot of reasons. ;) without a doubt, rescuing a dog is one of the coolest things i have ever done in my adult life.
here are a ton of my favorite doggy gift ideas :
1) dura doggie toys
these toys come in three different sizes & the 20% from EACH toy is donated to charity.
[you get to 'chews your cause' ; breast cancer, dog rescue, the planet, fighting diabetes]
they also stand behind their products & will replace your toy if it gets destroyed.
just a word of caution : if you have a dog that can destroy a toy in a few minutes flat ; these toys will NOT hold up. daphne ripped the face off the large toy in less than 6 minutes.
we do enjoy this company & love what they are doing by giving back.
2) holiday feast AND lumps of coal?
yes. these dog treats are awesome & the packaging is great.
human-grade ingredients & made in the us ; two things that we wont compromise on.
and hello? lumps of coal in your dogs stocking? so cute.
ps : this website is awesome. their products are some of our favorite ever.
[obviously for you ; since your dog doesnt have thumbs..]
the silhouette of the pit looks just like daphne.
these would make a super thoughtful gift for an animal lover.
[they offer TONS of different breeds, too]
local artist alert! studio mela is based here in minneapolis & her work is so fun!
5) the super-talented dani makes custom-felted pet portraits!
such a cool idea! you send her a picture of a pooch & she creates a felted replica.
[this is the best idea ever!]
on their website, they have tons of felted dogs modeled after REAL dogs that need REAL homes.
so, you 'adopt' the shelter pup & your money goes to a local rescue to help dogs in your area.
[so awesome]
also, they will also make an exact replica of YOUR dog!
the company is awesome ; wool is high-quality & everything is made in the US
7) dog soap
our pup HATES baths [really ; she ignores us for an hour after the bath] ; but good soap is so important.
this soap doesnt have anything icky ; no sulfates, parabens, preservatives or synthetic dyes.
also, i reviewed this awesome brand of dog soap a while back.
i know this one doesnt pertain to all of you ; BUT if you live in a cold climate [or your dog has a super short coat], a dog sweater // jacket // hoodie is important.
daphne has this doggie hoodie from american apparel, and she also has the moose sweater in the picture below.
best thing about this sweater? [other than the fact that it has antlers...] ; they are hand-knit by a small family in south america AND they receive fair-trade wage for their work. [this is SO important!]
[we should never settle for products where people arent getting a fair wage!]
see more cute sweaters here and here. and this parka [with a fake fur hood!] is great, too.
9) fancy feet balm
speaking of cold weather ; fancy feet balm is meant for dry patches on your dogs paws & skin. we have quickly learned that daphne has SUPER sensitive skin & balm like this is a 'must-have' for her.
if your dog is walking on snow // ice // salt // sand, the pads of her/his feet could take a bit of a beating.
also? this balm is made right here in minneapolis!
this book was gifted to us as a prize from a costume contest that daphne won ; its a very cool book.
there are 25 pretty easy projects for your dog. anything from a holiday stocking to legwarmers.
great gift for the crafty dog lover!
daphne has been getting a bark box for 4 months now & we are really happy with it.
each month, she gets a bunch of great [eco // natural] pup products. we have gotten toys, treats, poop bags, personal care items & more. a monthly subscription is a great gift idea.
you can see my review of our latest bark boxes here.
12) you want to make your own treats or toys this year? [great ; i have TONS of links for you!]
you can make a dog bed // a tug toy from an old t-shirt // blueberry doggy donuts // apple pupcakes // a dog food container // or a batch of frosty paws
hahaha. look, i am a pit bull. i love this print. the glasses, bike, scarf & diana camera.
and remember ; a food // toy // financial donation to a local shelter // rescue is NEVER a bad idea!
also, dont miss any of my other gift guides // tutorials
gift guides : for the coffee lover // the small human // the foodie
tutorials : make your own sunflower butter // naan bread // bubble bath
see you tomorrow!
