Christmas is fast approaching. I thought I would share my top gift picks for the active dog. We own and use all of these items ourselves and highly recommend them.
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Updated: October 14, 2018
Gifts for Dogs Under $20
1. Zuke’s Power Bones (left) or Skinny Bakes (right) – Zuke’s has been making treats for active dogs for over 10 years. Their first treat, Power Bones, was invented with human power bars in mind. They provide the added energy a dog needs to conquer big mountains. For those pooches trying to watch their waistline, or for non-hiking days, go with the 10-calorie, crunchy Skinny Bakes. Both come in several different doggie-mouth-watering flavors.
2. NiteIze PetLit (left) or SpotLit (right) – I’s important for an adventurous dog to maintain their fitness with daily walks. Walking in the winter often means walking in the dark, which can be dangerous for your dog if you cannot be clearly seen. These bright LED lights clip onto your pet’s collar or harness and will help keep them visible. The PetLit is about the size of a dime, turns on with a simple twist, and comes in several designs (including the cute fire hydrant or paw print design). The PetLit great for small or dogs with short hair (it might get lost in their fur). For bigger dogs, or dogs with long fur, the SpotLit is better. It is a bit bigger than a quarter, turns on with a simple click, has a steady or flashing mode, and comes in a variety of colors. Both have integrated clips, are weather resistant, and have replaceable batteries.
3. Dexas Popware for Pets Travel Cup (left) – Keeping active dogs hydrated on the trail or on the road is very important. These collapsible, silicone cups easily fold flat. They can be tucked into a backpack or purse or attached to a leash or backpack using the included carabiner. They come in two sizes, three colors and are diswasher safe.
4. Musher’s Secret Paw Balm (right) – Winter ice and salts can dry out, irritate or crack your dog’s paws. This dense barrier wax forms a breathable bond with your dog’s paws to protect them from salt, deicer chemicals and ice/snowballs. Although this balm was created for sled dogs to use in the winter, it also protects against sand, hot pavement and rough surfaces in the summer. It’s made with 100% natural (food grade) waxes and won’t harm your pets if they lick it.
5. Rubit Dog Tag Clip (left) – Active dogs often have collars and harnesses for different purposes. It can be a pain to move your pet’s tags from one to the other. The Rubit clip makes it easy (no more pinched fingers or chipped finger nails) because the tags attach to the clip and the clip can be moved with one quick snap. They come in three sizes and several different colors and designs.
6. Westpaw Ruff-N-Tuff and Tiny Tuff Reindeer (right) – These dog toys are great gifts for dogs who love some serious ruff and tumble fun. Like any dog squeakie toy, they may eventually meet their demise. However, the consensus is that these can last longer than many. They feature the Westpaw signature recycled fiber fill and a robust sewn in squeaker.
Gifts for Dogs Over $20
7. DogTread K9FITbone (left) – Even dogs need to work on keeping their core strong. It can help protect their spines, help with balance and give them extra power on the trail. This doggie balance “ball” is functional and the bone shape is fun. Just 5 minutes a day will improve your dog’s fitness and you can decrease or increase the challenge by adjusting the volume of air. It comes in light green too.
8. Soggy Doggy Doormat (right) – This doormat is really absorbent and is great for catching mud and dirt on your dog’s paws before they reach your carpet. It’s very stylish and perfect for a doorway or mudroom. It has a non-slip backing, is machine washable, and comes in two sizes and three colors. There is also a smaller Slopmat for under your dog’s bowl.
9. Ruffwear Highlands Bed (right) – This lighweight, packable, and abrasion resistant travel dog bed offers a thin, warm cushion for your dog to lay on. It’s great pad for your dog to lay on around camp, to protect your dog’s paws when you take a break in the snow, and is nice for your dog to lay on under the table at dog-friendly restaurants. This bed only weights 14 oz, packs into an included stuff sack and is machine washable. There is also a dog sleeping bag version of the bed.
10. Animal Naturals K9 GoDog Sports Drink for Dogs (right) – Very active dogs need more than just water to stay hydrated and comfortable. Like humans, they need an extra boots to increase oxygen delivery to their muscles, help prevent lactic acid buildup, improve mental focus, and help with recovery. K9 GoDog is gluten-free and has a taste that dog’s love.
emma says
We always have Zukes around, but we love the “balance bone” and the rubit clips. We may invest in these items. Thanks for putting together a nice list! Happy Howlidays!
Jessica Rhae says
The balance bone has been fun. I almost have Chester & Gretel (well, more Gretel) trained to get up on it when I ask. I will never again go without Rubit clips 🙂
Jenna,Mark “HuskyCrazed” Drady says
wow great gift ideas! Thanks for sharing!
Montecristo Travels (Sonja) says
Do you know if Zuke has very small tester packs? I have a VERY finicky eater and I am so tired of endign up with full bags of treats that he will not – no way – eat. Sure his buddies get lucky but still … I just need 1-2 pieces to know if he’d like it. Do you know?
Oh and Musher’s is also GREAT if you are in Europe walking the cobble stone streets of the big cities or even smaller towns. In Florence and in Rome we used it because the black, tar like residue on Montecristo’s paws was incredibly difficult to remove at the end of the day. Musher’s solved that problem and was better than the PAWZ in the heat. I would recommend this to any traveling dog!
Great list!
Montecristo Travels (Sonja) says
Does the Ruffwear travel Highlands Bed/blanket come in an xs? have you seen one? I can only find a Medium. This would be perfect for his gift this year! (Sorry to bombard you with questions)
Melissa says
I wondered the same thing! I’d love something like that, but only need a tiny one!
Jessica Rhae says
Zuke’s does have sample packs but I have never seen them in a retail store, They are usually handed out during promotion events and such. If you contacted Zuke’s, I wouldn’t be surprised if they send you a pack or two.
As far as the Highlands Bed, there is only that one size. I forgot to mention here that I think it is only bit enough for a medium dog. Chester and Gretel can both fit on it but there isn’t any extra room. I don’t mind that it is big for one little dog because it gives them extra space to root around 🙂
Thanks for your feedback on the Musher’s Secret!
Melissa says
Thanks for the reminders about Musher’s Secret and collar lights! We’ve been meaning to buy both, but kept forgetting about it. I was able to find Musher’s Secret through Amazon.de so I could get it in Germany, yay! Much more expensive than in the US, but oh well. I really hope it works as well as it is supposed to. We’ve tried so many types of boots for Leeloo in the snow, and regular boots fall off, and the “balloon” type (Pawz) stay on but get very wet inside since they aren’t breathable and also rub Leeloo’s ankles raw after several hours of wear. I really hope that Musher’s Secret keeps her paws dry and protected. I prefer a full light-up collar to the clip-on LED for small dogs. We have a clip-on, but you often can’t see it because she’s so low to the ground, making the light hang even lower. Trying a collar now from a brand called Tech with lots of great reviews on Amazon.de. Merry Christmas, doggy-style! 🙂
Jessica Rhae says
I am glad you found the Musher’s Secret. It doesn’t keep Chester & Gretel’s paws dry but it protects them really well. It also seems easier to wipe off their feet when they have some on.
I just entered a giveaway for a GlowDoggie collar. I worry it will be too big and stiff for a small dog but would like to check it out. Between the lights on me, on the dogs and their reflective leashes, I feel like we are pretty visible but I am always looking for the next best thing 🙂
Jessica says
Great list! We love love love the Rubit clip.
I may have to try Musher’s secret. No snow and ice here, but the pavement is flamingly hot in the summer. I try to do our walking on trails when it’s really hot, but I have to cross asphalt parking lots no matter what.
Jessica Rhae says
Honestly, I am still a tad skeptical about a foot balm protecting a dog’s foot from hot pavement but we’ve never had an issue…although it rarely gets over 90 or 95 here. I’m not sure how it works but it seems to.
Chris and Charlie says
#9 is on the list of things Charlie is definitely getting before the AT!
Jessica Rhae says
It will be so great for him to have. You should contact Ruffwear and let them know that you are planning to use one for yous and Charlie’s amazing trip. I bet they would love it!
Pamela | Something Wagging This Way Comes says
The Ruffwear bed is one of the best things I’ve ever bought. It helps Honey know where we want her to settle when we’re camping or picnicking at the lake.
I’ve considered using musher’s secret myself. I read about a team that won an adventure race running barefoot after using musher’s secret on their feet for six months prior. If it works as well as they say, I might never wear shoes again.
Jessica Rhae says
Ha! Great story about the Musher’s Secret! I have no doubt that it would help. I usually rub the extra into my hands after putting it on Chester and Gretel. I can picture you riding your bike around town with no shoes 🙂 Do you own a pair of Five Fingers?
Jen @ Dog Adventures says
What a great post! I’ve got heaps of ideas to try out with Kate – we are looking for a hiking bed and the Ruffwear one sounds pretty perfect. Also didn’t even know that there were electrolyte drinks for dogs! Great ideas!
Hailey and Zaphod says
Must stop looking at all these gift ideas or I am going to have spent too much money on my dogs LOL! Lee and Phod
Jessica Rhae says
Oh man, I always do. I think I would be horrified if I actually kept track 🙂
slimdoggy says
Great ideas – that soggy doggy door mat looks great, may need to invest in one (or 5) of those.
Jessica Rhae says
We’ve been using the slop mat as a tiny doormat (works for tiny dogs) but I just ordered a full-size one. It came with a free slop mat so now I am going to use the two slop mats for their intended purpose – under the food dishes. I like the way they look. Kind of dog lifestyle decorating you you know……
slimdoggy says
Oh yeah, I know only too well.
M. K. Clinton says
What a great page of goodies! I must have the Soggy Doggy mat. Bentley’s big Basset paws track everywhere. Both my guys love squeaky toys and they usually destroy them in a couple of days so there’s another stocking stuffer. Santa’s bag is getting heavy!
Nailah Bone says
Niles loves Zukes treats, I can’t wait to try the skinny bakes! 🙂 Also, that paw balm sounds awesome! Nailah walks on concrete since we live in the city, I think she could really benefit from it. Thanks for the ideas!
Jen says
I wonder if Mushers Secret is the same as Bag Balm? (I bought bag balm for the same purpose…)
And we use K9 Go Dog on our flyball team! Our dogs run a LOT full out, so that stuff works perfectly for them.
Great list!
Jessica Rhae says
No, Musher’s Secret and Bag Balm are totally different. Bag Balm contains lanolin and petroleum hydrocarbons. It’s designed to heal abrasion and soften the skin. It is not safe to ingest. Musher’s Secret is made from all-natural waxes and is designed to prevent abrasion in the first place. It helps keep the paws from drying out and forms a semi-permiable, protective barrier. If you are worried about abrasion, you want to toughen the paws by walking them on pavement, not soften the pads. Musher’s Secret IS safe to ingest (if your dog licks their paws at all).
I first heard of GoDog from an agility site. I consider our hiking natural agility 🙂
Jen says
That’s great to know about bag balm! I got bad advice about it, sounds like. Good thing I had only used it for irritation so far, but that’s scary to hear it is bad to ingest – I’m so paranoid about that stuff, can’t believe I didn’t do more research. Thanks so much for the info!
Jessica Rhae says
Well, a dog would likely only ingest a small amount which is not immediately harmful. As an environmental scientist, I am always a bit concerned about petroleum hydrocarbon though. Cows can’t lick their udders…I don’t think anyway 🙂
Jan K says
Great list! I just added RubIt Clip and Musher’s Secret to my shopping list. Our older dog’s paw pads are getting quite dry and I hope that might help, as well as using it for the girls when they are out in the snow a lot..
My hubby will love the clip because I like to change collars and I always make him move the tags so I don’t break my nails! 🙂
I also like the K9 fit bone. We have a balance cushion but it’s really not big enough for the dogs to use much.
Beagles and Bargains says
Your guide has so many great ideas and a lot of them are on our wish list! Even more reason to buy them! Happy Holidays! Thanks for joining the Holiday Blog Hop!
Laurie Luck - Smart Dog University says
I will definitely check out the SpotLit! I am a brand new runner and it stays so dark in the mornings. My sweet Labrador loves to accompany me (on leash, of course!) on my runs and it’d be great to have a light on her for safety’s sake. Same with the Musher’s Secret! All kinds of good stuff here! We’ve had some snow, which of course means salt, and I don’t want her pads to get irritated. Mushers Secret to the rescue! 🙂 Thanks for a great list! 🙂
Kathryn Durno says
Awesome list…I was wondering about the Mushers Secret and hot pavement too…I don’t think the really is anything out there that will protect your dog’s feet from hot pavement, other the you watching out for them…we just go early to get around it.
Love the glow tags!
Jessica Rhae says
I am not sure we would ever test the effectiveness of the Musher’s Secret on hot pavement. Only VERY rarely does the pavement get too hot for dog’s feet here in Seattle. Plus, even if it did, since it only happens a couple of times I would rather skip walking that day than to find out it doesn’t work. However, I have heard from people who have used it to protect on hot pavement or sand and they said it definitely helped.
Sarah and Lola says
Oh my – we NEED that collar clip thing. Lola switches back and forth between a few collars and we just keep her tags in the car for that reason. Thanks for introducing us to this!