Grouchy Puppy Approved: 5 Unique Gift Ideas for Dog Lovers of All Ages
Are you a dog person or know someone in your life who loves dogs the most? This year I’m sharing my personal favorite gift giving ideas for dog people!
Below are five very different and special gifts for dog lovers of all ages. There is a website where you can use your own photos or original artwork to create cute gifts for your dog loving friends and family, ranging from everything from pillows to note cards. There are also three new gift ideas just discovered this year!
Whether for the holidays, a birthday or a housewarming gift, you’re bound to find the perfect gift for the dog lovers in your life.
5 Very Unique Ideas for Your Gift Giving
(5) Use your own photos to make super cute stuff on Zazzle. I’ve used this website for years for my family and for Grouchy Puppy fundraising, and have never had a bad experience. They have design templates for clothing, note cards, wrapping paper, and more. They’re continually adding new templates of all price ranges too! Of course you can always buy something that is already made, but how much more fun is it to create a personalized gift that you know will be cherished?! Bonus, Zazzle has discounts all year long!
(4) Rope for Rescues. The "Ropes for Rescues" recycling program was set up to breathe new life into used climbing rope while giving back to animal rescues. I discovered them while volunteering at Muttville Senior Dog Rescue because I used their leashes walking the mutts. They are beautiful yet sturdy leashes, and I absolutely love their mission, “At Dog Patch SF we collect these donated ropes, wash the ropes in dog friendly soap and re-purpose them into durable, eco-friendly dog leashes. Each one of our leashes is hand made in San Francisco with the lowest impact on the environment.”
They donate to rescues all over the world (as of Aug 2017 they have donated to 162 different animal rescues and organizations) I think their leashes make a great gift for anyone!
(3) Packable travel bowl from Planet Dog. I discovered this company in 2009 when I got to review a new squeaky toy for my dog. Fast-forward eight years and Planet Dog is still known as the pet industry's leading socially responsible, values-based design house. Based on my experiences, everyone needs a travel bowl (or three) for their dog. We kept one in the car for water breaks, one in the backyard because it was easy to clean and store, and one in our pet emergency kit in case we had to escape the house fast. The packable, collapsible style at $13-$15 are inexpensive but invaluable!!
(2) Dog Man! From the creator of Captain Underpants, it's Dog Man, the crime-biting canine who is part dog, part man, and ALL HERO! Dav Pilkey has written three books featuring this seriously lovable character. Yes, these books are for ages 7 and up, but Dog Man is so endearing that they’re great for the graphic novel loving adult too! You can find these books everywhere.
(1) Dakota Bones Pottery
Cherie Ramsdell creates gorgeous bowls, ornaments, urns, vases, jewelry and more. Cherie is known for her horse hair pottery but her technique can be used with any animal hair. She included my dog’s hair into a beautiful pendant that you see here. She didn’t need that much of the hair I sent, and returned the rest with my piece in a couple weeks.
C.L. Ramsdell is based in South Dakota but ships everywhere, she also does custom work. Check out her website or her Etsy shop to learn more about her background and striking pottery!
Let me add that I adore wearing this precious keepsake close to my heart, and given my heart dog was a shepherd husky, incorporating her fur into a one-of-a-kind piece like this is very special. It’s something you don’t see everyday. As precious as any locket. It feels as if her essence or spirit is fused into the stone.