Blog

Oct 24, 2024

22 Best Gifts for Dogs and Dog Lovers for 2024 | Reviews by Wirecutter

By Samantha Schoech and Mari Uyehara For the holidays, we’ve added some chic and fun new finds, including a personalized Disney-like portrait service, a chic slow feeder, and a freezable treat puzzle.

By Samantha Schoech and Mari Uyehara

For the holidays, we’ve added some chic and fun new finds, including a personalized Disney-like portrait service, a chic slow feeder, and a freezable treat puzzle.

Dogs can’t simply hand over a list of the gizmos and gadgets they desire. That puts added pressure on us, their human friends, to pick out the best toys and treats for our favorite pooches.

Whether you’re looking for toys that won’t get destroyed in a single day, treat puzzles to keep them occupied, or just a tribute in their likeness, we’ve gathered the best Wirecutter-tested and staff-recommended gifts for dogs (and the people who love them).

For even more dog gear, check out our expert-tested picks, including the best collars and pet carriers, for dogs. And if you’re adopting a new dog altogether, we have a complete checklist so you’re ready on Day 1.

Advertisement

This cartoon service offers fast, accurate caricatures in a variety of cartoon styles, including Disney-like renderings of your favorite pet.

Fans of the 1955 classic Lady and the Tramp—or really any Disney movie—might squeal upon receiving a Happy Tooned Pet Disneyfication. All you have to do is upload a clear, front-facing photo of your pooch (or pets) and tap in some drawing notes. The options for a background are white or, for an additional $30, custom. You’ll get a proof for approval in eight to 10 days or less. Happy Tooned offers revisions, but when updates writer Evan Dent and his wife submitted a photo of their dog Winnie, along with the direction of “enchanted forest,” they were so thrilled with the result (see above) that their only response was, “No notes.” You can choose either a high-resolution digital file to print and frame on your own or, for an additional fee, get a printed 16-by-12-inch matter poster with the option of a frame.

This dishwasher-safe, easy-to-clean natural rubber treat toy keeps dogs busy for 20 to 40 minutes.

Any human friend of an energetic pooch knows that dogs need jobs—and if they don’t have one, they just might find one you may not appreciate (like, say, chewing through some woodwork). The easy-to-use, easy-to-clean Woof Pupsicle keeps them on task. You just unscrew the rubber ball, pop in a treat, and then let your pup go to town. The company sells premade food balls, or you can freeze your own (broth, peanut butter, and pumpkin are great options) in a treat mold. Once done, just separate the two pieces and run it through the dishwasher. Easy peasy. Wirecutter’s resident dog expert Mel Plaut says it keeps their dog busy for about 30 minutes.

Advertisement

This uninsulated waterproof coat keeps your dog’s torso dry, but it isn’t meant for overly cold weather. It comes in six sizes, to fit dogs with a chest girth from 13 to 42 inches.

Dogs who shirk walks in the rain—or humans who don’t love them shaking it off indoors—might appreciate our pick for best dog raincoats, the durable and lightweight Ruffwear Sun Shower Dog Raincoat. Best suited for milder weather (not snowstorms), the uninsulated slicker will keep your canine pal mostly dry. Available in three colors and six sizes, it attaches via two buckles on each side of the dog’s torso and holds up in washing machines.

It’s easy to play fetch with this beloved lightweight toy, which can rocket balls far away with little effort.

The Chuckit Dog Ball Launcher may very well be a lifesaver for the humans attempting to meet the needs of high-energy dogs, especially puppies. With an ergonomic handle, this flexible dog-park favorite effortlessly slings balls at a distance, over and over and over again, without throwing out your rotator cuff. Once Fido’s returned the ball, you can pick it up with the click-in head, without touching slobber or mud. Of course, it will only work with dogs who are game to retrieve—sorry, husky owners.

Advertisement

Holding up to 1.5 cups of dry food, these great-looking wobbly slow feeders, available in six cool colors, can dole out an entire meal to most dogs.

For dogs who scarf down their bowls in a few gulps or just need a little activity, a couple of Wirecutter staffers are big fans of the Fable The Puffin Slow Feeder. The screw-together puzzle toy, which holds up to 1.5 cups of dry food, provides mental stimulation by making dogs work for their meal—they have to knock around the wobbly toy so that it releases a few pieces of kibble. (The bottom is padded with silicone for quieter knocking around.) While it’s not all that different in performance from the cheaper OurPets IQ Treat Ball, the sleekly designed toy comes in six attractive two-tone colors, including blush, purple, and teal.

While this affordable, shaggy squeaker looks pretty silly (in a good way), its reinforced stitching, interior liner, and round shape make it seriously durable.

This neon-bright, cross-eyed squeaker is a favorite of several staffers—and over 10,000 Amazon reviewers. Software engineer Jasmine Kasheboon Khoury said that every dog she’s given the GoDog Furballz—which she dubbed “Mr. Fluff”—has been “obsessed with him.” One of the recipients was senior product designer Olivia Sheldon’s sweet-but-destructive German Shepherd mix. And the Furballz’s double-stitched seams, liner, and large, round shape fared much better than flatter plushies. Longevity aside, dogs just love the cuddly little guy. “He carries it around the house, which is really cute,” Olivia said.

Advertisement

These high-value treats have one ingredient and one ingredient only: omega-3-rich cod skin.

Made with just one ingredient (hint: it’s in the name), the Savory Prime Cod Skin Treats have no added salt or filler, and they boast a healthy dose of omega-3s, which are beneficial for a dog’s coat, skin, heart, and immune system. When staff writer Mari Uyehara’s family got their Samoyed, Kaia, the breeder handed her off with a bag. These treats have been a high-value snack for Kaia ever since, outlasting other treat phases, and Mari’s given packs to other smitten dogs, too. The dehydrated squares are extra crunchy, so they’re best suited for active medium- and large-size dogs who can easily snap through them.

Made with embroidered eyes and a tough plush exterior, this sweet-looking (and squeaker-less) fish significantly outlasts other plush toys.

A certain dog we know—we’re looking at you, Jordi—has destroyed countless Lamb Chop toys. Then his people found Fluff & Tuff, a range of impressively enduring plush toys. Ruby the Rainbow Trout is a standout, with an ultra-plush exterior, thick mesh liner, concealed double-stitched seams, and embroidered eyes. According to Fluff & Tuff, the toys are independently tested for lead and phthalates, and they are filled with non-toxic polyester. What Ruby doesn’t have, mercifully, is a squeaker. Fluff & Tuff makes dozens of cute, unique animals, including an octopus and a brachiosaurus.

Advertisement

Submit a tight, straight-on shot of a pet’s mug, and then await the adorable result (it can take up to four weeks to arrive). The self-inking stamp is dark, smudge-resistant, and surprisingly accurate.

Anyone who’s obsessed with a fur baby would appreciate this Custom Pet Portrait Stamp. Just upload a photo of their beloved pet’s face, type in the name, and then choose from one of five colors for the stamp box. Be sure to choose a well-lit photo with a clear, tight shot of the pup’s full head from the front (blurry, dark photos taken at a distance won’t look as great on a stamp). The self-inking, black-and-white stamp will arrive in a few weeks. Some reviewers noted that it took longer than expected to receive their purchase, but most were overjoyed to be stamping away.

Equipped with a built-in drinking bowl, this BPA-free squeeze bottle comes in three sizes (15, 20, or 22 ounces).

With its mushroom-shaped top, Flip Dog Travel Bottle is a convenient way to keep pooches hydrated on hot days and long hikes. Just squeeze the body to push water up from the bottle into the food-safe basin. The lightweight bottle is available in three sizes (15, 20, 22, or 44 ounces) and colors (green, black, or white). It has a carabiner, so you can latch it onto a backpack, and the bottom of the three smaller bottles fits most car cupholders.

Advertisement

Provide a great photo, and an artful and accurate hand-painted portrait of the pet will arrive about four weeks later.

Several staffers have been delighted with a Dimdi Watercolor Pet Portrait of their own furry friends. (Supervising editor Tracy Vence calls the portrait of her dog, Bone, pictured above, her favorite Wirecutter pick “without a doubt.”) The watercolors are hand-painted by one artist, Irene, in Italy—not an AI rendering or a team of artists—so processing can take up to a month, although a digital proof comes much sooner. We think it’s worth the wait for a unique work on thick, acid-free watercolor paper that sweetly captures a beloved pet’s spirit. The standard size is 8-by-10 inches, but you can message Dimdi about accommodating different trims.

This handheld cleaner’s back-and-forth rolling mechanism generates an electrostatic charge that effectively clears even the most hair-matted upholstery. It holds up for years and doesn’t require refills.

With its motorized brush and extendable crevice tool, this handheld vac cleans up pet fur in a snap, especially on upholstery.

The ChomChom Pet Hair Remover is staff writer Samantha Schoech’s go-to gift for new pet parents. It’s the only thing she’s found that can keep up with the fur shed by her two long-haired cats, and it works great for dog hair, too. She keeps one on each floor of her house and uses them daily. When this simple plastic device is rolled back and forth over fur-covered fabric, it creates an electrostatic charge that picks up hair and then collects it in an easy-to-empty chamber. If you’re looking for something more comprehensive, the Black+Decker Clean+ Cordless Pet Hand Vacuum HHVK515JP07 is our pick for the best pet hair vacuum.

Advertisement

Transform a high-res image into a double-take-worthy pet doppelgänger. The pillow arrives in about a week.

True dog lovers will appreciate a playful pet-shaped pillow. Just send in a high-res photo, choose from six sizes, and review the digital mock-up. In about a week, the pet lover in your life will receive a photo-realistic pillow in the shape of their beloved doggo. The pillow’s polyester velvet is less cuddly than actual dog fur, but it’ll do in a pinch. Though beware: These pillows are so realistic-looking that they can be mistaken for the real thing!

Made of digestible, splinter-resistant cellulose, this chew-friendly wishbone comes in three densities.

For pet parents looking to avoid rawhide and nylon, we’re fans of BetterBone, which is made out of cellulose and vegetable oils. Pets staff writer Mel Plaut’s dog Dave “likes to work on the bones like a little project,” and with this bone, there is no danger of no ingesting plastic. Whereas nylon bones can be tough on dog teeth, the BetterBone comes in three densities (soft, medium, hard). And it won a 2024 Best in Show for the natural pet category at the Global Pet Expo.

Advertisement

This toy consists of a squeaky tennis ball inside a handled, bouncy case, and it’s great for fetch, tugging, or solo pup play.

Some dogs can play with one toy all day and be content. Others need to switch things up. The Kong Jumbler Ball is perfect for the dog who thinks variety is the spice of life. There’s a squeaky tennis ball trapped inside the pliable clear shell. And because of its exterior handles, this ball is easy for a human to pick up and toss, or for a pup to shake and fling to their heart’s content. Two other Kong puzzle toys come highly recommended by Wirecutter staffers. The plastic Kong Wobbler can be filled with hard treats or kibble, and dogs learn quickly that if they move it, a reward comes out. The Kong Classic provides the same entertainment, only it gets filled with wet food.

Dogs can hear the tantalizing, high-pitched squeak coming from these plush chewies, but humans, thankfully, cannot.

A squeaky toy can thoroughly entertain a rowdy pup—but it can also create frayed nerves for nearby humans. The Hear Doggy Ultrasonic Squeaker Toy has a frequency between 24 and 28 kHz, which is nearly undetectable to the human ear but thrilling to dogs. When chomped, this particular squeaker makes a low-key whooshing sound, like air being pushed around. Hear Doggy toys come in three levels of chew-hardiness—plush, flat, and one the company calls “chew-guard” tech. As is true of any plush toy, this one (even the durable versions) can be destroyed by dogs with a search-and-destroy mission. But our testers found this toy to be relatively tough and especially worthwhile for the sound of silence.

Advertisement

Burrowing dogs can get cozy on this sherpa-lined orthopedic mattress. The top layer can be propped up like a den or lie flat like a blanket.

May be out of stock

If your dog runs hot or simply loves snoozing outside, this cot keep will keep them elevated, and it promotes airflow to help regulate their temperature.

The FurHaven Snuggery Burrow Bed is a joy for pups who love to burrow, said senior staff writer Kaitlyn Wells, whose dog Sutton enjoyed it for many years. Lined with insulating sherpa fleece, the bed features a flexible hood, which can collapse down into a blanket or stand up like a cave. For malamutes, great pyrenees, and other dogs who seek out the cold sleeping spots, opt instead for our favorite indoor/outdoor cot from dog bed testing: the K&H Elevated Dog Bed. It can hold up to 200 pounds, and it keeps double-coated dogs (or those panting outside in the summer) pleasantly aerated.

To keep dogs calm and occupied, fill the nooks and crannies of this BPA-free rubber lick mat with peanut butter or other gooey treats.

When you just want your dog to chill out or to slow down their eating, a lick mat covered in tasty treats will give them something nourishing to focus on and keep them from scarfing down meals. The dishwasher-safe SodaPup Enrichment Lick Mat comes in a novelty-shaped cutout (little ducks, dog bones), which humans can smear with peanut butter, yogurt, wet dog food, or whatever their pup desires. Kaitlyn says these colorful and cute mats are also a gift to their people. “Dogs can spend upwards of 30 minutes working on a mat, which gives you plenty of time to finish a quick chore or conference call.”

Advertisement

Use this silicone, suction-cupped licking mat to distract and calm dogs during the indignities of bath time.

Bathing dogs can be hard: It may involve whining, yelping, and mad-scramble escape attempts. The Aquapaw Slow Treater Silicone Lick Mat gives dogs a welcome distraction during bath time, so it’s easier for human companions to get the job done. Just spread peanut butter, low-fat cream cheese, or another smearable snack into the grooves of this mat, which suctions to the wall. It’s designed so that dogs can’t eat the treat quickly, giving groomers more time to do a thorough washing. That’s a win for everyone.

Stuffed inside a plush tree trunk, these squeaking squirrels provide great entertainment for pups, especially breeds with tunnel-hunting instincts.

Outward Hound’s Hide-A-Squirrel is several stuffed toys in one: Three small, squeaky squirrels are placed inside a tree trunk (or six if it’s the “Ginormous” size), and dogs have to work on getting them out of the holes. It’s also great for families with a pair of multiple dogs—they can play tug-of-war and then chew individual squirrels on their own. One staffer’s sister has two dachshunds who adore this toy. If you’ve never seen a sausage-shaped dog race around while dragging a stuffed tree trunk behind her, let us assure you that it’s a magnificent sight.

We love finding gifts that are unusual, thoughtful, and well vetted. See even more gift ideas we recommend.

This article was edited by Hannah Morrill and Jennifer Hunter.

Advertisement

Samantha Schoech

Except for the time she gave a boyfriend her mother’s old toaster for Christmas, staff writer Samantha Schoech has a reputation as an excellent gift giver. She lives in San Francisco with two teens, two cats, a geriatric betta fish, and a bookseller husband. Her first book of short stories, My Mother’s Boyfriends, is coming out in 2024.

Mari Uyehara

Mari Uyehara is a staff writer for Wirecutter’s gifts team. She was previously an editor at GQ, Saveur, and Vice, and she won a 2019 James Beard Award for her column on American cooking in Taste. The daughter of a potter, she has long been a believer in the power of a well-made thing.

by Eve Batey

After taking 5 dogs on 40 walks, we found the Max and Neo Double Handle Heavy Duty Reflective Leash is the best everyday leash for most pups and their people.

by Kaitlyn Wells

We tested 17 dog crates with our own escape-artist pups and those from area rescues. And our longtime pick, the MidWest Ultima Pro, still came out on top.

by Kaitlyn Wells

The Embark Breed + Health Kit is the most accurate dog DNA test we’ve found and will help you unravel your pet’s specific breed background.

by Kaitlyn Wells and Susan Arendt

If your dog doesn’t mind the sound and feel of a grinder, the Dremel PawControl is cordless and quiet, and you can’t accidentally cut your pet.

Advertisement