The 22 Best Gifts for Dogs and Dog Lovers

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 has dubbed “Mr. Fluff”—has been “obsessed with him.” One of the recipients was senior product developer 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.

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.

A certain dog we know—we’re looking at you, Jordi—has destroyed no fewer than nine Lamb Chop toys. Then his people found Fluff & Tuff, a range of strangely 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.

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.

With its mushroom-shaped top, this water bottle is a convenient way to keep pooches hydrated on hot days and long hikes. Just twist the top handle of the Flip Dog Travel Bottle, and flip the silicone cap inside out to make a leak-proof bowl. Squeezing the body pushes water up from the bottle into the food-safe basin. The lightweight bottle is available in three sizes (15, 20, or 22 ounces) and colors (green, black, or white). It has a carabiner, so you can latch it onto a backpack, and the bottom fits most car cupholders.

Several staffers have been delighted with a Dimdi Watercolor Pet Portrait of their own furry friends. (Supervising editor Tracy Vence calls it 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. 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.

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.

True dog lovers will appreciate a playful pet-shaped pillow. Just send in a high-res photo, choose a size (10, 16, or 24 inches), 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!

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.

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.

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.

To free a piece of kibble from the IQ Treat Ball, an enterprising pup must roll the ball or pick it up in their mouth and drop it. Sounds simple, yet one editor said it was the best dog toy she’d ever bought, adding that it withstood years of rough play and provided hours of waggy-tailed fun. To keep things interesting, a small disc inside the sphere lets you adjust the difficulty level. When giving this as a gift, consider size: The 3-inch option is recommended for dogs under 40 pounds; for dogs who weigh more than that, opt for the 4-inch version.

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.

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.”

For the pup who is treated like royalty, nothing could be more fitting than Poppy Angeloff’s porcelain Pups on Cups collection. Each teacup-and-saucer pair features one of 21 different breeds, such as pomeranians, golden retrievers, and yorkies. Every item is hand-painted with 24-karat-gold accents and comes in an adorable, glossy box.

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.

The Eufy Indoor Cam C120 makes it easy to keep an eye on pets from anywhere. After extensive testing, we found that our top pick for indoor security cameras is also a great alternative to fancier pet cameras. The inexpensive, wireless Eufy captures sharp, 2K-resolution video with a 125-degree field of view and can distinguish between pets and people. Its Pet Command feature labels activity zones and sounds a notification when someone or thing enters. There are three options for storage: Record footage for free to a microSD card or NAS; use your iCloud storage with Apple HomeKit Secure Video; or subscribe to the Eufy Cloud Service ($3 per month or $30 per year for 30 days of storage for one camera).

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.

Should your dog ever get loose, the bright and bold Orvis Personalized Reflective Collar—our favorite basic dog collar—will provide peace of mind. Your pet’s name and your phone number are embroidered on the front, so all of the information to reunite you is right there. And there’s no need to worry about an ID tag falling off. Made of durable nylon, the collar is reflective and easily spotted in low-light conditions. The Orvis collar’s embroidery won’t fade or peel away, and the heavy-duty side-release buckle makes this collar easy to put on and take off. Most importantly, it’s simple to adjust and comfy for your pet to wear, so you (and your pup!) will actually use it.

Some dog parents obsess over how cute their dogs are, and now they can wear them on their sleeves … or, rather, their ankles with these customizable DivvyUp socks. Just choose a photo that shows off the dog’s good side and then upload it directly to the company’s site. Each pair can have up to three different faces, which is great for those who have more than one dog and don’t want to play favorites. Make sure to size up: If the socks fit too snugly, the image gets distorted.

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.