What are you getting your dog for Christmas this year? Does your dog already has everything?

Here are some of our favourite gift ideas from the folks at SmartDog.

 

Food Toys and Puzzles

Need a distraction for your dog this holiday season? Have a dog who needs a little extra brain work? Need something for your dog to do inside on a wet west coast day? Here are our top picks in food toys and puzzles for your dog.

 

Tricky Treat Ball

http://www.omegapaw.com/products/tricky-treat-ball.html

My dog Cobi loves this one. Contrary to its name, I don’t put treats in it. Instead I fill it up with her kibble at dinner time and she spends fifteen or twenty minutes rolling it around our house. If she thinks it’s empty a little too soon she’ll pick it up and toss it at my feet – “More please!”

This gift for your dog is available at many pet stores around town. Try A Pet’s Life on the corner of Fort and Foul Bay.

 

Tug a Jug

http://www.premier.com/View.aspx?page=dogs/products/behavior/busybuddy/tugajug/description

This is another food dispensing toy for your dog; you may have seen us use these if you’ve ever had a class with us. The dog learns to work at the rope to get the food out. This is a hard-to-find item, available only online or from our SmartDog store (drop us an email if you’re interested).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nina Ottoson’s Interactive Dog Puzzles

These come in various shapes and styles and are rated from easy to hard. Most are configurable so once your dog has figured out how to work the toy you can place treats or food in different places and make a new puzzle each time. Note that your dog may need some help getting started so they don’t get frustrated.

http://www.nina-ottosson.com/

Find these at many pet stores around town. Try Bosley’s on Shelbourne.

 

 

 

 

 

Reinforcement Toys

 

The Frizzer

These are tough, aeronautical dog Frisbees that not only fly well and stand up to a good game of tug, but they also hold treats! The Canadian Dog Agility team uses them and so do we. These are custom-made for SmartDog and come in two sizes and all sorts of fun colours.

Sherry’s dog Simon gives this one four paws up!

Frizzers are available through our SmartDog store – inquire via email if you’re interested.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pro Ball Go-Frrr

The slingshot action fetch ball - this thing flies. Not only does my dog love chasing it, but she also grabs the end in her mouth and shakes it like crazy. She loves how it bounces around and flaps the sides of her face and neck. Just don’t leave your dog alone with it – they’ll easily chew through it in a matter of minutes.

Please note that these are best for dogs over 20” in height as shorter dogs may get their legs tangled.

Find this one at pet stores and vet offices around town.

http://www.proballinc.com/

 

 

The Furminator

Got a lot of fur flying around the house? I was shocked at the amount of hair this professional grooming tool removed from my dog and cats – the picture below is not an exaggeration. And my animals actually don’t mind being brushed with it either.

http://www.furminator.com/

Find it at most pet stores.

 

Dog Classes

What more could your dog want than to spend time with you learning something new? Training and the bond it forms is a gift that will last a lifetime.

This winter we’re offering puppy and adult dog obedience classes (sit, down, stay, come, no biting, no jumping up, etc.), second level classes (reliable recall, go to your mat, and more), agility fundamentals, a tricks class, and more! Our schedule for the New Year will be up soon, so check out our website for more details.

http://www.smartdogtraining.ca/

 

 

 

 

 

Whatever you get for your dog this Christmas, even if it's just love, affection and a full food bowl, we wish you a happy holiday season!

 

- Roberta & the Smart Dog team