There is always one. The friend whose entire personality is their spaniel, the sister who has a photograph of the dog as her lock screen and a photograph of her children somewhere further back in the camera roll, the colleague who has brought the dog up in every single conversation since March. They are, in fairness, the easiest person on your list to buy for and the easiest to get wrong, because the shops are full of things with paw prints on that nobody would choose for themselves.
This is the guide sorted the way people actually shop: by what you want to spend. Everything here is in stock as we write, every price is live, and we have said where sizing or colour is limited rather than letting you find out at checkout.
The quick answer, by budget
- Under £5, for a stocking: dog-print socks at £3.99.
- Around £10: the cotton tote at £9.49, or stud earrings at £9.99.
- Around £15: an engraved tumbler at £11.29, or the 1,000-piece jigsaw at £15.
- Around £20: a tee from £17, or a charm necklace at £19.99.
- The proper present, £25 to £35: a handmade Italian leather collar at £26.99, a gift hamper at £34.99, or the crossbody walking bag at £34.99.
Under £10: stocking fillers and Secret Santa
The category where most money gets wasted, because it is where novelty tat lives. The trick is to buy something small that will genuinely be used up or worn out.
Metatarsus Ostrich Bone, £5.39. The one thing on this list that goes to the dog rather than the owner, which makes it the safest bet here. One ingredient, air dried, nothing else in it, and it lasts long enough to buy the household a quiet hour on Christmas afternoon. Back in stock after a long gap, and chews sell out everywhere by December.
Happy Doggy Socks, £3.99. Four designs, one per breed: Dalmatian, Shiba, Beagle and Cockapoo. Match the design to their actual dog and a four-pound pair of socks lands considerably better than it has any right to. They are also one of the safest presents for parents: a stocking filler that is useful, costs less than a card and a stamp used to, and gets worn rather than put in a drawer. Stock is ten pairs per design, so if their dog is a cockapoo, do not leave it until the week before.
Pulley Rope Dog Toy, £6. For the dog, and the cheapest thing here that will survive Boxing Day.
A Dog Person Tote Bag, £9.49. 100 per cent cotton, 35cm by 45cm, so it takes a proper shop rather than a phone and some keys. No sizing to get wrong, which is the quiet advantage of a bag over anything you wear. It is also the one we would pick for a Secret Santa with a budget, because it looks like you thought about it and it costs less than a bunch of flowers.
Puppy Dog Stud Earrings, £9.99. Small, stainless steel, and the sort of thing that gets worn every day rather than kept for best.
£10 to £20: the main present for most people
Engraved tumblers, £11.29. Three to choose from: Dog Mama, Dog Papa, and I Work Hard So My Dog Can Have A Better Life, which is the one that gets a laugh and then gets used. Good for a dad, a father-in-law, or anybody whose house already contains enough objects.
Cotton Rope Ball Toy Set with Travel Bag, £12.99. For the dog, and the travel bag is the part that makes it a present rather than a toy. The Captain's Wheel at £11.99 is the same idea in one piece.
The Pooch Puzzle, £15. A 1,000-piece jigsaw for people, not a dog toy, which is worth saying plainly because the name does not make it obvious. It finishes at 700mm by 510mm and it is printed on 100 per cent recycled cardboard with UV inks. Designed in-house by us. It is the right present for the gap between lunch and the evening on Christmas Day, when nobody wants another film.
A tee from £17. Our clothing is designed in-house and printed by Teemill on organic cotton in a renewable-energy UK factory, plastic free and made to be sent back and remade when it wears out. The ones in good supply right now:
- The Hot Dog Tee, £17, in Oat or Black, and the broadest size range on the list.
- The Curious Incident Tee, £17, in Stone Blue. The Sand colourway is out at the moment, so pick Stone Blue.
- My Heart Dog Lover Tee, £20, in Oat.
For a breed-specific one, see the next section. And if you want the sizing conversation out of the way: buy the size they wear, not the size you think they wear, and keep the receipt in the card.
Little Dog Drop Earrings, £16.99. Silver plated, and the step up from the studs without becoming a serious purchase.
Little Dog Charm Beaded Bracelet, £18.99. Silver plated, and it reads as jewellery rather than as a novelty, which is the line this whole category keeps falling over.
Breed-specific, if you want to be a bit clever about it
The single highest-scoring thing you can do in this category is get the breed right. A generic dog gift says you know they like dogs. The right breed says you have met their dog.
- Bulldog and Roll, £22, in Navy Blue or Black, sizes XS up to XXXXXL.
- Pug Spinmaster, £22, in Black, from a UK size 8 to 24.
- Reservoir Dogs, £25, in Slate Grey, which is the one for a household of several dogs. The Sage colourway is currently out.
Our older guide to funny dog t-shirts by breed has the full run of designs, and the whole range sits in Clothing For You.
£25 to £35: the proper present
Branni Heart or Star Italian Leather Collar, £26.99. Handmade Italian leather with gold-tone hardware, in red, brown, blue or green, sized from XS. This is our bestselling product and it is the gift that works on both ends of the lead: the dog wears it, the owner looks at it every day. The Star is the same collar with a different stud. Measure first. Ask them for the dog's neck measurement, or buy it as a joint present with them in on it, because a collar in the wrong size is the one gift here that cannot be fudged.
Best Dog Mum Gift Sets, £25.99. Earrings or a necklace, each boxed in a pink jewellery box, so the wrapping is done for you.
Best Dog Mum Gift Hamper, £34.99. A necklace, a candle and chocolates together. The reason to buy a hamper over its parts is that it arrives looking like an occasion, and it is the easiest thing on this page to give to somebody you like but do not know especially well.
Dobbybags The OG Crossbody Walking Bag, £34.99. The most-used gift we sell, for anyone who currently walks the dog with poo bags in one pocket, treats in another and their phone in their hand. Black, one size, no measuring. Our dog walking bag guide compares it with the cheaper waterproof option at £19.95 if the budget is tighter.
Over £50: the one big present
Timeless Collar and Lead Bundle, from £57.99. Handmade leather, in Baby Pink, Royal Blue or Caramel, collar and lead together. Buying the pair costs less than the two separately, and it is the present for somebody getting their first proper collar rather than another nylon one.
New Puppy Starter Kit, from £64.99. If there is a puppy arriving in the family over Christmas, this is the one: a handmade leather collar and lead with a toy and a gift, sized from XS. It exists because the alternative is buying four things separately in the first week and discovering that the collar is too big.
What we would skip
Three honest notes, because a guide that recommends everything is not a guide.
Anything that needs the dog's measurements, unless you have them. Collars, harnesses and dog coats are lovely presents and a miserable exchange. Either get the measurement first or give something the human wears.
Breed-specific anything, if you are guessing the breed. A cockapoo owner receiving a labradoodle design has learned something about your attention span. When in doubt, go generic: the tote, a tumbler, the jigsaw.
Scented candles for a house with a dog in it. Not an accusation, just a fact about dogs and open flames on low tables with a tail going.
Timing, plainly
Two things actually go wrong in December. The first is size and colour: the ranges above are deep on some colourways and thin on others, and the thin ones go first in November, not December. The second is the leather. Collars and leads are handmade and the sizes do not restock on demand, so if you want a specific size and colour, that is the one to order early.
Dispatch is one to two working days, and free UK delivery applies on orders over £30, which most of the main presents above clear on their own. If you are buying two or three stocking fillers, putting them in one order gets you over the line.
More ideas in Gifts for Dog Lovers, and our evergreen guide to gifts for dog lovers covers the same ground without the Christmas deadline attached.
Frequently asked questions
What should I buy someone who loves their dog?
Something they will use rather than display, and ideally something that involves the dog. The reliable choices are dog-print socks at £3.99, a cotton tote at £9.49, an engraved tumbler at £11.29, a breed-specific tee from £17, or a handmade leather collar at £26.99 if you can get the dog's neck measurement first. Avoid anything requiring the dog's size unless you know it.
What is a good Christmas gift for a dog lover under £10?
Dog-print socks matched to their breed at £3.99, a rope toy at £6, a 100 per cent cotton tote bag at £9.49, or stainless steel dog stud earrings at £9.99. Socks are a safe pick for parents and in-laws too, and a pair of socks with a rope toy for their dog makes a stocking that looks more generous than it costs.
What should I get my dog for Christmas?
A long-lasting chew or a treat they do not normally get, and one toy that will survive. Rope toys from £6 hold up better than plush for most dogs. If you want to buy something that lasts beyond the week, a well-made collar at £26.99 replaces the frayed one they have been wearing since the summer.
When should I order Christmas dog gifts in the UK?
Earlier than you think, and for one specific reason: sizes and colourways run out before stock does overall. Handmade leather collars and leads are made in limited runs per size and colour, and clothing colourways sell through unevenly. If you want a particular size or colour, November is the safe window. Orders are dispatched within one to two working days.
Is there free delivery?
Yes, free UK delivery on orders over £30. Most of the larger gifts clear that on their own, and combining a few stocking fillers into one order is usually the cheapest way to buy them.
What size collar does a dog need?
Measure around the base of the neck with a soft tape, then allow room for two fingers to slide under it comfortably. Our collars run from XS upwards. If you are buying as a surprise and cannot measure, buy something the owner wears instead and let them choose the collar themselves, because a collar is the one gift on this list that genuinely has to fit.
Featured in this guide: A Dog Person Tote · Dog Mama Tumbler · The Pooch Puzzle · The Hot Dog Tee · Branni Heart Collar · Dobbybags The OG · Clothing For You · Gifts for Dog Lovers. Free UK delivery over £30.