Gift Basket Ideas for Dog Lovers
Who says gift baskets are only for office parties? Give a dog lover in your life a gift basket of dog lover goodies, and make both the sweet pup and your two legged pal feel great.
Choosing the Basket
Of course, you'll need to purchase a basket. While it may seem like a good idea to buy the basket first, it's best to wait until you've decided what you're giving. That way, you won't purchase a basket that's either too small, or too large, for your stash of presents.
On the other hand, if you want the basket to double as part of the gift, then you may buy the basket right away. You could consider using a nice picnic basket. Next time your friend takes Fido for a stroll, he could lug along lunch.
Another way to make the basket part of the gift is to give a doggie bed basket. Assuming your friend's dog isn't too big for this to be practical, you can find in pet stores baskets with a cushion, usually sold as dog beds. Even if they already have one dog bed at home, they can always use another, either somewhere else in the house, or even a place for the dog to nap at the office.
Something to Read
One item you could include in your basket is a book, either specific to the breed, on general dog care, or even something comical. If you're looking for sentimental, consider including a copy ofChicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul. If you're thinking practical, The Power of Positive Dog Training might make a nice gift.
Or, you could give a gift that keeps giving, and buy a dog or pet magazine subscription. Include one copy of the magazine (you can find them at Pet Stores and in most large book stores), and attach a small note that mentions you've signed them up for a gift subscription. Magazines to consider are Modern Dog, The Bark, or Dog Fancy.
Toys for the Owner and the Dog
Don't forget to include toys! For the pup, that can be anything from some chew bones to squeaky toys and balls. But we wouldn't want our dog lover to feel left out, so throw in a toy for him, too. Consider the Dog Lover Magnetic Poetry Kit, produced by Magnetic Poetry Kit®. Filled with words to create serious poetry, or silly verse, your friend is sure to have a good time with this set.
Treats for Fido and Fido's Owner
What's a gift basket without treats? You might want to throw in some animal crackers for the dog lover, but nothing too fancy (you don't want to make Fido jealous). And for Fido, how about splurging on some really special treats from Barbara's Canine Catering (www.k9treat.com)?
These aren't just doggy treats -- Barbara's Canine Catering uses high quality ingredients in all their snacks and dog foods. You won't find any preservatives, fillers, sugars, or added fats. Only human grade meat, multigrains, real vegetables (not vegetable flavorings), and fresh herbs are used in these doggie snacks.
You can order them online from their website, or the products are available in many health food stores around the country.
How about a Doggie Bowel?
If you decided to use a picnic basket, including a doggie bowel makes perfect sense. Get yourself to a local pet store, and try to find a doggie bowel that's extra special. Some come with cute slogans, which are an added bonus for your friend (we're assuming the dog can't read – but, perhaps, the dog owner can read the slogan to their furry pal).
These are just some ideas to get you started. There are no rules on what to include in a dog lover gift basket. Just enjoy the process of gathering the gifts, and I'm sure your dog loving pal will love the results.