It’s that time of year again and our resident reindeer and elf are ready to share some of their favorite gift ideas for all of the different people and pets on your list.
To celebrate the season
- Advent calendars $3 and up
Advent calendars have come a long way from when I was a kid. The assortment is enormous with items to appeal to even the fussiest person on your list. Of course the traditional chocolate can still be found in stores everywhere, but other calendars are filled with toys, beauty products, beer or wine, and now there are even calendars for dogs and cats!
For the big dogs
- drying robe from Ruff and Tumble $50 and up
We spend a lot of time in the water and I’ve had a very difficult time finding a drying robe that will fit a large dog. A friend referred me to Ruff and Tumble and the first one I bought was actually too big! They are located in the U.K. but they are very quick to ship. They are a little pricey but quality is wonderful and they are very long lasting. I recently got a pair of the drying mitts and they make drying muddy paws so easy. Find out more here.
- a new leather collar or leash $30 and up
Several years ago I discovered that for dogs with long, thick hair around their necks, a round leather collar is the best collar to prevent matting and tangles. Ever since then, that’s been my collar of choice but it’s a little boring. I admire dogs with different patterned or jeweled collars, but I resist the urge to buy one for my dogs. As a result, I have a pretty big leash collection. I have leashes for training, swimming and walking the neighborhood. I love buying a new leash and I have leashes that range in size from 2 feet to 30 feet. I love the variety and I choose what to use based on my mood and what we are going to be doing.
Click here for my favorite round leather collar, here for Hund collars, here for custom leather leashes and collars, and here for patterned collars by Foggy Dog. They donate food to shelters with each purchase.
- Oma’s Pride dog treats $8 and up
- High in fatty acids, vitamins A and B, Iron, and Taurine.
- Sourced & produced in the USA.
- 100% natural — no preservatives, additives, or flavorings.
Suggested Use & Instructions: Use as a treat, snack, or training tool. Feed whole or break into smaller pieces.
Ingredients: Hand-sliced chicken hearts
I can teach Winn to do anything when these treats are involved! Her favorites are the chicken hearts but she really isn’t choosy. There’s really nothing else to say, she loves them.
Click here to shop the collection.
For working newfs and their owners
- Water Work, Water Play by Judi Adler $40 plus postage
The best Newfoundland specific water training manual out there! This book explains how to get started and how to be successful with each componenet of the Junior, Senior and Excellent test. If you know someone interested in water work, this is the book for them.
Purchase this wonderful book here.
- Katie’s bumpers $10 and up
Durable toys made from firehose. Great for big dogs, strong chewers and water play!
Click here for Katie’s Bumpers Amazon store
- Garden totem or other pottery pieces from Prairie Dog Pottery $25 and up
A dear friend gave me this garden totem when Winn and I passed our first Water Dog test. She introduced us to water work and taught us how to do each different exercise. The metal rod I put it on for the planter is a little long, but I’m holding a spot for something special when we pass the Draft Test.
There are so many wonderful items to choose. In addition to the garden totems (with many different dog breed pieces) she has a huge selection of pottery items. I’m especially fond of the coffee mugs with a Newfie pulling a cart.
Brouse through her different collections here.
- Newfie socks from Newfielove.com $16.15
The shop at Newfielove just keeps getting bigger. She’s got bibs, mugs, pillows, towels, t-shirts and sweatshirts and a whole lot more. I think these socks are pretty darn cute and the perfect gift for someone who might be bashful about advertising their newfie love. Check out her shop here.
- Sea Bags $30 and up
This company recycles old sails into bags. I’ve been a fan of theirs for a long time. I appreciate their reuse, repurpose mission and I’m nostalgic about the many years I spent living on the east coast. They are located in Portland, ME and have opened several stores in New England and beyond. Winn knows this bag is “her” bag. It’s always packed with treats and all the things we need when we are training or testing. I’ve got my eye on a custom bag. I want to have one made with the image of Winn either pulling the boat to shore or jumping off of the boat.
Click here to shop their pets collection but don’t be surprised if you spend more time looking around at all of their other items.
A little bit of whimsy for dog lovers
- Dog Bingo by Polly Horner $29.95
How about a board game the whole family can play? You can learn more about other fun products by Polly Horner here and purchase Dog Bingo here.
- Dog tail hooks $29
I absolutely love these hooks and that they come in two sizes. These are available at Grandin Road here. There are similar options at several other online retailers if you want different colors or sizes.
- Holiday kitchen towel from Sur La Table $12
This towel is pretty cute and there are lots of other options available to add to your kitchen. Dog lovers 12 days of Christmas towel available here.
- Teddy the Dog $5 and up
Teddy the dog offers a huge variety of items featuring almost every dog breed with a silly pun. For the hard to shop for person, surely you will be able to find something here!
We hope you’ve gotten some good ideas for somebody on your shopping list. Most importantly, enjoy your time with your loved ones and give everyone extra hugs.
Happy Holidays!
Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful.
Somehow, they both knew that these cookies were for them and they watched my every move with anticipation. They knew that good things were coming and they simply needed to wait. They also thought it might help speed things along if they gave me a nudge now and then but their eager eyes usually do the trick.
Once the cookies were done, I moved on to the pumpkin pies. I gave them both a taste of the cooked pumpkin, which they loved, and decided to offer the pot to them for one or two licks. I should have known that Winn would stick her whole head into the pot and come up with pumpkin all over her! I pulled it away, gave Maisie the chance for a lick and decided that was enough. They get dirty enough on their own, I certainly don’t need to add to their need for a bath.
Thanksgiving morning we all (not including the dogs) participated in a 5K family fun run. We actually did a brisk walk since not all of us are runners. I had to do a fair amount of cajoling to get everyone to participate but they were up, dressed and ready to go at 8:15 just like I asked (despite my son’s raging hangover and my daughters aversion to races). It was bitterly cold but it was a very festive atmosphere. We were surrounded by families and it felt good (at least to my husband and I) to get some exercise before we sat down for a big meal.
I thought it was a great way to start the day and we then went on to cook, watch football, take naps and eat one of our favorite meals of the year.
The dogs were outside enjoying the cool weather while we did all of the work. It took several hours of blowing, raking and scooping but we got it most of it done with about 15 minutes to spare before the truck came down the alley to collect the bags. They come once a week so I was thrilled that we got all of the bags filled and taken away in the same day.
After getting the leaves taken care of (before a big storm was due to roll in), I moved on to getting the front porch ready for the season. This involved cleaning out all of the baskets and pots, removing the furniture cushions, storing the small furniture under the deck and then hanging the Christmas decorations. I’m glad I was able to get all of that done while it was still relatively warm out, the temperature was due to drop along with a big snow storm blowing through the area.
This year, our Christmas card photo shoot was a little easier despite adding an enthusiastic, very large puppy to the mix. I had my trusty assistant who helped with keeping their attention, positioning and hats. Annie is doing a much better job at staying, or she is just more able to tune out my crazy ideas, and Maisie and Winn were terrific!
I couldn’t resist these close-ups of each of them.
maisiethenewfieandcompany 