A 2026 Christmas gift guide for spoiling your dog

If you have a dog and no kids, there's a good chance your parents have started asking what to get the dog for Christmas.

Here's a wishlist I put together for a dog named Biscuit, whose people want to spoil him a little this year. Pick the items you want with "Add to wishlist," or take the whole list with the button at the bottom:

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The toys that last

The KONG has been around since 1976. Joe Markham, a mechanic in Colorado, noticed his German shepherd Fritz was wearing his teeth down chewing on rocks, but Fritz liked a rubber suspension part from a Volkswagen van better. Markham spent about six years working out a rubber toy that was close to it, and a friend said it looked like "an earplug for King Kong." It's hollow, so you can stuff it with treats or peanut butter and freeze it.

West Paw's Hurley is a bone-shaped chew toy made from a material the company calls Zogoflex, in Bozeman, Montana. It floats, and it comes in three sizes. West Paw also says no dog toy is indestructible, so it backs the Hurley with a one-time replacement if your dog wrecks it.

Something to sniff out

Nina Ottosson is a Swedish inventor who started selling dog puzzle games in Sweden in 1993, and Outward Hound bought her company in 2015. The Dog Tornado is three stacked layers that spin, with 12 compartments to hide kibble or treats in, and three bone-shaped covers to make it harder.

In a 2019 study, Charlotte Duranton and Alexandra Horowitz had one group of pet dogs do nosework for two weeks and another group practice heeling. Afterward, the nosework dogs approached an ambiguous bowl faster, which the researchers read as the dogs being more optimistic. The heeling dogs didn't change.

The camera

The Furbo 360 is a camera that sits on a counter and rotates for a full view of the room. You watch from an app, talk to your dog through it, and it tosses him a treat when you tap a button. It sends a notification when it hears barking. Treats have to be smaller than 0.75 inches and dry and firm to toss well.

The Amazon listing says a paid plan is required to activate it. The Furbo Dog Nanny plan is about $6.99 a month and adds the extra alerts, like when a person comes into view or a smoke alarm goes off.

Find out what he is

If your dog came from a shelter as a "mix," Embark will tell you what he's mixed with. It's a cheek swab you mail in. Embark says its Breed + Health test checks for 400+ breeds and 270+ genetic health conditions, and it works with Cornell University on its research. It also has a relative finder, and Embark says 94% of dogs it tests match with at least one relative in its database, so you might find his siblings. It's on sale for $129 as I write this.

The things you can't wrap

Hanna Andersson makes some of its matching family Christmas pajamas in a dog version too. The prints change every year, so check this season's before you put a specific one on the list.

On Sniffspot, people rent out their fenced yards and land by the hour, and only the dogs and people on your booking are allowed in during your visit. David Adams started it near Seattle in 2018. Hosts set their own prices, and the average is about $10 per dog per hour. Adams told the Inquirer that about 90% of guests don't have a fenced yard at home, and a lot of the spots are booked for dogs who are fearful around other dogs or people.

Kimpton is NerdWallet's top pick for pet-friendly hotels, because it welcomes all pets at no charge with no weight or breed restrictions. Check the specific hotel's page before booking, since some set a limit on how many pets per room.

The splurge

Big Barker makes dog beds out of 7 inches of foam, and it partnered with the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine on a study of 40 large dogs with arthritis, each at least three years old and over 70 pounds. Owners reported less pain and stiffness, and collar activity monitors showed half the dogs moving at least 13% less at night, which the study took to mean they were sleeping better. Big Barker paid for the study. The bed comes with a 10-year warranty.

In conclusion

The list above copies straight into a new WishPoster list with the Pet Pals theme, the one with a puppy that pops up over the fence. Change the name, swap in your own dog's sizes, and send the link to whoever keeps asking what he wants for Christmas.