The 35 Best Dog Gifts of 2023

Like I said, we have a lot of dog toys. Few have lasted as long, or are so beloved, as Captain's Fluff & Tuff toys—this unicorn and its siblings the blue dinosaur and honey bear are his constant companions. I'm not kidding: He brings them into bed with us every freaking night, and we have to put them through the washer and dryer every few months. In spite of this, they've held up for two years now, plus they're filled with high-quality padding that are held to the same non-toxic standards as children's toys.

If you're part of my dog-owning generation—that's to say, older millennials who are hell-bent on spending all their disposable income on high-quality dog accessories—you'll likely already be familiar with Wild One, known for its gorgeous pastel harnesses (opens in new tab). But their Bolt Bite, billed as "the ultimate chew toy for dogs," deserves some of the spotlight, too: You can put little treats into each end, or use it as part of a game of fetch, and the middle has a reinforced rubber center so your dog can't tear it apart. Bonus: It's BPA-free and dishwasher-friendly.

Both Captain and his BFF, a rescue cattle dog named Stanley, are obsessed with this brontosaurus and its friend the vulture. The brontosaurus is taller than Captain, but no matter—he insists on carrying it by the neck everywhere, and will hardly leap up on the sofa without it. Soft, cute, and somehow able to withstand a lot of tug-of-war, both toys are fixtures in our apartment.

There's no better long-term gift for the dog in your life than a three-month, six-month, or 12-month subscription to BarkBox, a themed and customizable box of treats and toys for your pup. The best way to describe BarkBox is as a monthly box of joy (for proof, here's Captain on BarkBox day). If you have a dog that loves to destroy things, I recommend the Super Chewer. (opens in new tab)

Custom pet portraits can run expensive—I've learned this, well, the expensive way—but West & Willow sells a whole line of chic merchandise complete with custom-drawn portraits of your pet, and it's all relatively affordable (between $50-$100). This iPhone case is my favorite (my second-favorite is the bowl, if you wondered), and you can get a version for a variety of iPhone and Samsung models.

London-based illustrator Kitty uses watercolors and pencil to create a custom portrait of your dog, taking care to highlight the features you love most. Think those old-fashioned watercolor portraits of aristocratic families that take days to complete—but for your dog. The result is the kind of portrait you'll want to hang it in your home for years (okay, decades) to come.

Trade in your old dog bowl for one of these hand-crafted ceramic "pet dishes," which you can have made with your dog's name on front (you can even get the personalization in Braille). I've had mine, in the Blanc color, for two years now, and it doubles as a gorgeous piece of home decor. (The rest of the line is literally home decor, so you know you're in good hands.)

This adorable book is basically Where's Waldo, but with your specific dog—you can pick from breeds and colors to find a pup that looks like yours—instead of Waldo. Perfect for kids and grown-ups alike, you can spend hours trying to find your dog in the middle of the beautifully illustrated landscapes. I have, in fact, spent many hours on the subway investigating each and every page and getting concerned looks from my fellow commuters.

My brother gifted me this handmade necklace with a tiny illustration of Captain, my dog, for my birthday last year, and—this won't surprise you by this point—I wear it every day. It's been a year now, and my necklace hasn't rusted or aged at all, and it makes me smile every time I look at it. You can get yours in a variety of lengths and metals, including silver, gold, and rose gold. 

Scripted Fragrance makes a candle for just about every major breed of dog, including "service dog" (which is so cute, I nearly cried). And while some candles can be dangerous for your dog, these ones are made of dog-safe soy wax. Plus, they're vegan, cruelty-free, dye-free, additive-free, preservative-free, petroleum-free, and phthalate-free.

Upload a photo of your pup, add some information about what makes him or her special, and bingo—you'll get a metal Pokémon card of your dog to keep forever. The best part is that the artists of PokéPup hand-draw a Pokémon-esque portrait of your dog—and not only does it appear on the front of the card, you'll also get a digital copy of their artwork.

Female-founded small business Sweater Hound takes at least a month to create your new favorite custom dog sweater, but trust me—it's worth it. Just send them a photo of your dog, and you're done. They'll send over the sketch of your dog for you to approve, have you sign off on the colors, and keep you in the loop about delivery dates. The result is one of my favorite gifts I've ever given.

One hundred percent of profits from this delicious blend, which boasts notes of dark chocolate and toasted pecan and comes in whole bean or ground, goes to a rescue organization. For the month of December 2022, for example, all profits from this blend will go to the Beagle Freedom Project, which works to protect beagles and other dogs from the animal testing industry—and save and rehome those dogs wherever possible. (They recently made headlines for helping rehome the 4,000 beagles rescued from the Envigo breeding facility in Virginia.)

Yes, these organic cotton socks are super-comfy and embroidered with tiny paws (!), but the best part is that every purchase includes a donation to Best Friend Animal Society, one of the leading nonprofits that works to stop shelter animals being euthanized.

You can order these soft cotton PJs in a range of dog and human sizes, so the whole family can match. (Whether they want to or not!) Perfect for a big dog-loving family that lives for their annual holiday card. Plus, a percentage of every purchase goes towards helping dogs find their forever home—as with Grounds & Hounds, the organization benefiting changes every quarter, and is picked by Dog Threads customers. 

For the dog mom who has it all, I present: This hand-made seed bead necklace, which is about the size of a dime and almost painfully adorable. A bonus: the brand, Jewels For Hope, a mother-daughter small business, donates 10 percent of profits from all of its products to charity.

Your favorite sweater brand Lingua Franca teamed up with luxury dog brand Pride + Groom to create the ultimate gift set: a hand-switched "In Dog We Trust" cashmere dog sweater (did I mention you can get a matching human version?) along with a grooming set designed for your dog's specific skin and shedding needs. Like all Lingua Franca sweaters, this sweater is super-soft but also lightweight, so my dog wears it all winter long. Twenty percent of every purchase of this gift set goes to rescue organization Animal Haven.

We've gone through a lot of dog beds in the Hollander household. Two have proven winners: This La-Z-Boy bed, and the corner bed, below. The La-Z-Boy folds in and out depending on how much space you have, and is known in our household as Captain's "long bed." A true story: I once came back early from vacation while the dog sitter was sleeping and didn't want to wake her, so I curled up in this bed and took a nap. And you know what? It was a good nap.

The cool thing about this corner dog bed is that it's designed to fit seamlessly into any space, from a tiny New York City apartment (cough) to a spacious yard or living space. Also, it's like a giant cloud—Captain spends all his time ambling between this and his "long bed." (At this point, you may have gleaned that my dog is, in fact, spoiled.)

I held out on getting a Furbo for a long time—it's tricky to justify a $210 camera when you can find one on Amazon for $30—but I finally invested on Prime Day a couple of years ago, and oh, man, what a fantastic decision that was. You can find me panicking over my dog's well-being about 98 percent of the time, and this reassures me enormously—the camera is HD enough that you can zoom in on your dog's breathing (don't judge me), and you can toss your good boy or girl treats whenever you need a little pick-me-up.

This is such a cute way to create treats for your dog based on what they like and don't (and if you have a picky dog, like me, you'll know that treats in general can be very hit and miss). Dog-safe batter is easy to make—just mix ingredients like peanut butter and pumpkin and eggs and whole wheat flour—and then throw in everything your dog's heart desires: bacon bits, cheese, chicken, the list goes on!

The height of luxury, in my opinion, is a good bathrobe, and this is the best bathrobe for your dog money can buy. Yes, it seems a little silly, but if you live somewhere cold—or if your dog just hates being wet—this Harry Barker terrycloth robe is going to prove invaluable post-bath. Plus, you can get it personalized with your dog's initials!

I first spotted the Shed Defender on Shark Tank, but I don't know whether its founders got a deal or not because I was too busy buying one on my phone. Originally designed to stop your dog from shedding in the car, on the couch, and, well, everywhere else, the Shed Defender people quickly learned that dogs also love the feel of it. The snug fit is thought to reduce your dog's anxiety—like the ThunderShirt, but cuter. My old dog Skipper wore it to sleep, like adorable doggie pajamas. (He also wore it in Ubers so he didn't shed on the seats—here's proof.) The onesie comes in nine colors and an impressive range of sizes. Bonus: My lint roller and vacuum cleaner are well-rested.

The flannel print—Rocco & Roxie bring in new prints every season—on this gorgeous hand-sewn bandana, just about killed me when it showed up at my house. It's well-made, durable, and almost painfully cute. Plus, it comes in three sizes, so you won't have to worry about tying it just right so the knot remains subtle.

Look, it'll be an upward battle to convince you that this dog T-shirt is a functional and not just stylish purchase, but hear me out. You know those chilly autumnal days when it's too warm for a sweater, but too cold for your dog's coat to do the job alone? Enter: BedHead's selection of dog T-shirts. In terms of soft, stretchy fabric that keeps your dog warm but doesn't restrict them from moving around, these PJs are the best. (I have three.) Hot tip: Size up, because these T-shirts are at best when they're very slightly oversized. Here's Captain wearing one of his.

If you adopted your pup, this is the perfect leash for you. Each leash comes with an adorable "Found" tag to celebrate adoption, and each tag is individually numbered and stamped. Mine, in green (opens in new tab), has lasted four years and counting, and has hardly frayed in that time. Plus, Found My Animal actively supports and promotes animal adoption.

When I adopted my first dog, Skipper, I needed a leash that did the work—Skipper was a gorgeous hound puppy that had been rescued from a forest in Kentucky and had had absolutely zero training. I must have tried four or five before someone told me about 2 Hounds' Freedom Harness, which remains the harness I use (and tell all my friends about) to this day. Its velvet, adjustable straps are easy on dogs' sensitive skin, even when they pull, and the hoops on the front and the back mean that you can change things up if you need extra control. Like my beloved Found My Animal leash, above, one 2 Hounds harness has lasted me four years and counting.

Depending on the kind of walk we're about to embark on, I switch it up between my Found My Animal leash and my Fable hands-free leash, because the latter is great for multitasking. Don't be fooled by this complicated-looking leash—it couldn't be easier to wear, and while I like to string it over one shoulder and around my waist while balancing coffee in one hand and texting with the other, you can also wear it as a belt or a wrist strap. I use it for jogging with Captain and slow, relaxed walks so that he can use it to dart around, sniffing things while I'm standing in place or talking on the phone.

Friends, as mentioned, I am not an expert on very much. But I do have a dog who is a) picky as hell and b) medically required to eat often (do not get me started on my vet bills). These Newman's Own Snack Sticks in Chicken—and I have to point out here that Captain will not eat the other flavors—are the only dog treats that he'll reliably eat. To this end, I now don't leave the house without a few of these treats stuffed in my pockets, and now other dogs run up to me and start nosing my hand, without fail, because they know I have The Good Treats. In summary: These snack sticks have made me famous among local dogs. For better and for worse.

I'd already used a $60 dog DNA kit to discover that Captain was a beagle-slash-super mutt, but Embark goes a step further when it comes to analyzing your dog's health markers. Because Captain is a rescue who was dumped by his old owners, I didn't have any information on his genetics, but my Embark test revealed that Captain has a gene that weakens the discs in his back. Not only that, but I received a dog family tree from Embark that revealed that—cue my hyperventilating—Captain has a close relative who is paralyzed from the neck down from that same condition. I spoke to that dog's (wonderful) owner, went to the vet, and did my research, and now I'm extremely careful about Captain's back in all situations. If you know the genetic origins of your dog, you may not need that kind of health information—but the family tree is still extremely fun.

These velvet Jack Rogers loafers are at the very top of my holiday wish list. Perfect for lounging around the house or walking your dog in, Jack Rogers also makes pairs with golden retrievers, (opens in new tab) golden doodles, (opens in new tab) and corgis (opens in new tab) on them, just to name a few. (They run small, so size up a half-size.)

When it comes to dog treat advent calendars, Wufers is, in my opinion, the best. (I'm also partial to Bark's dog advent calendar, if you wondered.) The box is gorgeous—it'll go perfectly with your holiday decorations—and the treats are all hand-baked dog cookies, with an extra-large paw-shaped cookie for Christmas Eve. If you'd prefer for your dog to have less treats during the most wonderful time of year for leftovers, these cookies are made to last (they'll stay good for 15 months after you open the little door).

Know someone who needs some quality time with their pup? (Maybe that person is you?) Give the gift of relaxation in a remote, dog-friendly location with Getaway, a company that sends you to cozy cabins a couple of hours from your hometown that are nestled in nature (with your dog, of course) for a couple of ultra-relaxing days. Your pup will love the rural surroundings, and you'll finally be able to unplug.

If you're a dog person looking for a new art piece, Stellar Villa by Laura is the brand for you. Laura, the artist who founded the small business with her husband, Patrick, offers both custom prints with your dog and original prints she's already drawn—like this one, which is how I feel 95 percent of the time I'm out with my dog.

I'm fudging a little when I say this is one of my dog's top picks, because, in fact, Captain hates the water and squeals when I put him in this. But I love it: It holds a ton of water, doesn't leak, folds easily so you can store it away, and is perfect as a dog-slash-foot bath in the summer. A friend even uses it as a pool for both her dogs and her kids.