As a member of the Etsy affiliate program and an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n And unlike the first Christmas, I don\u2019t think essential oils, herbs, and a banging drum solo are going to thrill anyone in my life. (Honestly, are we sure they thrilled Mary and Joseph? Famously, new parents love a bunch of travellers who have picked up goodnes knows what hanging out with their newborn.)<\/p>\n I mean, cue Linus\u2019 monologue from A Charlie Brown Christmas about commercialism, but do any of us really need more things? I\u2019m pretty sure at this stage Bailey has one of everything. Literally, everything.<\/em> He doesn\u2019t need toys and beds. He lives in a house with me, where I bake fresh treats all the time. He wants for naught. So this year, my last-minute gifts are focused on fewer objects to put under the tree and more ways to spend thoughtful, meaningful time with your friends and their pets. <\/p>\n Plus, some of us not naming any names, Jodi<\/em>, moved to small beach towns this year where we don\u2019t next-day internet shopping so what used to be kind of late<\/em> when I lived in the City is now an impossible task. So there will be no physical goods this year, just fun experiences for people and their pets.<\/p>\n If you need ideas for thoughtful, easy, last minute gifts that you can buy the dog lover in your life, we\u2019ve got you covered! Here is our list of favourite things you can shop for online today.<\/p>\n Dognition is a series of fun games designed to help you better understand how your dog thinks, build your connection and relationship, and lead to better, more productive dog training sessions. I absolutely loved working through these challenges with Kolchak and I\u2019m really excited to go through them with Bailey. Especially in the depths of a dreary, rainy winter, these games will be a fun way to spend time together indoors. <\/p>\n You can subscribe to Dognition at this link<\/a> (and they\u2019re even running a 25% off holiday promotion)<\/strong> Want to go the extra mile?<\/em> <\/strong>Pick up the supplies for the Dognition test kit: two lightweight disposal cups, a stack of Post-It Notes, and some super tasty dog treats all things that should be pretty attainable, no matter where you live. <\/p>\n They say you can\u2019t teach an old dog new tricks, but that\u2019s some baloney! Whether the dog lover in your life has a bouncy, over-exuberant puppy, a faithful bestie who they just want to hang out with in a fun way, or a senior pooch who needs rewarding ways to keep their brains active and engaged, Do More With Your Dog has options. This \u201cgo at your own pace \/ choose your own adventure\u201d dog training method can help you skill-build dog tricks while earning titles and having fun. <\/p>\n They offer a ton of affordable mini-classes for those who want to casually explore dog trick training<\/a> or you can sign up to earn dog trick titles for those who are ready to tackle a challenge with their canine partner-in-crime<\/a>. (Truthfully, you don\u2019t even have to be a dog to love this one \u2013 I bet Puffin the Lop-earred Bunny and I would love to tackle this too!) They even have some really great FAcebook groups for people doing more with their dogs that offer help, support and a sense of community. <\/p>\n Want to go the extra mile? <\/em><\/strong>A part of the fun here is recording you and your dog showing off their newly mastered tricks; offer to help film or pick up a tripod or way to mount their phone. Filming yourself is hard! <\/p>\n OK, real talk you guys? I hate a dog park. I love the concept. Big open spaces where dogs can be dogs, run around and have a great time? It sounds so good.<\/em> Except, I\u2019m kind of a dog-snob, and I\u2019m not sorry about it. Every single time I\u2019ve been to a public dog park I\u2019ve met dogs who weren\u2019t comfortable being there, didn\u2019t have safe recall, did have good dog-to-dog social skills, were reactive or jumpy or whatever. I can\u2019t help but feel like every time I stand in a dog park, I\u2019m a little bit waiting for something terrible to happen. <\/p>\n Sniffspot is a great concept where you or you and your friends<\/em> can rent a little private spacefor your dogs to play and run around in a way you know will be safe and fun. They call them \u201cprivate dog parks\u201d but they\u2019re really just people\u2019s yards and personal spaces that they\u2019ve opened up to share with the community. They\u2019re great for reactive dogs who love to sniff and explore without other dogs around. Great for off-leash training in a safe and non-distracting way. And great for anyone who wants to let their dog burn off some energy, even if they\u2019re not quite ready to trust them in a public space. <\/p>\n They don\u2019t offer gift cards (what a silly oversight), <\/strong>so to gift this, I opened a free gmail address in my friend\u2019s dog\u2019s name, signed up for a month, then gave them the log in details. (Just remember to cancel your subscription renewal against your credit card or it could end up being a nicer gift than you intended lol!) You could also just gift a prepaid credit card or cash and a note about what it\u2019s for!<\/p>\n Bailey and I walk so much and the truth is, as far as he is concerned, I am just there to hold the leash. And while there is huge value in all types of walks from training walks, to exercise walks and more, a nice, slow sniffing walk is one of this old man\u2019s favourites. When he\u2019s on a sniffing walk, he sets the pace, I let him stop as much as he wants and he gets to work out his brain smelling everything the neighbourhood has to offer \u2013 and while he sniffs, I love to listen to audiobooks. <\/p>\n I might be biased because she one of my best friends, but my book of the year is this gem by Maggie Marton: For the Love of Dog: How Dogs Think and the Unbreakable Bond That Connects Us<\/strong> > it\u2019s on Audible, along with tons of other great non-fiction and fiction books for dog lovers and it made our walks this fall so joyful. <\/p>\n Grab For the Love of Dog it on Audible<\/a> for yourself (you won\u2019t regret it) then gift your friend an Audible subscription<\/a> and start your own little dog centric book club! <\/strong><\/p>\n Here at Kol\u2019s Notes, dog treats are KIND OF our thing. I absolutely love making Bailey fresh, DIY dog treats. we have a TON of\u00a0dog treat recipes<\/a>. Why not whip up a batch of\u00a0canine-friendly peanut butter gingerbread<\/a>? Pop it in a cute box or jar, and it\u2019s a great, thoughtful, made-from-the-heart dog lover gift.<\/p>\n I want to hear what you\u2019re still shopping for \u2013 especially if your top picks belong on this list! <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As a member of the Etsy affiliate program and an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. It\u2019s almost Christmas and once again, I have waited until Mary is crowning to start my shopping. And unlike the first Christmas, I don\u2019t think essential oils, herbs, and a banging drum solo are going to thrill anyone […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7047166,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[96621,166083],"tags":[2634,1983,468,2697,3693,6015],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-7047164","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-christmas","category-diy-dog-holidays","tag-dog","tag-favourite","tag-gifts","tag-holiday","tag-lover","tag-minute"],"yoast_head":"\n![](\"https:\/\/kolchakpuggle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/EVEN-WITH-ONLY-A-FEW-DAYS-LEFT-UNTIL-CHRISTMAS.png\")
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<\/div>\nIt\u2019s almost Christmas and once again, I have waited until Mary is crowning to start my shopping. <\/h2>\n
I\u2019m lucky to have a wide circle of wonderful dogs and their people, and while I want to celebrate each of those lovely friendships this holiday, I don\u2019t want to get people a bunch of stuff. <\/em><\/h2>\n
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<\/figure>\nLast minute gifts for dog lovers you can still buy online and have in time for Christmas<\/h2>\n
If I\u2019ve said it once, I\u2019ve shouted it a 100 times. I am SUCH a fan of the Dognition games<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/kolchakpuggle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Kolchak-does-the-dognition-tests-1024x768.jpg\")
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<\/strong>(as of Dec 21, 2025 while offer lasts, I\u2019m not the boss of the Dognition folks)<\/p>\nFor the dog lover with a dog who is too smart for their own good, I love recommending Do More With Your Dog
<\/h3>\nGive the gift of stress-free outdoor time with SniffSpot \u201cPrivate Dog Parks\u201d<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/kolchakpuggle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2c31af9b-7bb2-40df-a154-b657b6f16b77-1024x1365.jpg\")
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<\/figure>\nI love giving audiobooks to dog lovers. <\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/kolchakpuggle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/5ac29da5-886a-44c7-a285-9f78974225b2-1-1024x1365.jpg\")
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<\/figure>\nMade with Love Homemade Dog Treats<\/h3>\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/kolchakpuggle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Peanut-butter-Gingerbread-Dog-Treat-Recipe-1-650x435.jpg.webp\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nWho else has amazing ideas for the dog lovers in their lives? <\/h2>\n