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The Best Gifts for Dogs, for a Birthday or Under the Tree

Nine presents for a dog's birthday or Christmas morning, from a cake you bake yourself to a chew for the dog who destroys everything else.

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By Maggie CallahanUpdated · 16 gifts compared

A dog has no idea it's his birthday, and he may well spend longer on the wrapping paper than on whatever was in it. Start with the KONG Classic. It's about $12, it's a hollow lump of red rubber until you fill it with something he wants, and that's why it's still in use long after the party.

For the day itself, add the Puppy Cake kit. Everything else on this list depends on how your dog plays, so go by how hard he chews, not by how cute the box looks.

Our picks

9 picks, best first
  1. KONG Classic, Medium
    Best overallKONG Classic, Medium$11.96Medium
    Check price on Amazon
  2. Puppy Cake Dog Birthday Cake Kit
    Best for a birthdayPuppy Cake Dog Birthday Cake Kit$14.99
    Check price on Amazon
  3. ZippyPaws Birthday Box
    Best birthday toysZippyPaws Birthday Box$17.48
    Check price on Amazon
  4. Benebone Wishbone, Medium
    Best for power chewersBenebone Wishbone, Medium$12.78
    Check price on Amazon
  5. Outward Hound Nina Ottosson Dog Brick
    Best puzzleOutward Hound Nina Ottosson Dog Brick$19.50
    Check price on Amazon
  6. LickiMat Tuff Soother
    Best for a nervous dogLickiMat Tuff Soother$15.99
    Check price on Amazon
  7. ZippyPaws Burrow, Christmas Tree
    Best Christmas presentZippyPaws Burrow, Christmas Tree$25.00
    Check price on Amazon
  8. KONG Puppy, Small
    Best puppy giftKONG Puppy, Small$7.46
    Check price on Amazon
  9. GoTags Personalized Dog Collar
    Best personalized giftGoTags Personalized Dog Collar$18.95
    Check price on Amazon
On this page

Best dog birthday presents, by the dog

A dog who loves to eat gets the cake kit, and a dog who lives for his soft toys gets the Birthday Box. A senior who has slowed down does better with the LickiMat than with anything hard to chew, since it asks nothing of his teeth. And by a first birthday, a dog has outgrown the puppy rubber and is ready for the KONG Classic.

The dog birthday and Christmas presents, ranked

Top pick
Best overall

1. KONG Classic, Medium

KONG Classic, Medium

A hollow rubber toy you fill with food, so it keeps getting used long after the day itself.

$11.96
Check price on Amazon
Buy it if
Your dog is an adult and an average chewer, and you want a present that still gets used in spring.
Skip it if
He shreds rubber. KONG makes the black Extreme for that, or go to the Benebone.

KONG sells it for dogs who chew like most dogs do, and it goes in the dishwasher. Fill it with kibble or a spoonful of plain yogurt and he has to work the food out, while the odd shape bounces away from him when he drops it. Freeze it overnight and the same filling takes much longer.

Check the label of any peanut butter you use. Some contain xylitol, a sweetener the FDA warns is dangerous for dogs, so look for that word before the jar goes anywhere near the toy.

Pick the size by his mouth

KONG gives the Small up to 20 pounds, the Medium up to 35 and the Large 30 to 65, and the ranges overlap on purpose. The widest ring should be bigger than the back of his mouth. Between two sizes, take the bigger one. I've linked the Medium.

Where it falls short
  • Empty, it's a dull toy, and many dogs ignore it until there's food inside.
  • Filling it is your job, every time, and the inside needs a wash.
Best for a birthday

2. Puppy Cake Dog Birthday Cake Kit

Puppy Cake Dog Birthday Cake Kit

Cake mix, icing, a candle and a silicone pan in one box, ready for the oven or the microwave.

$14.99
Check price on Amazon
Buy it if
You'll sing to the dog, and you want the photo.
Skip it if
Your dog is allergic to wheat or eats a strict diet. Puppy Cake doesn't list this flavor as wheat-free, and the sprinkles contain semolina.

The box has the cake mix, the icing, a candle and a silicone pan you can use again. You add an egg or applesauce, oil and water, then bake it or microwave it. The candle is for you: you'll be the one blowing it out, while he stares at the cake and waits for everyone to stop singing.

Where it falls short
  • It's sugar and rice flour, so a treat for one day and not a snack for the week.
  • You'll need an egg or applesauce, and oil, from your own kitchen.
Read more about the Puppy Cake kit

It's the present people photograph and the one that's over by the evening, which is why it's second. Cane sugar is on the ingredient list, so cut small pieces and keep it to a birthday.

Best birthday toys

3. ZippyPaws Birthday Box

ZippyPaws Birthday Box

A plush cake, a plush balloon and a hat he'll wear for about one photo, in a box that looks like a present.

$17.48
Check price on Amazon
Buy it if
Your dog carries a soft toy around the house and sleeps next to it.
Skip it if
He's a shredder. The squeakers will be on the rug by the end of the party.

It's the birthday present that looks like a birthday present: a pink plush cake and a balloon, each with a squeaker, plus a hat for the picture. ZippyPaws sells it for light chewing and carrying, and that's a fair description. Put the hat away after the picture, and take the toys away when a seam opens.

Where it falls short
  • Soft toys don't last with a dog who chews. This one is for the gentle ones.
Best for power chewers

4. Benebone Wishbone, Medium

Benebone Wishbone, Medium

Hard nylon flavored with real bacon, curved so a dog can hold it between his paws.

$12.78
Check price on Amazon
Buy it if
Your adult dog goes through toys in an afternoon and has teeth to match.
Skip it if
He's older, with worn or weak teeth. Benebone itself says these aren't for him.

A plush toy lasts this dog about as long as it takes to open it, so give him something harder. The Wishbone is hard nylon with real bacon in it, and the curve lets him pin it between his paws and settle in. Benebone sizes it by weight: under 30 pounds for the Small, under 60 for the Medium, under 90 for the Large.

Where it falls short
  • It has to be replaced about monthly, so it's not a one-time present for a heavy chewer.
  • Stay nearby while he chews, which is the maker's instruction too.
Read more about the Benebone

It isn't food, even if it smells like it. Benebone says to replace it about once a month, and to throw it out once more than a sugar cube's worth is gone, because a worn chew can break into pieces he can swallow. Rice-sized flakes are normal.

Best puzzle

5. Outward Hound Nina Ottosson Dog Brick

Outward Hound Nina Ottosson Dog Brick

Treats hidden under sliders, lids and lift-out bones, with three ways to set it up as your dog catches on.

$19.50
Check price on Amazon
Buy it if
Your dog is bright and bored, and you've got ten minutes to set it up and watch.
Skip it if
He solves problems with his back teeth. The lift-out bones won't survive him.

Treats go under sliders, flip-up lids and small bones that lift out, and you can use only the easy parts on the first day. It's a level 2 on Outward Hound's scale of 4, which is the right place for a dog who has never seen a puzzle. On a day when the walk gets rained out, it's the one that takes some of the edge off.

Where it falls short
  • Stay with him while he plays, because the plastic isn't made to be chewed.
  • A smart dog learns it quickly, and then you'll want a harder level.
Best for a nervous dog

6. LickiMat Tuff Soother

LickiMat Tuff Soother

A textured rubber mat you spread with yogurt, which gives a dog something slow to do while the doorbell keeps ringing.

$15.99
Check price on Amazon
Buy it if
Your dog gets wound up by baths, nail trims, the vacuum or a crowd at the door.
Skip it if
You want something he can play with by himself all day. With nothing spread on it, it's a rubber square.

Licking is slow, and a dog who's busy licking yogurt off a textured mat isn't barking at your guests. This is the Tuff version, with a harder base that holds up better to a dog who tries to chew it, and LickiMat makes it 8 inches square. It goes in the dishwasher.

Where it falls short
  • You spread the food every single time, and it does need a scrub if you don't have a dishwasher.
  • A dog who eats fast will have it clean sooner than you'd hope.
Best Christmas present

7. ZippyPaws Burrow, Christmas Tree

ZippyPaws Burrow, Christmas Tree

A plush tree with three squeaky ornaments to pull out, then stuff back in for the next round.

$25.00
Check price on Amazon
Buy it if
Your small or medium dog likes to dig things out, and you want something for under the tree.
Skip it if
He's a big dog, or a chewer. The ornaments are small, and ZippyPaws doesn't recommend it for extra tough chewers.

You push three squeaky ornaments into the plush tree, and he pulls them out through the holes. Then you do it again, which he'll find funnier than you do. The tree still works if an ornament goes missing, since ZippyPaws' other Miniz toys fit it as well.

Where it falls short
  • It's seasonal. In July it's a plush Christmas tree in your living room.
Read more about the Christmas Tree Burrow
Size the ornaments to the dog

A toy small enough to swallow whole is the real risk with a set like this, as the ASPCA warns. For a Lab, skip it and buy the KONG in the Large. For a terrier who doesn't swallow toys, it's fine, with you in the room.

Best puppy gift

8. KONG Puppy, Small

KONG Puppy, Small

The softest rubber KONG makes, for baby teeth, with room for a bit of kibble inside.

$7.46
Check price on Amazon
Buy it if
The dog is under 9 months old and chewing everything in reach.
Skip it if
He has his adult teeth. KONG says the puppy rubber is its softest, and a grown dog will go through it.

This is the toy to bring when a friend gets a new puppy, along with a bag of the kibble they're already using. The rubber is softer than the Classic's, made for baby teeth, and it bounces for fetch too. It costs little, and it gets used that same week, when the crate is new and everyone's tired.

Where it falls short
  • He'll outgrow it in months, then you're on to the Classic.
Best personalized gift

9. GoTags Personalized Dog Collar

GoTags Personalized Dog Collar

His name and your phone number embroidered right on the nylon, so there's no tag to jingle or fall off.

$18.95
Check price on Amazon
Buy it if
The dog has a toy basket that's already full, or you're buying for someone who treats the dog like a person.
Skip it if
Your phone number is about to change. It's stitched in, so a new number means a new collar.

The name and the phone number are embroidered into the nylon, so a stranger who finds your dog can read the number without chasing him for a tag. There's nothing to jingle at night, either. You type the text and choose the colors on Amazon before you buy, so get it ordered earlier than the rest of the shopping.

Where it falls short
  • Dogs don't care about this one at all. It's for the people holding the leash.
Read more about the GoTags collar
Measure the neck first

It comes in four widths and lengths: X-Small fits 8 to 12 inches, Small 11 to 16, Medium 14 to 20, and Large 18 to 26. If you're buying for someone else's dog, ask, or look at the collar he wears now.

At a glance

giftPriceBest forKindWhat you getFor a chewer?
1KONG Classic, Mediumjust under $12Most adult dogs, any time of yearStuffable toyMedium, up to 35 lbAverage
2Puppy Cake Dog Birthday Cake Kitjust under $15The party, and the photoCake to bakeMix, icing, candle, panEaten
3ZippyPaws Birthday Boxabout $17Gentle dogs who carry toys aroundPlush set2 squeaky toys and a hatNo
4Benebone Wishbone, Mediumabout $13The dog who has killed every toy so farNylon chewMedium, under 60 lbPower chewer
5Outward Hound Nina Ottosson Dog Brickabout $20A clever dog on a rainy dayTreat puzzle12.8 in, 20 hiding spotsNo, stay close
6LickiMat Tuff Sootherjust under $16Bath time, nail trims, a house full of guestsLick mat8 × 8 inTougher version
7ZippyPaws Burrow, Christmas Treeabout $25Small and medium dogs who digHide and seek plushTree and 3 ornamentsNo
8KONG Puppy, Smallabout $7A teething puppy, or a friend's new oneStuffable toySmall puppiesTeething only
9GoTags Personalized Dog Collarjust under $19A dog who already has too many toysCollarNecks 8 to 26 inNot a toy

Best Christmas presents for dogs

Any toy on this list works with a bow on it, so the real question for the holidays is what he'll do while the house is full. For Christmas morning with the family around, the Christmas Tree Burrow gives him a game in the same room as the wrapping paper. For the long dinner after that, the LickiMat or a frozen KONG keeps him out from under the table.

For cheap dog gifts for Christmas, fill the stocking with the KONG Puppy for a young dog, or the Benebone in a smaller size for a chewer. Both still get used after New Year's, which I can't say for a bag of tiny plush.

How to choose a gift he'll use

What to look for in a dog gift

How hard he chews

A gentle carrier can have plush. A dog who takes everything apart needs rubber or nylon, and a plush toy is a mess waiting to happen.

Too big to swallow

The ASPCA's advice is to match a toy to the dog's size and chewing habits, and it notes that small dogs are likelier to get a blockage. Toy sizes go by weight, but mouths vary, so size up if you aren't sure.

Whether it lasts past the day

A cake is gone by nightfall, and that's fine as long as you know it. The rest of the budget goes further on something he'll use next month.

Who's doing the work

Stuffable toys, lick mats and puzzles keep him busy only if someone fills them. If that won't happen on a weeknight, get the chew.

ZippyPaws Holiday Advent Calendar

Twelve tiny plush toys at well above the price of anything on this list. They're small enough that I'd keep them away from any dog who swallows things.

Syhood 60-Piece Christmas Squeaky Toys

Sixty small plush toys sound generous until you picture them around a dog who swallows things.

RoundFunny 23-Piece Dog Birthday Set

Twenty-three pieces is a lot of small parts to keep track of around a dog, and it's sold only for small and medium dogs. The Birthday Box is sold for any size.

Also compared: KONG Extreme, KONG Holiday Wubba, Cuppy Cake and Outward Hound Dog Casino.

How I picked

A size or weight guide from the makerMade for a stated kind of chewerUnder about $30
How I choose what to recommend
Pin: The Best Gifts for Dogs, for a Birthday or Under the Tree
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Common questions

What is the best birthday present for a dog?

The KONG Classic for the long run and the Puppy Cake kit for the day itself. If he's a gentle dog who loves soft toys, swap the KONG for the Birthday Box.

What are the best dog Xmas presents?

The best Christmas gifts for your dog give him something to do while the house is busy: a Christmas plush for play, then a filled LickiMat or a frozen KONG during dinner.

What are the top-rated dog gifts?

KONG's red rubber toy, Benebone's nylon chews and LickiMat's mats are the well-known names, and they're what I'd buy. Which one depends on how he chews: red rubber for most dogs, nylon for heavy chewers, a lick mat for a nervous dog.

What's a good gift for a new puppy owner?

A KONG Puppy for the teething weeks, and a LickiMat for the crate and the first baths. New owners won't have thought of either yet, and both get used right away.

What's the best present for a dog lover who has everything?

A personalized collar for the dog, with the name and number stitched in. Most owners wouldn't buy one for themselves, and it does a real job if the dog ever slips out the gate.

The verdict

Before you wrap it

If you're only buying one present, get the KONG Classic, and hand it over after a long walk, not before. A tired dog will actually settle down with it, while a wound-up one mostly wants the bow.

$11.96Check price on Amazon

Sources

  1. Choosing the Right KONG, KONG
  2. Position Statement on Dog Chews/Treats, ASPCA
  3. Paws Off Xylitol; It's Dangerous for Dogs, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
  4. Nylon Safety Guide, Benebone
  5. When to Replace Guide, Benebone
  6. Puppy Cake Mix, Birthday Cake Flavored with Sprinkles, Puppy Cake

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