The rise of the alternative advent calendar has meant a bigger variety of treat options for not only us but our four-legged friends too.
If you have been a dog owner for some time, you will know that for many years the only advent calendars available to pups were filled with carob - or, as it’s often known, dog chocolate.
Dog chocolate is a bit of a crowd divider among the canines, with some absolutely loving it and others losing interest after the first or second window of an advent calendar.
Thankfully carob is far from the only option these days as these dog advent calendars will prove.
First off is this popular option from Lily’s Kitchen.
Now more than ever, owners are becoming more mindful as to what their dogs are eating. These treats are dubbed ‘nourishing’ and made from natural ingredients approved by vets and nutritionists. They also have three different varieties behind the windows, one being for the morning, one as a training treat, and one perfect for bedtime.
Reviews praised the quality of the goodies as well as the look of the calendar itself.
Buy it here.
This offering from Pets At Home is an alternative to the carob treats previously discussed.
While these bone-shaped treats do contain a small amount of carob they are more of a biscuit than a chocolate with plenty of oats and flour.
Get it here.
If you’re looking for something a bit more decorative, then this advent wooden Christmas tree will do the trick.
The 24 bones hanging from these branches are made from dried peas, chicken fat, duck, and orange oil (and that’s it) - so a very festive taste for your pooch.
One word of caution with this one though - make sure it’s somewhere up high or we suspect it might disappear before Christmas Eve comes around.
Find it here.
This calendar from Pooch & Mutt comes with the brand’s signature treats.
Known for nibbles that contain calming ingredients like chamomile and valerian root, Pooch & Mutt is a popular choice with owners of nervous dogs or dogs that become stressed and sick during car journeys.
A good option if the festive season brings disruption to the household.
Buy it here.
DIY advent calendars have also seen a rise in popularity and so if you think your dog might lose interest in having the same treat for the best part of a month, then this is a good alternative.
Similarly, if you’d prefer to give your dog a mixture of treats and toys then a DIY options allows you to do just that.
Amazon has a huge range of DIY options from wooden drawers, individual brown paper bags, mini boxes and even little numbered sacks that you can fill with whatever you choose.
The latter is a good option for dogs as it means that not only can you hang them up high on a line of rope, you can also take down each day and hide the little bag - making it into a game of sniff and find.
Find the bags here.
As for what to put in them, Pets At Home has gone all out this year with plenty of novelty gifts for canines.
These include:
- A six pack of sprout balls.
- Turkey-flavoured Shmackos from Pedigree.
- A pack of pigs in blankets (with much less salt than the human alternative).
- Christmas cookies in a pack of three.
- Squeaky Santa and Rudolph latex toys.
- And this adorable ‘I Tried’ Naughty or Nice bandana which is most definitely more for the owner’s amusement, but a cracking choice nonetheless.
