Shiba Shake

Dog Tips, Care & Training

  • Home
  • Recent
  • Dog Pictures
  • Dog Articles
    • Shiba Inu
    • Behavior
    • Training
    • Activities
    • Supplies
    • Dog Care
    • New Dog
    • Three Legged Dogs

Christmas Dog Gifts

by shibashake 7 Comments

The best Christmas gift for a dog, is the gift of your time. Dogs really do not care how much money you stuff into their Kongs; they are more interested in spending time with you, playing fun Christmas games, eating yummy Christmas cakes and cookies, and having a fun Christmas trip to the park.

Therefore, spend some quality time with your dogs during the Christmas holidays. In fact, the best gift of all, is if they get to spend time with you all year round.

Below are some fun activities to enjoy together with your dogs during the Christmas holidays. Have lots of fun and a very Merry Christmas to you.

Christmas Shiba Inu wearing a Santa hat.
Christmas Dog Gifts

1. Fun Christmas Games

Hide behind the Christmas tree.

Hide and seek is always a fun game and a very good training exercise. First, get some really high priority, smelly, treats. Get your friend to distract your dog, and hold him in position while you go hide behind the Christmas tree. Then, call your dog to you (e.g. [Name], Home), while waving a smelly treat around. When your dog finds you, be really happy to see him. Ask him for a Sit, and give him several smelly treats for being such a clever boy.

If your dog is disinterested in looking for you, then try using higher priority treats. Alternatively, let him loose earlier, while you are still running towards the Christmas tree. You can also try leaning out of your hiding place, and encourage your dog to come to you with claps and whistles. Only use his name and command ([Name], Home) once though.

Shiba Inu opening presents, with head inside a Mrs Fields box.
Opening Christmas presents.
Shiba Inu and Siberian Husky playing with and chewing on wrapping paper cardboard roll (opening presents).
Shiba Inu and Siberian Husky having fun, opening up their food presents.

Run around the Christmas tree.

My dogs also like running around the Christmas tree. You can lead your dog on a merry chase around the house, that ends up around the Christmas tree. Make sure to treat him during the chase, so that he is rewarded for following you. Do not let him get too excited during the chase, i.e. no nipping, jumping, or any mouthing. To prevent over-excitement, stop often, and do some simple obedience exercises (e.g. Sit) in between chase sessions.

Opening Christmas presents.

Opening presents is often the highlight of Christmas for everyone. Opening presents is also one of my dogs’ favorite activity. Get some plain cardboard boxes. Make sure it is only cardboard, and there are no staples, tape, or other foreign objects. Empty cereal boxes work well. Put some yummy pieces of food inside the box, and fold it close. Then give the food-present to your dog to tear open. Make sure your dog does not eat any of the cardboard. If he is a cardboard eater, then this game is not for you. You may also wrap the box up for a more festive look, but only do this if you are sure that your dog is uninterested in eating the wrapping. Swallowing tape, paper, or cardboard is not good for your dog’s digestive system.

If you do not have any boxes available, you can also put some food in some paper, and bunch up the paper into a present-ball. Your dog will have a lot of fun tearing open that present. No paper eating allowed.

Some other fun games to play with your dog include tug-of-war, soccer, catch, and much more.

Shiba Inu wearing a Christmas Santa hat, while licking his chops (tongue out picture).
Shiba Inu Sephy looking forward to some Christmas cake and Christmas turkey!

2. Yummy Christmas Cakes & Cookies

Christmas is a time for yummy cakes and cookies. My dogs’ favorite cake is peanut butter and carrot cake. Note that many dogs are allergic to wheat. If your dog is allergic to wheat, then make sure to replace the wheat flour with rice flour. Non-wheat flour works best when blended; so I use 1 teaspoon guar-gum, 2 tablespoons of potato starch, and fill the rest of the cup with rice flour. The guar-gum is important because it acts as a binding agent, in replacement of the wheat gluten that exists naturally in whole wheat flour.

My dogs also enjoy Christmas turkey and turkey-ham. I do not give them regular ham because it contains too much fat and too much salt. Too much salt can be harmful to dogs, and can cause kidney failure. Do not put any gravy or any seasonings on the turkey you plan to give to your dog. Make sure that nothing contains onions, which are poisonous to dogs.

Do not feed your dog too many cakes, cookies, turkey, or other human food. To ensure that they have a balanced diet, it is important that the bulk of their daily food rations consists of their regular kibble or other balanced homemade meal. Your dog will get digestive problems if you feed him too much rich food that he is not used to. If this happens, much of the food will end up as “liquid, smelly, mess” on the floor. Feeding your dog too much will also cause obesity and other health issues. Make sure that none of the food contains ingredients that may be poisonous to dogs.

Husky and Shiba Inu presented with their peanut butter Birthday cake.
Christmas Dog Gifts – Yummy Christmas Cakes & Cookies

3. Christmas Outdoors

My dogs love going for Christmas hikes. Actually, they love going for hikes all of the time. For winter-time hikes, make sure that your dog is protected from the cold, especially if they have very short coats (e.g. Greyhounds, Whippets, Chinese Crested). Get a nice, warm coat, that will keep your dog warm during walks. If your dog still gets cold, try getting some shoes to protect his feet. Some dog breeds have double coats, and can naturally withstand the cold (e.g. Siberian Huskies, Samoyed, Shiba Inu). Make sure to dry off your dog when you get home if it is raining or snowing outside. Remember to keep yourself warm as well. Nobody wants to catch a cold during the holidays.

The best part of Christmas is when everyone is resting in front of the fireplace, after a fun-filled day. Remember that dogs are great for warming hands and feet!

Finally, if your dog has been a very good boy, and you think he deserves some extra Christmas presents; here are some fun toys that my dogs enjoy. Get interactive toys for your dog, so they will be busy and mentally engaged when home alone. Making your dog work for all of his food, is a good way to keep him busy, and out of mischief.

Shiba Inu sleeping on a blue mat in front of the fireplace.
The best part of Christmas is when everyone is resting in front of the fireplace, after a fun-filled day.

Comments

  1. Marquitta says

    November 24, 2014 at 12:09 pm

    I would love a new dog is mostly good but sometimes a angel.

    Reply
  2. healthgoji says

    April 24, 2009 at 4:52 pm

    You pretty much nailed it – our Golden Retriever -Spiffy (Goji Dog) would be happy with some garage sale stuffed animals he could tear up as long as you rub his belly.

    Reply
    • shibashake says

      April 24, 2009 at 4:53 pm

      Spiffy sounds delightful! My dogs’ favorite toy is the cardboard box that their Greenies come in. After they finish their box of Greenies, they get the added bonus of playing and ripping the box apart 🙂

  3. lollie pop says

    April 24, 2009 at 4:50 pm

    my 2 sausage dogs go mad over human food!!!!! they love it so much some time they think they are humans

    Reply
    • shibashake says

      April 24, 2009 at 4:51 pm

      lol – yeah my dogs always come over to beg from me when I am preparing food. They know that giving me that oh-so-sweet look is the best way to get the good stuff. Dogs are such masters of manipulation! 🙂

  4. James says

    April 24, 2009 at 4:48 pm

    I like the cardboard box idea. A hot dog in a cardboard box will probably drive my dog, Chloe, nuts.

    Reply
    • shibashake says

      April 24, 2009 at 4:49 pm

      Haha, yeah my dogs go crazy for hot dogs. Two things that I do with hot dogs: 1) I microwave it first to bring out the smell. They gets them *really* interested and ready to work. 2) I cut the hot dog into little pieces, and put a bunch of kibble in the box sprinkled with a little bit of hot dog pieces. This way, they get more presents without eating too much hot dog.
      Happy Christmas holidays to you and Chloe!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Recent Posts

  • Shiba Inu Sephy showing teeth and looking aggressive (mean devil dog pose).Tortora's Study, Dog Aggression, and Shock Collars
  • Three dogs and man hanging out (group shot).Do Our Dogs Love Us Unconditionally?
  • Doing an alpha roll on Siberian Shania?3 Dog Training Techniques
  • Face close-up of two Huskies during play. Both showing teeth.How to Deal with Bad Dog Behavior
  • Three dogs hanging out in the living room - Husky lying on back with goofy grin on her face, Shiba Inu in the background (group shot).Most Difficult Dog Breed
  • Husky puppy biting on a stick on the grass.Siberian Husky Puppy Pictures - First 3 Months
  • Side view of a Husky dog working on her laptop computer, on a snowy fantasy background.Where to Get Dog Training and Dog Behavior Information
  • Close-up of Siberian Husky puppy sitting with man (hand on her chest).Why Get a Dog - 5 Good Reasons
  • Big Siberian Husky playing with Husky puppy in a Yin-Yang symbol.Do Dogs Need Other Dogs?
  • Husky puppy Lara doing a Sit in her little puppy pool.How to Calm a Fearful or Reactive Dog with Desensitization

Recent Comments

  • Shiba Inu and Siberian Husky lying next to each other. They are best friends.Second Dog – Adding a New Dog into Your Home (205)
    • Jordan Hutzler
      - Hi there, I have a 3 year old male husky, and just recently adopted a 5 month old female Husky/shepherd ...
  • Husky puppy biting on a stick on the grass.Siberian Husky Puppy Pictures – First 3 Months (59)
    • Beverly scott
      - How can I get my 7 month old huskies and his father who is 2yrs old to stop howling and crying at 6.30 ...
    • Kat W
      - I know this is an older post but wanted to comment and say "thank you"! My husband just turned 65 and ...
  • Shiba Inu walking on-leash at a park trail.Dog to Dog Aggression –
    Why and How to Stop It (640)
    • Sara
      - I adopted a male dog four months ago, he is three years old. We neutered him two months ago because he ...
  • Shiba Inu face close-up - sniffing the wind.Shiba Inu Personality –
    Good, Bad, & Quirky (808)
    • Kam
      - I have been reading a lot about Shiba Inu's and I really wish I had this information before I got one. ...
    • Izzy
      - Yes they are cute but not when they are mixed with another breed mine is mixed and she goes after my ...
  • Three dogs and man hanging out (group shot).Do Our Dogs Love Us Unconditionally? (31)
    • K WATKINS
      - All I kow is that I lost my rescue 12 year old black lab on September 10, 2019. He had advanced hemangiocarcinoma. ...
  • Smiling Shiba Inu close-up - sitting, with partial tongue out.Shiba Inu Training Secrets (519)
    • Erik
      - Thank you very much for sharing your stories abs experience. I have first purchased a 5 months old puppy. ...
    • ---
      - We have two shibas and have learned that Harnesses work so much better and they don't choke themselves ...
  • Husky puppy Lara (on-lead) playing with adult Husky and Shiba Inu in the backyard.Are Off-Leash Dogs Happier Than On-Leash Dogs? (6)
    • Richard
      - I have always trained my dogs so that I could walk them off-leash where allowed (here in Vancouver we ...

Copyright © 2021 · Genesis Skins by ShibaShake · Terms of Service · Privacy Policy ·