A festive treat
Many of us buy our dogs Christmas gifts, says David Tomlinson, who offers some suggestions that combine present buying with more practical considerations
MANY years ago my wife worked for an eccentric rural solicitor whose sole companion was a black labrador. Every Christmas, he bought the dog the same present: a pound of sausages. Apparently, the great majority of Britain’s dogs are given Christmas presents (though probably not sausages). Here’s the Sporting Dog guide to a few of the things you might consider buying for the four-footed friend in your life.
Over the years, several generations of my spaniels have sampled a considerable variety of dog beds in all shapes and sizes. The one design that they seem to like best is the traditional beanbag, in which they can nestle down comfortably, insulated from draughts and the floor beneath them. They currently share a Barka Parka (barkaparka.com). Unlike the majority of dog beds, Barka Parkas are handmade in Britain. What’s more, the Somerset-based company even offers an eco-friendly, plant-based bio-foam filling, making the bed entirely plastic-free. Combine that with the elasticated cover that fits over the bed like a fitted sheet, plus a three-year guarantee, and it’s a bed that is hard to better.
Barka Parka beds come in numerous sizes, so whether you have a Yorkshire terrier or a wolfhound, there’s a bed to fit. My dogs currently have a traditional circular bed, but a new rectangular pillow bed, filled with washed wool from British sheep, has joined the range, and this is what I’m considering. For a spaniel-sized bed with spare cover, the cost is a reasonable £180.50, including postage.
My dogs rarely used to wear collars but these days they have a collar, complete with nametag, on all the time except when working. There’s a huge variety of beautiful, handmade leather collars available, so as a customer you are spoilt for choice. I have found that rolled leather tends to look best for the longest, so this is what I now opt for. Dogs & Horses (dogsandhorses.co.uk) offers handsome rolled collars, made in the UK with Italian leather, in a rich variety of collars. I fancy the blue collar with silver (nickel-plated brass) buckle. Expect to pay around £40, depending on size, plus postage.
When it comes to dog leads, I prefer rope to leather, though I insist that the lead is made from proper marine rope, not nasty nylon. I haven’t managed to find a better manufacturer than KJK Rope Dog Leads (kjkropedogleads.co.uk), which has a vast range. I like the 1.5m, 8mm diameter slip lead with sliding leather stopper and brass ring. I always used to buy leads in what I call environmentally friendly colours, but these are so easy to lose on a shooting day that I now opt for bright colours – shiny yellow or even shiny pink look great. Prices are modest, at not much more than a tenner a lead. They wash well, too, and last forever.
I doubt if your dogs will be thrilled with either a new collar or lead, but they might well benefit from a coat. When I first put a coat on my spaniels I was laughed at by other members of my shooting syndicate, but now it’s quite normal to rug up a dog after a day’s shooting, while many triallers keep their dogs rugged up while waiting to run. There are a huge variety of coats available, so the choice is yours. However, the coats made by market leaders Ruff and Tumble (ruffandtumbledogcoats.com) are difficult to beat. They use a double layer of natural cotton towelling, wicking moisture away from the dog’s fur, while they are practical and easy to use. Prices for a spaniel-size coat are around £50.
There are few things sillier than a city-dwelling labrador going for a walk wearing a coat – labs have a perfectly good coat already. However, there are times, such as wildfowling, when even the toughest of working dogs will benefit from an extra layer. My spaniels wear body-hugging neoprene coats – the equivalent of a wet suit – on filthy wet winter shooting days. Norfolk-based company Everything Outdoor (everythingoutdoor.co.uk) offers neoprene dog coats in 15 sizes, from around £43. I can recommend them wholeheartedly.
Most dogs lose interest in toys once they have left puppyhood behind, however, I’m slightly embarrassed to say that my three-year-old sprocker still loves her toys and hardly a day goes by when she doesn’t get out her fluffy goose. Such toys can even be used for indoor retrieving practice, so aren’t to be laughed at.
One present your dog probably won’t thank you for is a new feeding bowl. Mine eat their dinners out of dishwasher-friendly steel bowls that they push and nose around the kitchen floor. I’m considering getting heavyweight ceramic bowls for them that stay in position as they eat, something that will probably enable them to eat even faster than they do at the moment. Most dogs are more interested in what’s in the bowl than the bowl itself.
One Christmas treat is to chop the wings off the turkey before roasting and feed them to them raw. It’s likely to be the dog’s favourite present, while you can always add a festive sausage if you want to.
One Christmas treat is to cut the wings off the turkey and feed them to your dogs raw