The holiday season is a time for festive fun and surprises, and there’s no reason our dogs should be left out of the excitement. Advent calendars for dogs have become an essential way to make sure your pet feels included in the holiday cheer, and in 2024, there are some standout options for dog lovers to spoil their pups. From ski racks to cheese fondue inspired countdowns, here’s a look at the top seven advent calendars for dogs this year:
Lily’s Kitchen Advent Calendar – £11.99
Lily’s Kitchen continues to deliver high-quality, nutritious treats for dogs, and this year’s advent calendar is no exception. Instead of traditional biscuits, the 2024 edition is packed with savoury, meaty treats like Turkey Bites, Chicken Bites, and Chicken with Beef Bites. These grain-free snacks are made with fresh, natural, seasonal ingredients, like butternut squash and turmeric, with more than one treat behind each door, making it ideal for multi-dog households. The only downside is that this is the same calendar as last year’s release – although it is £2 cheaper than in 2023, where it was £14. Beyond indulging your pup, Lily’s Kitchen is donating £20,000 to charity this Christmas, split between Dogs Trust and L.I.C.K.
Marleybones Advent Calendar – £12.99
For dogs that love soft-baked, artisanal treats, the Marleybones Advent Calendar is a luxurious option. We loved trying out the Marleybones wet meals earlier this year, and one of the standout features beyond their quality recipes is their gorgeous packaging, with their countdown being a pretty pink festive design with 24 doors. Each of the days reveals two irresistibly flavoured soft baked bites: Pork, Apple & Sage circles and Turkey, Cranberry & Rosemary stars. Plus, there’s two treats behind every door, ideal for Phoebe and Frank to share. Handcrafted in the UK, these snacks are baked using eco-friendly wood-fired ovens for rich flavour and minimal environmental impact. Free from artificial additives, grains, and fillers, these natural bites are suitable for dogs of all ages and sizes. With a focus on sustainable, high-quality production, Marleybones offers a guilt-free way to pamper your pup.
Denzel’s Jumbo Advent Calendar – £12.50
Denzel’s is back with a bang this festive season, and their newly improved 2024 Dog Advent Calendar is a true tail-wagger. Designed like a ski rack, the calendar includes six different flavours, such as Duck and Orange, Christmas Lunch and Turkey & Nut Butter. But unlike other calendars where you get one or two treats behind each door, you get a whole 8g bag of treats, ideal for taking out on walks or if you have multiple dogs in the home. The calendar is both eco-friendly and practical, featuring 100% plastic-free packaging with biodegradable pouches that break down in just 30 weeks. All treats are made in the UK and Ireland from natural, wholesome ingredients, making this a great pick for environmentally conscious pet parents.
Tails.com Christmas Countdown Advent Calendar – £12.50
The dog-food subscription service Tails.com has brought back its sell-out advent calendar for 2024 and it’s a fantastic way to keep your dog’s spirits high throughout December. The fold-out design is adorable, illustrated with a festive dog park scene with numbered windows 1-25. Each day, your pup can enjoy Goose, Turkey, or Duck star-shaped treats – all of which are big enough to break in half – and on Christmas Day, there’s two special Peanut Butter Flavoured Paws to mark the occasion. The treats are made in the UK and are suitable for dogs aged 12 weeks and older. What’s more is that 10% of profits from each calendar sold are donated to StreetVet, a charity delivering free essential veterinary care and services to the pets of people experiencing homelessness.
Scrumbles Advent Calendar – £8
Scrumbles offers a budget-friendly but high-quality advent calendar, designed with dogs with sensitive stomachs in mind. The calendar includes three types of gluten-free treats: Chicken Bites, Calming Nibbles, and Training Softies. Each day has 2 to 3 treats behind the door, again, ideal for a two dog household like ours, because it means we don’t need to buy the dogs a calendar each. The gluten-free, hypoallergenic treats are all made with real meat, making them high quality and sensitive-tummy friendly. They also have added benefits like calming properties and gut-friendly ingredients such as pumpkin and slippery elm. Suitable for all dogs and puppies from eight weeks old, it means whether it’s your dogs’ first Christmas or their tenth, it’s bound to get tails wagging.
Pooch and Mutt Cheese Fondue Dog Advent Calendar – £9.99
The Cheese Fondue Meaty Treats Advent Calendar from Pooch & Mutt is perfect for dogs who are in the kitchen the second they hear a cheese wrapper. The 24 day countdown offers melt-in-the-mouth cheese flavoured wedges, which are made from 26% turkey, combining two suitably seasonal flavours, with one treat behind each window. The cheddar cheese provides an excellent source of calcium to support strong teeth and bones, while turkey adds a healthy dose of protein. Collagen and probiotics are also included to promote skin health and digestion, making this calendar both tasty and beneficial. Made with grain-free ingredients, these treats are suitable for dogs from 12 weeks old and are designed to be gentle on sensitive stomachs.
Pets at Home Christmas Advent Calendar Meaty Dog Treats – £5
For a particularly budget-friendly pick, there’s the Pets at Home Christmas Advent Calendar Meaty Dog Treats, which costs just £5. But cheap doesn’t have to mean nasty, because these meaty treats all have more than 70% meat in them, with no added artificial flavours, colours or preservatives and no added sugar. Inside there are four different treats, including chicken, duck, salmon and turkey so they can be surprised by a different shape and flavour each morning. The box is really nice and compact, with 55% less packaging, making for a more eco-friendly option, too. If you’re after a count down to Christmas that’s fun but affordable without compromising on the contents, this is a fab little option.
With so many fantastic countdowns available, there’s an advent calendar for every dog, from meat lovers to pups with sensitive stomachs. These calendars make it easy to include your furry friend in the holiday fun, making the count down to December 25 all the more exciting.
