If you’re the kind of pet parent I am, you’re planning to spoil your dog at Christmas, right? Treats, toys and festive outfits for the big day, advent calendars for the countdown. But with the cost of living crisis acting as a dark cloud over December, there’s no need to go mad and spend an absolute fortune when B&M have got your covered with a selection of fun but affordable gifts for pets and their pawrents.
Rach year, the discount retailer brings out an adorable range for pups and pet parents, and their A Tale of Tails collection is to die for. Seriously, get your shoes on and run to your nearest store to snap up these sweet and relatable gifts.
From tote bags and socks to cushions and bowls, B&M’s collection of irresistible dog gifts range from £3.50 to £8 – so there’s something for everyone. It feels a little more expensive than in 2021 and 2020, but that’s to be expected this Christmas, and there are still plenty of options for less than a fiver for the ultimate secret Santa gift.
Whether you’re buying them for yourself or for a friend, they’re too cute to miss out on. Here are some of our top picks from the shelves.
Socks
This cute and colourful four pack of dog socks comes in at £5 and, if I had to guess, I’d say these socks feature a cockapoo, frenchie, dachshund and labrador. The beautifully boxed selection of socks sees the breeds peeking up in front of a patterned background as though they’re looking out of the window, which I thought was a very clever design since there always seems to be one of the Scamps on neighbourhood watch. These could be split between friends as part of a hamper-style gift, or keep them all for yourself – we won’t judge.
Bowl and biscuit mix
Bone Appetit – this gorgeous white ceramic bowl with gold lettering will fit perfectly with your home aesthetic. I’d say it’s a small to medium bowl perfect for breeds of that size, though it might be a bit small for Phoebe and Frank. That said, we do like to have extra bowls for in the summer to dot around the house, so it would definitely come in handy. The £7 set comes with a dog biscuit mix and cookie cutter, too, so you can spend boxing day baking treats for your four-legged family member and their furry friends.
Reusuable tote
If you’re going big on sustainable gifting this year, this tote bag is a cute and inexpensive option. Costing £3.50, the sturdy bag features a repeating pattern of pooches in an adorable line art design, with strong handles so that you can use it for pretty much anything – including dog food tins! You could even fill the bag with goodies to save on wrapping paper, gifting a selection of treats your dog-mad mate will love.
Travel cup
If you know someone who is always on the go, a travel mug makes for the perfect, practical and thoughtful gift – I say this as someone who quite literally rarely has a moment to sit down. This £5.50 mug comes in two designs, the first being a cream cup that reads ‘dogs are my favourite people’ and a grey version that says ‘mad about my dog’. Complete with a steel inner to keep drinks hot or cold, it’s a stylish design that is ideal for taking on the dog walk to get your caffeine fix. I actually bought myself the cream one because it was too cute not to.
Microwavable hottie
Putting the heating on has never been more expensive, and so many people have been looking at low cost alternatives, including Oodies or hooded blankets, hot water bottles and more. If you know someone who works from home, or is always saying their cold, this £8 microwavable hottie will never leave their side. I could only find a French bulldog one in my local store, but I do think other designs are available. These take just seconds to heat up in the microwave and the warmth lasts for ages, so there’s no need to have the internal battle over cranking the thermostat up this winter.
Cushion
Has your dog got their own ‘spot’ on the sofa? We’ve actually bought these for Phoebe and Frank because they adore laying their heads on a cosy cushion. These cushions are re-released each year with a new design, so we always pick up a couple to replace the old ones. Priced at £8 each, we do need two at £16, but they use them every single day, The cushion reads ‘reserved for the dog’ and they look fab on an armchair or to decorate your dogs bed. Admitedly they don’t wash fantastically and the pompoms don’t tend to survive the year – but they are absolutely adorable and are well loved and well used by the Scamps.
Water bottle
Take your love of dogs to the outdoors, office or home with this on-trend £6 metal flask. This doggy design comes in pink and white, and is perfect for proud pooch owners, with various different breeds illustrated in colour on the bottle. As well as using it at home, at the gym or elsewhere, it can also be used on dog walks to decant water into a travel bowl to ensure your canine companion stays hydrated, too..
Jigsaw
There’s a running joke in our house that we’ve never had the chance to complete a jigsaw puzzle because no matter how careful we are, Frank always manages to steal a piece, meaning we always get to the very end and can’t find the final piece of the puzzle. He’s defo on Santa Paws’ naughty list. This 500 piece puzzle set is a great novelty gift for a friend or someone speical, and what’s more is that it’s recently been reduced from £5 to £2.50, making it a real bargain, too!
