Furbabies Deserve Showers Too! #CBias #ILoveMyk9

OK so maybe I won’t see any doggie baby showers any time soon, but for many of us, pets are members of our family. So it makes sense to get them gifts, too!

I was asked to go shopping for a gift basket recently and report my experiences for a Collective Bias project. It occurred to me that if I didn’t have a dog, I’d have no idea what to get someone who was getting a new puppy. Just like I have no idea what human babies need so I normally get a gift card or go off their registry! Since puppy registries aren’t in vogue, here are some helpful hints:

DO find out what breed your friend is getting. Is it large? Small? Does it have hair? (it wouldn’t make sense to get a brush for an Italian Greyhound, for example–I never brush mine because their hair is extremely short)
DON’T buy clothes unless you get specific instructions on size. I am actually unable to get clothes at the regular store because the Italian Greyhound body is so unique – anything cut for regular dogs would fit very poorly.
DO buy bandanas – they are super cute and since they go around the neck they fit a much wider variety of sizes.
DON’T buy collars unless you are sure of the kind that they normally wear. Again, my Italian Greyhounds need a martingale collar since their heads are actually smaller than their necks and they would slip right out of a regular collar.
DO buy collar charms or barrettes (if it’s a female dog with long hair).
DON’T buy dog food. It is harmful for dogs to switch foods all the time, and most owners are picky about what they feed their furbabies.
DO buy treats – especially in the puppy stage when they are going to training classes, a wide assortment is needed.
DON’T buy toys with stuffing, unless you are sure that their dog is a light chewer. It’s the equivalent of buying a human child a drum set.
DO buy toys that are “stuffing free,” or hardy.
DO have fun! There are so many cute pet items available, it’s fun to shop for them.

I went to my local WalMart to buy toys and treats for a gift basket for my two Italian Greyhounds, and was a bit disappointed in the selection. You can see details of my shop here.

I went with the general idea of what my dogs like, and hoped to find some cute bandanas, toys, treats, and maybe a new collar. I did get a few toys and treats (Milk-Bone® Treats, Pup-Peroni Treats and Milo’s Kitchen Treats) but they didn’t have any bandanas or martingale collars. I was excited to get some new treats because my dogs are treat whores. They will do anything for a good treat!