Best Christmas Gifts for Labrador Lovers and Their Dogs
Quick Answer
The best Christmas gifts for a Labrador lover are built for dark December walks and a dog who thinks the turkey is for him: a Boxing Day walk kit, a light-up collar for the 4pm dusk, and a Christmas toy tough enough to survive a Lab. For the owner, a Lab sweatshirt for the Christmas photo, and a babygrow for baby's first Christmas.
Order by 10 December to have it under the tree on Christmas Day. Buying from other shops as well? They'll have their own cut-off dates.
Top 5 at a glance
Gift | For | Price band | Why it works |
A Boxing Day walk kit | Owner | Under $25 · £20 · €25 to $25–$60 · £20–£50 · €25–€60 | Flask, head torch and a big towel |
A light-up collar | The dog | Under $25 · £20 · €25 | Visible on dark December walks |
A tough Christmas toy | The dog | Under $25 · £20 · €25 | Survives a Labrador Christmas |
Labrador babygrow | New parents | $25–$60 · £20–£50 · €25–€60 | Baby's first Christmas, crumbs included |
A Christmas photoshoot | Owner | Go all out: $60+ · £50+ · €60+ | This year's card, hopeful face and all |
Christmas with a Lab
You can usually spot a Labrador owner at Christmas. The turkey has been moved to a higher shelf. The presents under the tree have been sniffed for anything edible. There's Lab hair on the Christmas jumper and a tail-shaped gap in the decorations.
Labs approach Christmas the way they approach every day, only more so: delighted by every guest, convinced every plate is for them, and asleep in front of the fire by four o'clock.
So the gifts that land are the ones built for a Lab's Christmas: long walks in the dark, a lot of mud, and a dog who needs something better to chew than the stockings.
Christmas gifts for the Lab
A light-up collar or lead
December walks happen in the dark. A rechargeable light-up collar or clip-on light means you can see a black or chocolate Lab across the field, and so can everyone else.
Band: Under $25 · £20 · €25
A tough Christmas toy
A Christmas plush won't last five minutes with a Lab. Choose a festive toy made from tough rubber, stuff it with something tasty, and it'll keep them busy while the turkey is carved.
Band: Under $25 · £20 · €25
A drying coat for Boxing Day
Labs find every puddle on the Boxing Day walk. A towelling drying coat keeps the mud, and the wet dog smell, off the sofa.
Band: Under $25 · £20 · €25 to $25–$60 · £20–£50 · €25–€60
Our pick: Red Dog Robe by Danish Design from Chelsea Dogs: a towelling robe in Christmas red that goes on at the car after the Boxing Day swim.
A Christmas dinner of their own
The easiest way to stop a Lab staring at your plate is to give them one of their own. Several pet food brands now make a dog-friendly Christmas dinner, usually turkey with dog-safe vegetables. Serve it as part of their normal daily amount, not on top of it. Labs are famously food-obsessed and gain weight easily, so serve it in a puzzle feeder to make it last.
Band: Under $25 · £20 · €25 to $25–$60 · £20–£50 · €25–€60
A stocking of their own
Give a Lab their own stocking, hung well out of reach, and they might leave everyone else's alone. Fill it with a toy and a few treats, nothing small enough to swallow.
Band: Under $25 · £20 · €25
Christmas gifts for the Lab owner
A Boxing Day walk kit
The Boxing Day walk is a Labrador household's favourite tradition. Put together a kit for it: a good insulated flask, a head torch for the walk home in the dark, and a big absorbent towel for the car.
It's practical, it gets used every winter weekend, and it says you know exactly how their Christmas goes.
Band: Under $25 · £20 · €25 to $25–$60 · £20–£50 · €25–€60
Stocking filler idea: a personalised Christmas bauble with the Labrador's name on it. It comes out of the box every December, long after the wrapping paper has gone. Plenty of small makers will personalise one from a photo of your dog; Chelsea Dogs, a UK dog gift brand, is one.
Wear it to Christmas
Clean line art and bold pop art, made for people who live with a Lab and would like to look as if they don't, at least in the Christmas photo. Made for the Christmas walk, and the right side of understated.
Labrador Line Art T-Shirt Labrador Pop Art Sweatshirt
Line art tee, left. Pop art sweatshirt, right.
Band: tees and sweatshirts $25–$60 · £20–£50 · €25–€60 · hoodies Go all out: $60+ · £50+ · €60+
👉 Shop Labrador women's t-shirts, unisex t-shirts or sweatshirts and hoodies
Baby's first Christmas
For the family where the Labrador was the first baby and has already worked out that small humans drop food. A first-Christmas babygrow makes them the same team, and older siblings can have a Lab tee.
Labrador Line Art Babygrow Labrador Pop Art Kids' T-Shirt
Babygrow, left. Kids' tee, right.
Band: $25–$60 · £20–£50 · €25–€60
👉 Shop the Labrador babygrow, the Labrador kids' tee or all kids' clothing
Go all out: a Christmas photoshoot
Every Lab household takes the same picture at Christmas: family on the sofa, Lab in the middle, looking hopefully at someone's plate. A short session with a local pet photographer turns it into this year's Christmas card. Bring treats. Lots of treats.
Band: Go all out: $60+ · £50+ · €60+
Stocking fillers and Secret Santa
Stocking fillers: Under $25 · £20 · €25
A light-up collar
A personalised Christmas bauble
A tough Christmas toy
A dog advent calendar
Labrador mugs, line art or pop art
Secret Santa and main presents: $25–$60 · £20–£50 · €25–€60
Labrador tote bags, the Secret Santa that actually gets used
A Boxing Day walk kit
A drying coat
A dog-safe Christmas dinner
Go all out: $60+ · £50+ · €60+
Labrador hoodies, line art or pop art
A Christmas photoshoot
A supportive bed
Keeping a Lab safe at Christmas
A Labrador at Christmas is food-focused, tall enough to reach the counter and very determined. What to keep away, and how:
Chocolate: out of reach, not under the tree. Researchers using UK vet records from the University of Liverpool's SAVSNET project found that cases of dogs eating chocolate peak at Christmas. A Lab will find wrapped chocolate under the tree by smell alone. Keep selection boxes shut away, not just out of sight.
Christmas pudding, mince pies and Christmas cake. The PDSA warns that the raisins, sultanas and currants in them can be fatal to dogs. Keep the plates at worktop height.
Stuffing, onions and some nuts. Sage and onion stuffing is on the PDSA's list too. Leftovers go in the fridge, not on a low plate.
Decorations, tinsel and ribbon. The American Kennel Club warns that a curious dog can be injured chewing or swallowing decorations, and that some holiday plants are poisonous.
Turkey bones and the bin. Cooked bones can splinter, and a Lab will find the carcass. Use a bin with a lid the dog genuinely can't open.
Guests with good intentions. Ask visitors not to slip the dog anything from the table, however convincing the starving act.
If you think your dog has eaten something it shouldn't, call your vet straight away, even on Christmas Day. Don't wait for symptoms.
The verdict
If you can only buy one thing for the dog, make it a toy tough enough for a Labrador Christmas. For the owner, a Boxing Day walk kit gets used every winter weekend, and a Lab sweatshirt is ready for the photo, hair and all.
Lab owners have given up their socks, the bottom shelf of the fridge and any hope of an unsupervised turkey. They wouldn't change a thing. Neither should the gift.
👉 Explore Labrador women's t-shirts, unisex t-shirts or sweatshirts and hoodies
👉 or shop the full LABRADOR COLLECTION
👉 Shopping for a birthday or any other time of year? See our BEST LABRADOR GIFTS guide.
Got a Lab staring at the turkey, sniffing the presents or covered in Boxing Day mud? Show us. Tag @doggystylesinc on Instagram or find us on Facebook at Doggy Styles Inc, and your Lab could feature in a future post.
More for Lab people
FAQs
What is a good Christmas present for a Labrador owner?
A Boxing Day walk kit, a Lab sweatshirt for the Christmas photo, or, if you want to go all out, a Christmas photoshoot.
What can I get my Labrador for Christmas?
A light-up collar for dark walks, a tough rubber Christmas toy, a drying coat or a dog-safe Christmas dinner served in a puzzle feeder.
Do Labradors need a coat in winter?
Usually not. Their dense, waterproof double coat was built for cold water. A drying coat for after the walk is far more useful.
How do I stop my Lab eating the Christmas dinner?
Move it out of reach, keep the bin lidded, ask guests not to feed them, and give them their own dinner or a stuffed toy while you eat.
Can Labradors eat Christmas dinner?
Not yours. A little plain turkey with no skin, bones or gravy is generally fine, but keep stuffing, pudding and mince pies away.
Where should I keep chocolate at Christmas?
Shut away, not just out of sight. A Lab will find it by smell. Cases of dogs eating chocolate peak at Christmas.
What should I do if my Lab eats chocolate or mince pies?
Call your vet immediately, even on Christmas Day, and tell them what was eaten and roughly how much. Don't wait for symptoms.
Are light-up collars good for winter walks?
Yes. They make your dog visible in the dark to you, cyclists and drivers. Choose a rechargeable one that fits snugly.
What is a good first Christmas gift for a baby in a Labrador family?
A Labrador babygrow, so baby and dog match in the first Christmas photo. Older siblings can have a Lab kids' tee.
When should I order Christmas presents to arrive in time?
Order by 10 December to have it under the tree on Christmas Day. Other shops set their own cut-offs, so check theirs before you order.
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