Pet retailers put on the dog for holidays

Designer collars and leads featuring favorite sports teams, race car drivers or a pet’s name in jeweled letters are always popular gift items, said Bud Addington, owner of All About Dogs and Cats, 2632 S. Glenstone Ave.

Other favorites include holiday treats and toys, and sweatshirts, coats and sweaters for pets. Popular gifts for owners include pillows, throws, cookie jars, cups and Christmas tree ornaments.

Christmas-themed pet photos are another gift idea, Addington said, and his store offers appointments with photographer Randy Hanson on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Photos can be of the pet alone or the entire family, and special packages are available.

Getting ready for a photo – or just getting the family pet decked out for the holiday – represents another gift idea.

“Everybody wants their pet groomed for the holidays,” Addington said, and gift certificates for grooming or merchandise are a popular gift choice.

Adding to the family

When it comes to actually buying a pet as a gift, JR Keller, vice president of Pet Warehouse, said there’s a right way and a wrong way to go about it.

A pet “is a great gift, for the right person,” said Keller, who oversees five locations in Springfield, but “by no means would we encourage anyone to buy a pet for somebody who has never expressed an interest in a pet.”

Also, in households that already have pets, compatibility is an important issue. A caged bird, for example, might be very uncomfortable living in a house with three free-roaming cats.

Because choosing a pet is such a personal thing, Keller and his staff encourage people to buy pet kits – an aquarium or cage packaged with all the essentials to get started.

Gift givers can wrap the kits for under the tree, and then give gift certificates so the recipients can choose their own pets.

Top sellers at Pet Warehouse include bright-colored Critter Trail habitats for hamsters and gerbils, along with dog clothing and accessories. “You wouldn’t believe how many dog sweaters and coats we sell every year,” Keller said.

And for the pet with flash and panache, there is the UltraMouse Ltd. line of jeweled collars for “putting on the dog,” Keller said.

Living luxuriously

At Three Dog Bakery, 900 E. Battlefield Road, fresh-baked treats that resemble the tastiest human confections are just the beginning. Patrons also will find a wide variety of pet luxuries, including spa products.

The Bobbi Panter spa line includes Gorgeous Dog shampoo and conditioner, Stinky Dog deodorizing shampoo, Itchy Dog shampoo, Bad Hair Day Dog shampoo and Snarly Dog detangling spray.

Sampler treat trays are frequently chosen by local “pet-grandparents” who ship them off to their “granddogs” for the holidays, said Three Dog owner Susan Meyer.

Toy selections at Three Dog include Loopies Talking Toys, the Pull and Play Puppy Gym and Tuffies toys. Tuffies are durable dog toys, and each one graded on a toughness scale that goes up to 10. Meyer said her Rottweiler has been working on a scale 10 Tuffies toy for a week and still hasn’t destroyed it.

Holiday toys, such as Planet Dog’s Vintage Santa and plush Gingerbread Man, are popular, as is the personalized pet bowl by Our Name is Mud.

For Thanksgiving, Three Dog Bakery offers the Thanksgiving Beast Feast, including Gracie’s Slobber Gobbler Meatloaf, sweet potato pie and a boxer brownie. Three Dog also will offer photos with Santa, available by appointment 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Dec. 1. [[In-content Ad]]