Free gifts for your dog ease its stress and make you happy. These DIY gifts from your heart to your four-legged buddy make the holidays brighter.
Time - Give your pooch extra time during the busy holiday bustle. First thing in the morning, take two minutes to give the dog a hug, a pet, a loving scratch or words of praise while you get ready for the day.
Walk - Check out new territory. Take your dog to a nearby park, beach or hiking trail. Go with a friend and dog for an hour away from the same old doggie walk-around-the-block. Placer County offers dog parks for off-leash play and regional parks for on-leash strolls. Don’t forget the poop bags.
Groom - Use a brush or comb and clean out matted hair and tail tangles. California ticks and fleas are year-round pests. Comb these hitchhikers off the dog. Give a good holiday brush-out and top it with a bandanna or hair bow from PetSmart, Petco, Incredible Pets and other dog shops. Or make your own with holiday ribbon and a bit of tape or hair clip.
Pedicure - Seeds from autumn weeds tangle in ankle hair and between paw pads. Comb out burs, twigs, and other debris. Work your fingers gently between toes to get out small rocks or other wedged objects. Use a nail file, clipper, or Dremel to sand down toenails. We don’t recommend holiday doggie toenail polish, but it’s been done
Rubdown - Give a 15-second rubdown. After holiday noise and excitement, take an old towel or washcloth and use it to rub your dog from neck to tail, down each leg and under the chest and belly. It removes dust, relaxes the dog, and gives a “Good dog!” gift.
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