Dog mom gifts: 12 ideas for the woman who treats her dog like family

Dog mom gifts are presents for a woman who counts her dog as part of her family. The 12 ideas below are grouped by what they give her: something with her dog's face on it, time with her dog, or help for dogs in a shelter. Several of them start with a good photo of the dog, so there is also a section on getting one without her knowing.

What "dog mom" means

"Dog mom" is an everyday phrase for a woman who looks after her dog the way a parent looks after a child. She plans the walks, the meals and the visits to the vet, and she talks about the dog as a member of the family. Collins English Dictionary lists a related phrase, "pet parent", which it defines as "a person who looks after a pet animal". Collins adds that some people who care about the rights of animals prefer "pet parent" to "owner".

Many pet owners see their animals this way. In April 2023, the Pew Research Center surveyed 5,073 adults in the United States, 2,963 of them pet owners. It found that 97 percent of pet owners say their pets are part of their family, and 51 percent say their pets are as much a part of the family as a human member. Among women who own pets, that second figure was 57 percent.

When to give a dog mom gift

Four dates suit a dog mom gift.

Mother's Day. Encyclopaedia Britannica says Mother's Day falls on the second Sunday in May in the United States. It adds that many other countries use the same date, while some mark the day at other times of the year. In Britain, the older custom of Mothering Sunday falls on the fourth Sunday of Lent, which Britannica describes as the Christian period of preparation for Easter. In the United States, the next Mother's Day is Sunday, May 9, 2027.

National Dog Mom's Day. The National Day Calendar website, which keeps a list of special days, lists National Dog Mom's Day on the second Saturday in May, starting in 2018. In 2027 that is Saturday, May 8, the day before Mother's Day in the United States.

Her birthday. A gift about her dog on her own birthday tells her that you know what matters to her.

Her dog's adoption day. If her dog came from a shelter or a rescue, she may mark the day it came home each year. Dictionary.com says pet owners call this Gotcha Day: the day people celebrate bringing home a new pet, usually a rescue.

12 dog mom gift ideas

Gifts that show her dog

1. A royal portrait of her dog. A Purrealism portrait starts from one photo of her dog, in one of 15 royal styles. The gallery shows a golden retriever in a royal crown and red robe, a black labrador as Mysore royalty in a saffron turban, and a Pomeranian as Patiala royalty on a red throne.
2. A photo book of her dog's year. Collect the best photos from the past 12 months, from her own posts and from friends, and put them in date order. Add a line under each one: the first snow, a trip to the lake, a new toy.
3. A wall calendar with her dog on every page. Choose 12 photos, one for each month, and match them to the season when you can.
4. A framed paw print. A print of her dog's paw in clay or ink, in a simple frame. Make it together with her, because she knows how her dog feels about having its paws held.

Gifts of time with her dog

5. A day out with her dog. Plan a walk on a trail or a visit to a park where dogs are welcome. The American Kennel Club (AKC) says to check that your dog is allowed before you set out. It also says to bring water for the dog, because dogs cool down mainly by panting and can overheat on a trail.
6. A class the two of them can take. A training class or a dog sport class gives her regular time with her dog and other dog owners. Ask a local trainer or club which class fits her dog's age and energy.
7. A session with a pet photographer. A photographer can take the pictures of her and her dog together that she cannot take herself.
8. A free day. Offer to walk the dog or look after it for a day, so she can rest, travel or see friends. Write the offer on a card with a date on it, so it gets used.

Gifts that help other dogs

9. A donation in her dog's name. Give to a shelter or a rescue in her dog's name. The ASPCA says on its FAQ page that it takes honour and birthday gifts online, with an e-card or a printed card. Ask a local shelter whether it can send a card in the same way.
10. A box of supplies for a shelter. Fill a box from a shelter's own list, and let her drop it off with her dog's name on the card. Check the list first. Oakland Animal Services in California, for example, accepts adult-sized bath towels, blankets and toys that can be washed or disinfected, and it cannot use hand towels, pillows or pet costumes.

Gifts for the dog itself

11. A small party for her dog. On the dog's birthday or adoption day, invite a few of the dog's friends for a walk and a treat that is safe for dogs. The guide to dog birthday ideas has more plans for the day.
12. A card from the dog. Write a card as if the dog wrote it, and sign it with a drawn paw. Pair it with any of the other gifts on this list.

For a wider list, including gifts for people who love dogs but do not have one, see gifts for dog lovers. If her dog has died, the guide to gifts for someone who lost a pet covers what to give.

How to get a photo of her dog without her knowing

A portrait, a photo book and a calendar all need good photos of the dog, and asking her for them tells her that a gift is coming. Here are four quiet ways to get one:

• Look at what she already shares. Photos she has posted online or sent to you in messages are a good start. Save the clearest one at full size.
• Ask someone she lives with. A partner, a grown child or a roommate can take a photo on an ordinary day and send it to you.
• Offer to walk the dog. A walk or an afternoon of dog-sitting gives you time to take photos yourself.
• Give a simple reason. Say you want a photo of the dog for your phone screen.

If you take the photo yourself, follow the AKC's advice. Work in shade or in golden hour (the first hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset). Get down to the dog's eye level, and focus on the dog's eye. Bring a toy or a treat the dog likes, to help it relax. The AKC says to stop if the dog shows stress, such as pinned back ears, a droopy tail, lip licking or shaking. The guide on how to photograph your pet for a portrait has ten more tips.

Before you use a photo, zoom in on the eyes. If they are sharp and the whole face is in the picture, the photo is a good choice. The portrait studio accepts one image file of up to 5 MB.

Choosing a portrait for her dog

Start with the dog's coat. Clothes that contrast with the coat keep the dog easy to see. In the gallery, a black labrador in a saffron turban holds a gold sceptre as Mysore royalty, and the light colours stand out against the dark coat. For a golden or ginger dog, green, blue or deep red clothes give the same contrast. The guide on how to choose a royal portrait style goes through all 15 styles.

Then decide how she will keep it. The digital pack is a high-resolution file with no watermark, which she can keep on her phone, send to family or print herself. An art print comes in 8 × 10, 12 × 16, 18 × 24 or 24 × 36 inches, on matte or glossy paper. An 8 × 10 print fits a desk or a shelf, and the guide to how big an 8 × 10 print is gives every print size in centimetres. Matte paper shows less glare, so choose it if the print will hang opposite a window.