Gifts for dog lovers that feel personal: 15 ideas

The gifts for dog lovers that feel most personal are about the person's own dog. A portrait of their beagle, a day out with their beagle, or a donation made in their beagle's name fits one owner and one dog. The 15 ideas below come in four groups. After them are two steps for keeping a gift a surprise: getting a good photo of someone else's dog, and choosing a portrait style for it.

For a friend who calls herself a dog mom, the guide to dog mom gifts has more ideas. For the dog's birthday, see dog birthday ideas. If the friend has a cat, read gifts for cat lovers.

Gifts made from a photo of their dog

These five ideas start from photos of the dog.

1. A royal portrait as a digital file

A royal portrait shows the dog as a ruler or a warrior. Purrealism offers 15 royal portrait styles. The digital pack is a high-resolution portrait file with no watermark. The owner can keep it, set it as a phone wallpaper, or send it to family.

2. The same portrait as an art print

An art print puts the portrait on the wall. Prints come in four sizes (8 × 10, 12 × 16, 18 × 24 and 24 × 36 inches) on matte or glossy paper. If you do not know the owner's walls, an 8 × 10 inch print suits a desk or a shelf and is easy to wrap.

3. A photo book of the dog's year

Collect the best photos of the dog from the past year and have them printed as a book. Add the dates and places under each photo, such as the first swim or the first snow.

4. A wall calendar

Choose 12 photos of the dog, one for each month. Pick photos from the same season as the month, so the dog in snow sits on the January page.

5. A favourite photo, printed and framed

Ask yourself which photo of the dog the owner shares most. Print that one and put it in a frame that suits their room.

Gifts of time with their dog

Each of these gives the owner time with their dog, or time off from dog care.

6. A sniff walk you plan together

A sniff walk is a slow walk that is about exploring, with time for the dog to stop and smell. The American Kennel Club (AKC) says sniffing gives dogs mental enrichment, autonomy and stress relief. The same article says dogs can get a lot of sniffing done in 20 to 30 minutes and be as tired as after an hour's walk without sniffing. Offer to find a new park or path and walk it with the owner and the dog.

7. A day at a dog-friendly beach

A beach day needs a plan. The AKC advises checking the rules first, because some beaches do not allow dogs. It also advises bringing fresh water, giving the dog shade and rest, and watching the dog at all times in the water. At midday, it warns, hot sand can burn a dog's paw pads. Pack the water and a shade cover yourself, and the owner only needs to bring the dog.

8. A session with a pet photographer

A photographer can take pictures of the owner and the dog together, so the owner is in the photos too. Later, one of those photos can become a portrait.

9. A scent work class

Scent work is a dog sport in which a dog searches for hidden smells. The AKC says local scent work clubs and many dog training centres offer training. In the odour search part of its events, dogs search for four oils: birch, anise, clove and cypress. Mixed-breed dogs can compete as well as purebred dogs, once they are 6 months old and registered or listed with the AKC.

10. A handmade voucher for help with the dog

Write your own voucher: three evening walks, one weekend of dog-sitting, or a drive to the vet. It costs nothing to print and gives the owner a free evening when they need one.

Gifts in the dog's name

Each of these carries the dog's name.

11. A donation to a shelter or rescue

Humane World for Animals says every shelter and rescue has bills to pay. It says money donations may help pay for daily operations, supplies, staff training and animal enrichment. Give to a local shelter in the dog's name, and write the dog's name on the card.

12. Supplies from a shelter's wish list

The same page says shelters and rescue groups always need towels, toys and other supplies. It advises checking the shelter's website for a wish list, or calling to ask what is in short supply. Buy from that list and tell the owner their dog "gave" it.

13. A tree planted in the dog's name

Plant a tree in a garden or through a local planting group, and give the owner a card with the dog's name and the place of the tree. They can visit it with the dog.

Gifts for the dog itself

A gift for the dog has to be safe for that dog, so ask the owner what the dog likes before you buy.

14. A toy the right size for the dog

The AKC advises choosing quality toys to avoid choking, swallowed parts and broken teeth. A ball must be large enough that the dog cannot swallow it. When a plush toy rips and the stuffing comes out, the AKC says to throw it away. Ask the owner how big the dog is and how hard it chews.

15. A name tag for the collar

A tag engraved with the dog's name is small, useful and personal. Ask the owner which details to put on it, such as a phone number.

How to get a photo of someone else's dog without spoiling the surprise

For a portrait, a photo book or a calendar, you need good photos of a dog you do not live with.

Start with the photos you already have. If the owner has sent you photos of the dog, scroll back through your messages and save the clearest ones. Next, ask someone who lives with the dog, such as the owner's partner, a parent or a housemate, to send the best photo on their phone. Ask them to send the original file, at full size.

You can also take the photo yourself on your next visit, while you play with the dog. Take many photos, then zoom in on each one at home. The guide on how to photograph your pet for a portrait has ten tips from the AKC and two cat charities.

For a portrait, pick a photo that shows:

• The whole face, from the ears to the chin.
• Both eyes sharp when you zoom in.
• The head facing the camera, so the markings show.
• Nothing in front of the face, such as a hand or a toy.

The portrait studio takes one image file of up to 5 MB.

How to choose a portrait style for someone else's dog

When the portrait is a gift, you choose for two: the dog and the person who will look at it every day.

Start with the dog's coat. Clothes that contrast with the coat keep the dog easy to see. The gallery shows five dogs in Indian court styles:

• Golden retriever as a Maharaja, in a red jewelled turban on a gold throne.
• Black labrador as a Mysore Royal, in a saffron turban, holding a gold sceptre.
• Pomeranian as Patiala Royalty, in a blue coat and jewelled turban on a red throne.
• A dog as a Rajput Warrior, in armour, with a fort at sunset behind it.
• Golden retriever in the Indian Royalty style, wearing a royal crown and red robe.

Then think about the owner. Someone who reads history may enjoy a style from a period they know. The six European period styles (Renaissance Royal, Victorian Noble, Military General, Medieval Knight, Baroque Aristocrat and Regency Era) are all in the studio, and so are the Chola Warrior and Maratha King styles. Someone with a calm, formal home may prefer a seated ruler. A family with a loud, brave dog may laugh most at a warrior.

The guide on how to choose a royal portrait style goes through coat colour, character and room in more detail. If you still cannot decide, open the gallery, find the portrait closest to the friend's dog, and start the portrait from there.