Open the doors of the best dog Advent calendars and your enthusiastic pooch is likely to come running over. It won't take them long to work out that these fun Christmas countdowns tend to contain some of the best dog treats. They'll be as excited as you are when opening your own.
Unlike human Advent calendars, there is no chance of even a morsel of chocolate being present here. The theobromine content of chocolate makes it poisonous to dogs so instead manufacturers pack the calendars with healthier, safer options, including treats that are grain and meat-free.
Your decision, then, is based around the Advent calendars that best suit your dog's dietary requirements, bearing in mind that you'll also likely want something that is attractive to look at too. The makers certainly haven't skimped in that department: the advent calendars we've looked at are beautifully presented.
If you'd like more control over what your dog eats, then you may want to consider an empty advent calendar that you can fill yourself. There are two here – one made from sturdy cardboard and the other from fabric that can be personalized with your dog's name. Buying a prefilled calendar takes away a lot of the hassle, though, and you can buy ones that are suitable for different-sized breeds.
One word of warning though. You may want to cut down on the other treats you give your dog while feeding them goodies from the advent calendars. The general rule is that 90% of a dog's diet should be made up of the best dog food with treats filling up the remaining 10%. With that in mind, though, let's take a look at which calendars have made the cut!
The best dog advent calendars 2024
Best overall advent calendar
Not only do we love the flavors, but this calendar also contains 26 treats for your pooch to enjoy. Our tester Emma said that her dog, Alfie loved these: "Alfie really enjoyed the taste of them. The packaging feels high-quality and the design is really cute."
Reasons to buy: Two extra treats instead of the 24 most calendars come with.
Reasons to avoid: Human supervision is needed to get the treats.
Best budget dog advent calendar
This holiday treat calendar celebrates the 12 days of Christmas that run from Christmas day right through to January 6th – also known as the Epiphany. There are eight twist sticks with the triple being three types of meat – beef, pork, and chicken.
Reasons to buy: Half the number of treats means that you are paying around half the price or even less when compared with other advent calendars.
Reasons to avoid: You want a full 24 days of Christmas advent calendar.
Best rawhide-free dog advent calendar
This calendar includes 24 rawhide-free treats while still maintaining all the benefits of a rawhide chew. As your pet pooch chews the treat it rubs and scrapes their teeth clean. This means healthier teeth and gums with the added bonus side effect of keeping their breath a little less stinky.
Reasons to buy: They help prevent the build-up of plaque and tartar by offering plenty of chewing action.
Reasons to avoid: Due to the size of the treats, they are recommended for small-breed dogs, and may not be suitable for large-breed dogs.
Best meat-free calendar
Dog treats are commonly meat-based but if you’re looking for an alternative, here it is. You get the ever-popular 24 windows that are just waiting for you to pop them open to reveal a tasty salmon and sweet potato treat.
Reasons to buy: Salmon and sweet potato are the only two ingredients in these treats. They are also grain-free.
Reasons to avoid: Salmon can be a strong flavor that not all dogs may love.
Best reusable dog advent calendar
Dog owners will know exactly what treats their pet pooch loves and which ones they don’t, especially those pups who have sensitive stomachs. Having a calendar that you can fill with your own treats can be particularly helpful.
Reasons to buy: You can fill this calendar with treats that your dog will love. It is also reusable.
Reasons to avoid: Is it a bit pricey for an empty calendar compared to others in our list that already have treats inside.
Best 12-treat calendar
Another option if you're looking for a 12-treat advent calendar. This is what our tester Megan had to say: " I gave this calendar to my friend's dogs Cody and Bailey who loved them. After opening a window, they kept sniffing around the living room as they wanted more. It's nice how there are three different flavors inside to mix things up each day. "
Reasons to buy: All treats are grain-free making it a safe option for pups with sensitive stomachs.
Reasons to avoid: Our tester said that human supervision is needed to get the treats out.
Photos from testing
How we tested the best dog advent calendars
When it came to testing out these advent calendars we based our criteria on treat size, ingredients, and calendar style.
Here's more information on how we test.
Treat size
By their very nature, advent calendars for dogs are not big items. So it makes sense that when you have 12 or 24 treats stored inside they are not going to be huge.
Some advent calendars are recommended for small dogs as the treats are small so they fit into the mouth of a toy breed dog and they won't struggle to chew the treat. This doesn’t mean that large breed dogs are excluded and can’t eat them, but most likely they will simply want more of them.
So if you have a small dog, make sure you look for a treat size for small breeds or all breeds. If you have a big dog, it doesn’t really matter that much as they will be able to eat big and small treats.
Treat ingredients
When buying treats, you need to make sure that you are getting treats your pet pooch will love and that won't irritate any of their allergies (if they have them). Does it contain natural ingredients? Is the treat grain-free? Is it by-product-free? Does it contain artificial preservatives and colors? Does it contain real meat and vegetables?
Check the ingredients to see what’s in the treat before you buy to make sure you're getting what you – and your dog – want.
Calendar size and style
The majority of classic-style advent calendars contain 24 treats and if you want to stick with the traditional, then 24 treats it is. If you want to stray a little from the norm, you can invest in a festive calendar with 12 treats, but that means fewer treats for your fur friend.
As for style, it's very much a personal choice. If you love snowmen you might want a design with snowmen, if you love Christmas decorations and lights then choose those. Check if it's a standalone item or one you can hang. Again, it's personal preference as to which you choose.
You may also want to check out our pick of the best Christmas gifts for dogs, best Black Friday dog deals or the best advent calendars for cats.
