‘Tis the season for shopping!
You are about to embark upon a guide to shower your favorite Spokane dog lover with gifts — fun things, pretty things, useful things!
I am a reformed shopaholic. I used to be hyperfocused on filling my life with shoes and boots.
I’ve had a lifelong fascination with footwear. My three-bedroom house in Calgary had a single bedroom dedicated to two rows of Ikea shelves filled with perfectly perched heels, flats and boots.
Times change, though, and I’ve grown. My footwear of choice are my hiking boots, Saucony runners and flipflops.
(I still have a collection of rider boots and motorcycle boots and hiker-style boots with heels and … well … BOOTS! Some things will never change.)
I still, however, revel in the joy of heading out to a local shop, filling a basket and swiping my credit card across that little machine.
That’s what I did last week so I could share with you some fun ideas for Christmas gifts.
Here’s a quick list of our visits:
Gift shopping for the Spokane dog lover
We are not short on boutique shops in Spokane and North Idaho to fill the life of the Spokane dog lover with toys, treats and home decor knickknacks.
I started my shopping journey in Coeur d’Alene after a nice, relaxing walk around McEuen Park with my best girl.
The Labrador Store and More
Tucked on the back side of The Resort Plaza Shops, The Labrador Store and More is a dog lover’s knickknack paradise!
Leanne, who is just a treat to chat with and had never heard of a Maremma sheepdog before (don’t worry … most people haven’t), fills her shop from floor to ceiling with clothes for dog pawrents and their furbabies, art, fridge magnets, picture frames, books and so much more.
I gravitated immediately toward this fun notebook for keeping track of chats with clients and stories about their dogs. I added a teeny little fridge magnet with Bella’s name engraved and a set of thank-you cards that seemed just perfect for delivering the art products after a Memories session.
Follow the Labrador store:
Next we were off to Post Falls!
Mountain Paw Pet Supply
Don’t miss this spot on your way north from the I-90 to Rathdrum. Right next to the Sonic Drive-Thru on Highway 41, Mountain Paw Pet Supply is a terrific pet boutique for the North Idaho dog lover.
We went there in search of the right food for Bella in light of her liver issues this year. Shop co-owner Emily Sukenik is a wealth of information and will spend every second focused on you, your dog and the issues you’re dealing with.
Plus, the walls are lined with high-quality toys, treats and accessories, along with the very best in brands of dog food. We turned into The Honest Kitchen fans with Emily’s guidance. “It’s as close to raw without being raw,” she said. Sold!
Right by the checkout counter, there are super yummy organic treats that may be a little too low to the floor. I swear I owe Emily more money than I’ve paid because a certain nose finds itself into the peanut butter Howlin’ Goodies.
I grabbed this incredibly durable toy, recalling how Bella destroyed everything we gave her when she was a pup. She has grown out of it now but I know it will be the perfect gift for a Spokane dog lover I know with an energetic pup who loves a game of tug-of-war.
Mountain Paw also has a great stock of accessories from Banded Pines. Banded Pines is a super popular creator of handmade bandanas, collars and leashes out of southeastern Idaho. Their Instagram feed is full of dogs on adventure.
But back to Mountain Paw … follow Emily:
Next stop, Spokane Valley … and home for a rest.
Green Acres Vendor Mall
Editor’s note: Green Acres Vendor Mall has rebranded and moved.
You never know what you’re going to find when you walk into a vendor mall. Most vendor malls are a treasure trove of antiques and other wares.
I’ve ambled into Green Acres Vendor Mall on East Sprague in the Valley a time or two, looking for props for which I have visions that I never seem to realize into an image. (Sometimes my brain is craftier than my execution will allow.)
I’ve grabbed bandanas and homemade dog treats there before, so I knew I would find something unique there for the Spokane dog lover.
Lo and behold, a wall full of socks! Socks! Yes, socks.
Socks with cuss words on them even. (insert grinning smiley face here)
I already have the “People I want to meet: 1. Dogs” socks, found at Sea-Tac airport on a trip to Ottawa in 2019 (remember when we could travel freely?).
And I really do have enough socks, so I have to find a Spokane dog lover who not only wants a pair of dog socks but also a corgi waste bag dispenser. I know I know a corgi lover somewhere … maybe in Coeur d’Alene.
And then just a skip down the road …
Simply Northwest
If you’re ever looking for a gift of any kind, this is the place to go.
Gifts for mom, gifts for dad, gifts for the bride, gifts for the new mom, gifts for the grandmom, gifts of T-shirts, gifts of candy, gifts of knickknacks and picture frames and wreaths and candles and Christmas decorations and books and everything huckleberry and … and … and …
It’s almost exhausting how much stuff they have! But Simply Northwest also has it all organized into categories, which makes me love them even more. I often swing by Simply Northwest when I’m putting together a gift basket for a silent auction donation.
There’s an entire shelf unit dedicated to gifts for the Spokane dog lover … the cat lover, too.
I grabbed a matching bow tie and waste bag dispenser, a cute little notepad, a fridge magnet, a “dogs laugh with their tails” tchotchke and jasmine scented air freshener that says “dog mama for life.”
I’m thinking Eddie the Edge might need an odiferous upgrade from “wet dog.”
Follow Simply Northwest:
And now one last stop … to the South Hill!
Prairie Dog Pet Mercantile
One of Bella’s favorite places in this area is the South Hill Dog Park. It’s a large fenced off-leash area where she gets to run and run and run and run.
The only time I see her smile bigger is when we’re out in the woods on a hike.
We hung out there for a while and then hit the Prairie Dog Pet Mercantile on S. Regal. Amy, the owner who has another location in Kendall Yards, was outside serving vegan hot cocoa for Small Business Saturday.
Amy chooses to serve the Spokane dog lover with natural pet foods and supplies. She, like Emily, offers nutritional counselling and all her staff is trained on how to walk you through making the right choices.
The gal who helped Bella and me find some gifts also recognized the need to approach a livestock guardian dog with caution, understanding Bella’s anxiety issues with being in a new place with new sounds and new people. (But would she rather sit in the car and wait? Oh, trust me. No.)
Prairie Dog has a whole holiday setup, complete with a tree adorned with dog-related decorations. Love!
OMG. Another notebook.
Yes, I bought it.
Along with another tug toy and a box set of treats from the Cattledog Cookie Co. in Issaquah, Washington. You can see someone may not be willing to wait until Christmas Day to tear into that box.
Follow Prairie Dog Pet Mercantile:
And now we are officially exhausted! With a possibly broken credit card.
I hope you’ve gotten some gift ideas for your favorite Spokane dog lover. Bella and I are always up for an adventure, even a shopping one.
But you know what the ultimate gift is, right? A gift certificate for a dog photography session with me! I kinda think it’s the perfect stocking stuffer to put a smile on someone’s face Christmas morning.
Pingback: Farmhouse Holiday Photo Ornaments of you and your pet make a beautiful gift.
Wow, so much work went into that and what a terrific resource to help out local pet parents!
This is great for your local dog lovers!