So far, so fail.
Every year, I go on a hunt for dog-themed notebooks so I have lots of options while I’m taking notes during our consultation and session-planning conversations.
Last year, while doing my Shop Local Gift Guide, I found a treasure trove.
I might be out early this year because I’ve only found two. But our entire pet photographers blog circle wanted to do a gift guide for each of our cities and have it out in time for Small Business Saturday on November 27.
That just means I have to try again during after the Black Friday rush sales. Or wait to see if anyone sends me one for Christmas.
Hint, hint.
Wait … let me say that louder.
HINT HINT.
While I wait for my mailbox to fill up with notebooks, let’s take a look at how you can shop local and find great gifts for the dog lovers in your life.
1. Simply Northwest
11806 E. Sprague Ave., Spokane Valley
This is my go-to spot to shop local and put together gifts for my dog-loving friends and for fundraiser auctions. In fact, there is a basket up for auction at the Spokane Humane Society’s Furr Ball on Saturday, November 20, at the Davenport Hotel. (I’m also going this year … my friend Jolene from Heath’s Haven Rescue & Sanctuary are going to play the part of fancy bitches for one night.)
Simply Northwest in Spokane Valley has a whole section dedicated to the pets we love. The shelves are stocked with knickknacks, shopping bags, notepads, treats and more.
This week, I noticed they’ve separated the cat stuff out and given feline lovers their own display.
Stop at Simply Northwest to find gifts for your dog loving friends and family and spend some time there grabbing stuff for the other lovers in your life — the camping lovers, the Spokane lovers, the kitchen lovers …
It’s a place to get lost in and find a ton of fun gifts while you shop local.
I not only found a new notebook for myself but also these fun bits (the candle came out of their hilarious bad words corner) for a certain friend who needs pens and a notepad.
2. Prairie Dog Pet Mercantile
5608 S. Regal St., Ste 100, and 1206 W Summit Parkway, C106, Spokane
This is one of the coolest pet-specific places to go for prezzies for your favorite dog lover. Amy and her staff decorate the South Hill store from the floor to the rafters and it feels like a doggy Christmas Wonderland.
The gals told me I got there about a week too soon to see it in its full glory. That just means I have to go on another quest to shop local … which requires about as much arm-twisting as “hey, Ang, do you want a beer?”
Bella and I picked up these little gifts ourselves, a notebook and a packet of artisan blueberry goat-cheese treats made by Loving Udders in Kansas.
You can see we didn’t wait until Christmas morning to tear into those treats.
We also picked up these little bits for our rummy- and euchre-loving friends, a deck of cards and an autumn-scented candle.
3. Urban Canine
2915 E. 29th Ave. and 6320 N. Ash St, Spokane
Urban Canine is another cool pet boutique on the South Hill. It’s packed with great nutritional food and treat options for all your fur-coated family members.
They didn’t have a lot of gifts for two-legged beasts but I scored this awesome coffee mug and a gift pack of our favorite treats from Cattledog Cookie Co. out of Issaquah, Washington.
Serendipitously, I met with the gal who did the engraving on the Urban Canine coffee mug.
4. Ramax Engraving & Awards
12411 E. Empire Ave, Spokane Valley
Paula is a wonderful human and if you need some customized gifts, this is where I want you to go.
We had coffee this week to see how we could plot world domination work together to give Big White Dog clients the ultimate experience. Some things, y’all, have to stay secret for now.
She showed me more examples of her coffee go-cups and I gotta tell ya, they are exquisite. Look at this work:
The night before our meeting, she messaged me and asked me to send her a picture of me and my baby girl. I zapped her over one of the amazing images Colin Mulvaney of The Spokesman-Review did of us for the Paws of the Panhandle this past summer.
She showed up with this personalized Christmas tree decoration:
Yeah, I got all emotional about it.
And it gave me ideas.
I can’t wait to work with Paula some more!
5. Grove Journal
Ah, you guys … I cannot wait to get this in my hands. The Grove Journal is such a beautiful piece of work. It’s a journal with a wood cover that you can get custom engraved for $30.
The lovely galpreneurs at Grove Journal have a series of predesigned covers from which to choose but I couldn’t help sending them Bella’s head from my logo. I waited too long to get my shit together and order one, though, so you have to wait to see their master creation.
As soon as I get my copy, I will post it to my Instagram!
6. 4405 West
This gal makes me laugh. Holy hell. I found her through Shallan’s Gift Guide to shop local in Spokane, landed on her Etsy store, saw her Biden and Harris earrings and thought, “Ahahaha, that’s my girl.”
Of course, she also had these gorgeous wood paw ornaments you can get customized with your pet’s name on it.
See?
On Tuesday, I drove up to Nine Mile to grab my porch pickup. When I got home, I opened the little bag and was so happy with my new holiday tree decoration.
But wait … what’s this?
Ahahhaha … she threw in a pair of the earrings.
I can’t wait to wear these around my conservative husband.
Gift Certificates
A few dog-related places have gift certificates you can stuff into the stocking of any dog lover you know. I have not yet been to two of these places, one I can give you the highest of recommendations for (and that’s me being a cheeky monkey).
I have plans in the next couple of weeks to shop local at these two locations so make sure you come back to this gift guide to see how it goes. Based on information I have from friends, I’ve no doubt my trips will be nothing short of exceptional.
7. Bark, A Rescue Pub
905 N. Washington, Spokane
Founded by dog lovers (and really good-looking humans) Josh Wade and Katie Holmes, Bark, A Rescue Pub features classic but elevated American cuisine and a corner where you can visit with adoptable animals from the Spokane Humane Society.
I can’t wait to go but I have to gird myself from falling in love.
8. Brickwest Brewery
1318 W. 1st Ave., Spokane
While I haven’t been to this dog-friendly brewery, I have partaken in their Brick by Brick American IPA. It was fantastic for a day of Backyard Beer and Blongo on a few of the not-quite-hot-as-hell days we had in Spokane this past summer.
I have to get my hands on their Seamus Irish stout.
Get a Brickwest gift certificate.
9. Big White Dog Photography
See? Cheeky monkey! But yes, I do have gift certificates available. Gifting a portrait session is a wonderful way to show someone you understand how much they love their dog.
It says, “I get it. Your best fur friend is the most important being in your life and that matters.”
Contact me to chat about the type of gift you would like to give to your dog-loving family member or friend. I can snail mail a hard copy to you before Christmas or directly to your giftee. Or I can create a digital certificate for you to email.
All around the circle
Can you tell how much fun I have doing a “shop local” gift guide every year? If you could see all this stuff scattered all over my office floor …
Let’s jump off into the circle to see how my friends in the blog circle shop local.
When you get to the bottom of Ina’s post, click the next link in the circle and then keep going until you find yourself back here to the Spokane gift guide for dog lovers. That’s when you know you’re home.
Right where you belong.
So many to bookmark…so little time! LOL
Loved all the gift ideas. We only have ONE local pet store that is small business. The rest are big box chains.
You’ve goats many great places to shop for pets!
Wow, what a list! Not only do you have jaw dropping beauty in your landscape, but it also appears that you live in the swankiest, dog-friendly area to boot! So many great, hand-crafted gift ideas. It’s not hard to shop local when you’ve got all that just a few miles from your doorstep!