These are the best dog advent calendars 2024 to get your pooch into the Christmas spirit

Dog opening one of the best dog advent calendars
(Image credit: Wüfers)

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

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.

how to choose best dog advent calendar

(Image credit: Getty Images)

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 the Best advent calendars for cats.

Alexis De Leaver
Digital & Syndication Staff Writer

Alexis has been an editorial writer for over ten years. While her most of her writing has been focused on all things lifestyle content, she has a passion for animals that she hopes shines though in her pieces. 

With contributions from