LAST MINUTE GIFT IDEAS!

Oh I am without doubt the worst when it comes to buying holiday gifts for this time of year. I mean I procrastinate. I’m just plain awful. By now, most people have bought their gifts and they’ve even wrapped them. Cards have been sent and they’re planning their holiday meals. Christmas trees have been decorated and the outside house decorations are the envy of the neighborhood. I’ll wait to the very last minute before I go out to do what everyone else has been doing for the last few months. Well at least I’ll know what my New Years resolution will be……to stop procrastinating!

So for those few people out there who are like me, still pondering about what to get great Aunt Matilda, I’ve got some gift suggestions you might like to consider. I’m sure if we put our collective minds together we can come up with something. Most of these ideas will be geared towards our “fur” owning families and friends.

For those people who have everything: how about personalized items? You know the ones I mean…..those things that you can have their names, kennels, or dog’s names engraved on something. Suggestions might be: t-shirts, mouse pads, hats, totes, license plate holders, letterhead stationery or cards. And if you’re a big spender, how about a portrait of their beloved dog or dogs?

For the easy to please type of people: You can do the same thing for these guys by giving them a personalized gift or skip the monograms and give them a plain old t-shirt, etc. After all they’re easy and will love whatever you give them even if it is just another polyester shirt or boxed tie. A nice idea might be a dog breed book or a movie that has a dog as its leading character. How about a DVD of the “Dog Whisperer” series?

For the children of “fur” owning parents: Give the kids books about the German Shepherd Dog. Teach them early. Pay to have a pro teach them the ins and outs of dog show handling. Pay a professional to train your dog with your kid on the end of the leash. Buy him a new bike so he can help road work the dogs. Save up for a trip to the National so your child can compete in the junior handling events. Get him involved. Buy him the best dog grooming products so he can participate in the care of the dogs. You have no idea how happy this will make him! While all his friends brag about their football victories, Johnny will have bragging rights about his new Grand Victor (in the making)!

For the husband or boyfriend of a “fur” owning woman: Buy him a new vanity plate for his car with your kennel name on it. How about some doggie mats for his car? Give him a new video camera so he can tape all the dog shows you go to. Buy him one of those chairs that have the umbrella attachment so he’s protected from the sun when he’s watching the dog shows. Even better, buy him one of those tent like awnings and invite all your friends to sit and watch the show with the two of you. Get him a new barbecue grill for all the dog parties you plan on giving this year and designate him as the top chef! And there you go, how about personalizing a new barbecuing apron for your champ of a husband? And if you’re a big spender, how about giving him a year’s membership in the gym so he’ll be in better shape to help you double handle the dogs. If this is out of your budget, you can always buy him a new pair of sneakers to help him better double handle your new up and coming star! He’ll love you for it!

For the wife or girlfriend of the “fur” owning man: How about buying her a new top show quality puppy that she’s been having her eye on for the last month? You know she wants that puppy to add to the twenty dogs that she already has! Just think how grateful she’ll be. How about buying her a new sweat pants outfit to clean the dog kennels? In fact, buy her two or three so you don’t get tired of looking at her in the same one. And if you’re really on a budget, here’s one that won’t cost you a dime. Volunteer to pick up the dog’s kennels for the next couple of months or even just on the week-ends. Make sure they have clean, fresh water without having her ask you if you’ve checked. Go ahead, surprise her! Buy her a new vacuum that’s great for picking up dog hair, or how about one of those steamers for the carpet? She’ll appreciate you thinking of lightening her work load! Give her tickets for the host hotel at next years National Specialty show and tell her you plan on coming with her! For the really big spender, give her the keys to a brand new van that can easily accommodate 4 dog crates! To show her appreciation, she might even make you her secret recipe meat loaf that night!

What to give your “doggie” friends: Bake up some home made dog biscuits and tie them up with a pretty ribbon. Layer the ingredients for home made dog biscuits in a plain glass jar and include the instructions for baking them and put a festive bow on top of the lid. Buy them a new doggie brush or comb. How about a new bottle of shampoo or conditioner? Offer to “doggie” sit so they can go out to a dinner and movie one night. You can offer to help leash train some of their new puppies on a Saturday afternoon. Bring a pot luck dish and you can have a light lunch together. How about gifting her with this years newest Redbook? You can order that on the GSDCA’s website. And if you’re really a big spender, how about offering to pay for her membership dues so she’s sure not to miss out on receiving her latest issue of The German Shepherd Dog Review?

If your budget is really only able to squeeze out $5 to $10 a person, buy them a lottery ticket and help make someone a millionaire! Or you can donate in their name to one of their favorite charities or donate to Last Hope, Safe Haven to help save a German Shepherd from a shelter and do it in your friends name! The needy dog will be forever grateful that you did!

And for your own “fur” kids: Buy him a top supplement like Vibrant Pets (from yours truly) to help keep him healthy all year. Call up Mary and ask her to send you some more Naked Care for grooming his coat so he’ll look real pretty for his Christmas picture! How about ordering a new leash from Emily the Leash Lady? E-mail me and let me do a personalized t-shirt, mouse pad, tote or hat for that special person. (See the above pictures with this article). Get in touch with Ginger Cleary and ask her to do a sketch of your dog for you. Ask Sally if she can send you one of her jackets with her beautiful hand made German Shepherd embroidery decorations. If you really are looking for a very SPECIAL “one of a kind” gift, no one does more beautiful paintings then our very own Syd Mailberg! Ask anyone who has one of her lovely portraits how much they love her work! I’m sure there are many more people in our breed who sells wonderful things that would make great gifts. Seek them out and support what they do!

So there you have it, all you last minute procrastinators! The list of possibilities is endless. But do it now, shipping to get those gifts in time for Santa’s delivery is coming down to the wire. After all, there are just so many gifts he can fit on that sleigh. And besides rumor has it, (and I have it from Mrs. Clauses own mouth), Rudolph is on strike and might have to be replaced with another reindeer! So make those calls, send those e-mails, but get your orders in. Don’t find yourself like me, going to the stores late Christmas Eve looking over the last remnants of gifts that other shoppers didn’t want. Will I ever learn to put a stop to this madness or come this time next year, find myself rummaging through the “nobody wants” pile of leftovers once again? Stay tuned!

My rating: Buy gifts from our dog community: (4), home made gifts: (4), receiving “big spenders” gifts: (4++++++)!