Who doesn’t love to spoil their dog at Christmas? There are stockings, treats, sweaters, toys, and Santa photos. I bet you never realized that the history of dogs being included in Christmas traditions goes back centuries.
Victorian Dog Stockings
In the mid-1800s, British Victorians began hanging stockings for their beloved pets. They generally filled the stockings with scraps leftover from the Christmas feast, such as roast bits or bones. It didn’t take long for the idea of giving Christmas gifts to your dog to become commonplace. Newspapers even ran articles about the best gifts to give Fido. My dog, Henry, always gets a stocking, and I have the Victorians to thank!
Dogs Spotted on Early Christmas Cards
If you browse through Christmas cards from the 1800s to 1900s, you’ll often see dogs included in the holiday scene. Worldwide canine Christmas cards become en vogue.
You might ask why the dog was highlighted on these festive greetings? Simple. Dogs were (and arguable still are) considered loyal, protective, good luck, and great companions. These were all the ideas that the Victorians and those of the era wanted to celebrate in their holiday greetings.
But there was a bit of business behind the thought of adding dogs to Christmas cards. Most card companies viewed dogs as a cute addition that would help them sell more of their holiday greetings. Probably a very smart idea! Heck, I wouldn’t dream of a holiday greeting without Henry.
Pet Christmas Gifts Land in Stores
By the 1930s, businesses were jumping on the bandwagon to capitalize on our love for our furry buddies. It was a smart move for their bottom line, but probably not for our bank accounts. Department stores rang in the holiday season with festive pet treats in glammed-up holiday containers. Not surprisingly, it only took a short 20 years for dogs to be regularly featured in holiday ads opening gifts. Now, more than 97% of pet owners buy their buddy a holiday gift and spend between $50-1,000 on gifts for their furry friends. That’s big holiday business!
Dog Christmas Tradition Fact: You may have heard the quote, “A dog is for life, not just for Christmas.” This iconic and perfectly stated phrase originated in a 1978 animal welfare campaign. It’s a message that I still highly endorse since most pets given as a gift are surrender to shelters.
This holiday, enjoy the season with your buddy and know that the tradition of celebrating the holidays lives on strongly. I know Henry will find one or two gifts under the tree on Christmas morning.
What’s Next?
Discover more fun dog facts and trivia in this curated list.
