It’s that time of the year! For those who adopted a pet during the pandemic, this upcoming holiday season will be the first of many spent together. No matter how long a pet has been by your side, if you’re like most dog parents you likely consider your pets to be part of the family—which means including them in holiday traditions.
For the second year in a row, Rover uncovered this finding and more in our annual report that digs into how pet parents plan to celebrate the holidays this year. From making their dog a special Christmas dinner to wrapping presents for their pups to open, it’s clear dogs are core to seasonal family traditions. Here’s what we learned:
Dogs will get to unwrap holiday gifts too
The majority—83%—of dog owners plan to give their dog a gift this holiday season. This stat was high last year and continues to grow, up 13% in 2021! A smaller group plans to really spoil their pups this year, with 44% saying they’ll spend more than $50 on each of their dogs.
The pandemic has slowed shipping—but not gift giving
With the effects of the pandemic still impacting everyday life, shipping and fulfillment delays related to COVID-19 are on dog owners’ minds this year. Most dog owners, 57%, plan to order gifts for their dogs early to make sure they arrive in time for the holidays. The largest portion of these dog owners (50%) plan to start shopping for their dog’s holiday gifts before December begins.
Local gift shopping is king this year
Possibly due to those COVID-related shipping delays, most Canadian dog owners (57%) plan to buy their dog holiday gifts locally this year. Some will still shop online as well, but local gift shopping came out on top in 2021.
Where exactly are pet parents shopping though? For the 56% shopping online, Amazon and Etsy are favorite websites to browse. In the ever-present battle of local versus big box pet stores, the local stores come out on top: 42% of pet parents plan to shop at big box stores like PetSmart and Walmart while 57% will visit their local neighborhood pet stores.
Just 20% of pet parents indicated they have a favourite dog-centric brand they plan to purchase from. Some very special pups (16%) will get gifts from big name department stores and another lucky group (12%) will get lovingly homemade gifts from their people.
More Holiday Season Tips and Fun
17 Christmas Movies to Watch With Your Dog
Tips to Dog-Proof Your Christmas Tree
Holiday Food Do’s and Don’ts for Dogs
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