Dog Advent Calendars: What to Look For (and What to Skip)

Dog advent calendars are now a fixture: most UK pet retailers and several supermarkets run one, they sell out by early December, and searches for them peak in November rather than December — people buy them well before the first door gets opened.

We do not sell one. This guide is here because the question people actually ask — "are these any good, and is 24 treats too many?" — is not really answered by a shelf full of boxes.

What is usually inside

Treat calendars are the standard: 24 small biscuits or training treats behind cardboard doors. Quality ranges from own-brand biscuits to grain-free single-protein treats.

Toy calendars contain small plush or rope toys instead. More expensive per item, no calorie implications, and better for dogs on a restricted diet or with allergies.

Mixed calendars split the difference, and often include a chew or two.

"Fill your own" — a reusable wooden or fabric calendar with pockets. More money up front, nothing thereafter, and you control exactly what goes in. This is the one worth considering if your dog has a sensitive stomach.

The calorie question nobody prints on the box

This is the part that matters and it is rarely on the packaging. The general guidance is that treats should make up no more than about 10% of a dog's daily calories.

A 5kg dog needs roughly 250–300 kcal a day, so their treat allowance is about 25–30 kcal. A single biscuit from a typical calendar can be 15–25 kcal. That is most of the daily allowance from one door, before any other treats or training rewards.

A 30kg labrador has perhaps 140–160 kcal to play with, and the same biscuit barely registers.

Practical answer: for small dogs, break each day's treat into pieces and spread it across the day, and reduce their dinner slightly. For large dogs it is rarely an issue. Either way, an advent calendar is a treat allowance, not an addition to one.

What to check before buying

- The ingredients list. Named meat first is a good sign; "meat and animal derivatives" and a long list of sugars is not. If your dog has a known intolerance, check every door — mixed calendars often include several proteins. - Whether it is actually for dogs. Every year there are human chocolate calendars sold with dog imagery. Chocolate is toxic to dogs. Read the box, not the picture. - Where it will live. A cardboard calendar within reach of a determined dog is a calendar that gets eaten in one sitting — which is a genuine emergency if it is 24 portions at once. Hang it high. This is the single most common advent calendar vet call. - Best-before dates, if you are buying in October for December.

Are dog advent calendars safe?

The calendars themselves are, when used a door a day. The two real risks are the whole thing being eaten at once, and the dog getting into a human calendar. Chocolate toxicity depends on the type and the dog's weight — dark chocolate is far worse than milk — and it is a genuine emergency. If it happens, ring your vet or the 24-hour Animal PoisonLine on 01202 509000 rather than waiting for symptoms, because a dog can seem completely fine for hours and still be in trouble.

If you would rather not do treats at all

There is no obligation. A toy-based calendar, a single nicer chew on Christmas Day, or a stuffed lick mat does the same job without four weeks of extra biscuits. For dogs who are overweight, diabetic or on a prescription diet, that is the better answer — and December is the month most dogs gain weight.

If you want to make the treats yourself, our festive dog treat recipes are vet-sensible and let you control exactly what goes in.

What is actually on sale in the UK

We do not sell an advent calendar, so this is a straight comparison of what tends to be available each year. Availability and recipes change annually — check the current ingredients panel rather than trusting last year's.

Supermarkets (Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury's, M&S, Aldi, Lidl). Cheapest, usually £3–£8, and they sell out. Ingredients are typically the most basic — expect "meat and animal derivatives" rather than a named protein. Fine for a dog with no sensitivities. The discounter ones (Aldi, Lidl) appear for a week or two in November and do not come back.

Pets at Home. The widest range, generally £5–£15, including own-brand and branded. Usually has both dog and cat versions, and often a toy option.

Specialist brands (Denzel's, Pooch & Mutt, Barking Heads and similar). £10–£20. Named ingredients, grain-free and single-protein options, smaller treats. Worth it if your dog reacts to things, or if you care what is in it.

"Luxury" and hamper-style calendars. £25–£50, usually a mix of treats, toys and a chew or two, sometimes personalised. You are paying for presentation as much as contents.

Refillable calendars. £15–£30 once, then nothing. Wooden or fabric, with pockets. The right answer for a dog on a prescription or restricted diet, and the cheapest option over three years.

How to choose between them

Work backwards from your dog:

- Sensitive stomach or known allergy → specialist or refillable, and read every ingredient. - Overweight, diabetic, or on a prescription diet → toy calendar or refillable. Do not add four weeks of biscuits. - Small dog → whichever you like, but break the treats up. A single biscuit can be most of a 5kg dog's daily treat allowance. - Large, robust dog with no issues → the supermarket one is genuinely fine. - Multi-dog household → check the piece count. Twenty-four doors split between three dogs is eight days each, or eight pieces a day, neither of which is what you wanted.

The cat question

Cat advent calendars exist and are less common. The same rules apply, with one addition: cats are much more sensitive to sudden diet changes, and a cat that skips meals because it filled up on treats is a genuine problem rather than an inconvenience. Keep the portions tiny.

*This guide is general information, not veterinary advice. Calorie figures are typical ranges — your dog's requirement depends on age, weight, breed and activity, and your vet can give you a specific number.*