There's an Advent calendar for everyone and every interest these days, from protein powder Advent calendars (yes, really) to candle calendars, stationery calendars and more.
But, most importantly, there are dog Advent calendars. Because we all know they're the most important member of the family. Forget spending money on fancy dog bowls, couch covers and waterproof coats, because let's face it, what your dog really wants is food. While we don't encourage overindulging with the treats, we think one a day over the festive period is acceptable. But with so many dog Advent calendars on the market, which do you go for?
Monty would like to speak to the manager about where is calendar is
Well, I've been buying our family dog, Monty the cocker spaniel, an Advent calendar every year for the past five years and there's on in particular he can't get enough of: the Lily's Kitchen Advent Calendar for Dogs. At £10.50, it's not the cheapest, but Monty won't settle for anything less. It's clear who's in charge in our house.
He sits after his breakfast every morning and waits for us to open the latest door. And, yes, he is a cocker spaniel who loves his food so not the most discerning of taste testers admittedly, but he's not the only pup who goes crazy for the Lily's calendar – it's a sellout every year for a reason.
What's inside the 2026 Lily's Kitchen Advent Calendar for Dogs?
To avoid disappointment, I want to be clear, there are no toys in this calendar and there's no extra big treat on Christmas Eve. They get either two small biscuits or one bigger one, in a different festive shape each day. For those familiar with Lily's, it's either a Breaktime Biscuit with peanut butter and banana, or a Bedtime Biscuit, which includes organic rolled oats, honey, chamomile and passion flowers.
While the names suggest they should be eaten at particular times of the day, the honest truth is it doesn't matter when you give Monty his Bedtime Biscuits - he could still knock a house down at any time of the day.
While reviews online are critical of the limited supply of biscuits (it's almost like Monty is writing them; I wouldn't put it past him...) this is because Lily's Kitchen is taking the sensible approach to treats. Sometimes, less is more. If you want better value for money, you could easily buy the biscuits separately, but I just enjoy buying Monty his own calendar every year.
Last Christmas, I actually got him the Countdown to Christmas pack, which includes two packs of Turkey Jerky and I have to say, I think he liked the jerky the best, so you could just cut out the middle man and buy them a couple of packs of Turkey Jerky or go big and get an 8-pack of Bedtime Biscuits from Amazon instead.
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But, to be honest, I like the fun of opening the calendar with Monty every morning and this calendar cuts out the gimmicks. If you're going to treat them, this is the one I recommend. Forget the festive neckerchief and just get them one of these instead.
Alison is head of content for the Good Housekeeping Institute, responsible for product reviews across homes, beauty, wellness, family and food & drink. She lives by the William Morris quote that you should “have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”
Alison has over 15 years' experience as a lifestyle editor and has written features on everything from misophonia to how to dress like Claudia on The Traitors. She has also interviewed everyone from Dame Joanna Lumley to the Kardashians.
In her spare time, you'll find her hanging out with Monty the cocker spaniel and refreshing the Sezane website every five seconds.