Why We Make Our Pet Advent Calendars by Hand (and Why They Ship November 15)

I get asked the same two questions about our pet advent calendars every fall. Why don't they ship until the middle of November? And why are there only so many of them?

The short answer to both is that we make them by hand, fresh, the same way we make all of our treats. The longer answer is worth telling, because it says a lot about how we do things here. Ready to grab one? Reserve your pet advent calendar here.

Most Pet Advent Calendars Are Made Months Ahead

Pet advent calendars have become a big thing, and you'll see stacks of them in stores before Halloween is even over. A lot of them are produced in huge runs months ahead of time, then sit in a warehouse until the season starts. To survive that long on a shelf, many are filled with treats that need preservatives, binders and fillers to hold together.

I understand why. It's efficient. But it's not what I want for my own animals, and it's not what I want for yours.

Our Pet Advent Calendars Are Made by Hand, Fresh

Every one of our pet advent calendars is filled by hand at our facility on Alderville First Nation, using the same single-ingredient treats we make every week. No fillers, no binders, nothing added. Just real meat, made at our facility using federally inspected meat, with the rabbit raised by Brian and me.

We make them in the same small batches as our regular treats, which is why the timing matters. We want the calendar your dog or cat opens on December 1 to be as fresh as a bag you'd order from us any other week of the year.

Why Our Pet Advent Calendars Ship November 15

Shipping in that window means your calendar arrives close to the start of December, not sitting in your closet since October. It's the one thing we won't compromise on. If you order today, you're reserving your pet advent calendar, and it goes out fresh in the second half of November. To get yours in time for December 1, order by November 15.

Once it arrives, keep it somewhere cool and dry, away from the heat register and out of direct sun. If you want more detail on keeping natural treats fresh, our guide to storing natural treats covers it.

Why There Are Only So Many

When you make something by hand, there's a limit to how many you can make. We'd rather make fewer calendars and do them properly than rush a bigger run. When they're gone for the year, they're gone.

What to Look For in a Pet Advent Calendar

If you're comparing calendars this year, flip the box over and read the ingredients before anything else. It tells you more than the picture on the front ever will.

• A short ingredient list. If you can't pronounce it, your pet doesn't need it. Every treat in ours is one ingredient.
• Real meat first. A lot of calendar treats are mostly grain or starch with a little meat flavour. Look for meat as the first ingredient, or better yet, the only one.
• Where it's made. Knowing who made the treats, and where, matters. Ours are made in Ontario at our facility on Alderville First Nation.
• When it was made. A calendar that's been sitting in a warehouse since summer isn't the same as one filled in November.
• Treat size. Make sure the pieces suit your pet. You can always break ours smaller for little dogs and cats.

It's the same checklist I use for everything that goes in our bags. If a treat wouldn't pass it on a regular Tuesday, it doesn't belong in a pet advent calendar either.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Pet Advent Calendar

• One door a day. I know, it's tempting. But part of the fun is the routine, and dogs especially pick up on it fast. A lot of people make it part of the morning, right after breakfast.
• Break pieces for small dogs and cats. Single-ingredient treats snap cleanly, so you can split a piece into two or three and stretch it out.
• Got a pet with allergies? Because every treat is one ingredient, it's easy to know exactly what's inside. If your pet needs to avoid a specific protein, send me a message before you order and I'll tell you what's in this year's calendar.
• Multi-pet house? Get one each. Trust me on this one.

A Pet Advent Calendar Makes a Great Gift

If you have a friend or family member whose dog or cat is basically their kid, a pet advent calendar is one of the easiest gifts on your list. It's thoughtful, it gets used every single day for 24 days, and it supports a small Indigenous-owned family business.

And if you want to keep the fun going after the 24th, these are the ones people reach for most:

Thank you for supporting the way we do things. It takes longer, and we make fewer of them, but every calendar that leaves our facility is one I'd be happy to give my own animals.

Reserve your pet advent calendar at indigenoustreats.ca. Free shipping on orders over $100.