15 Unique Gift Ideas for Young Dog Lovers under $20

These affordable gifts are among the most wished-for gifts of the young dog lover set. From dog themed board games to mechanical puppies and doggie arts and crafts, these affordable gifts will improve memory, reading and motor skills.

In this review, we include the best of breed for coloring and activity books, board games, mechanical and robotic toys and apparel and accessories that kids who love dogs crave.

Best Dog Themed Activity and Coloring Books

The I love Dogs Activity Book ($6.99) is great for kids at home or on vacations. It includes an adorable mix of dog and puppy stickers, postcards and bookmarks. With easy step by step instructions, kids learn how to draw their favorite breeds. Fun-fact trivia cards increase their canine knowledge while the imaginative activities encourage diary writing and new skills, such as making doggie treats!

Kids love the cute dogs and puppies presented in this book, parents love that it improves reading skills, motor skills and keeps kids entertained for hours on rainy days. Ideal for individual play or sharing with friends.

The Dog Lover's Adult Coloring Book. While it is marketed as an adult coloring book, its images are not too complex for younger hands to fill-in. The book contains 40 realistically drawn images including some of the more unusual breeds such as the Rhodesian Ridgeback and French Bulldog. The images are printed on only one side if each page, so there is no worry of bleed-through with markers. This is a full sized coloring book with medium paper stock. ($9.99)

Don't forget to include colored pencils, crayons or markers with this gift!

For the Aspiring Artist and Dog Lover: Learning To Draw Dogs

Buy It Now

An American Booksellers Pick of The Lists, Draw 50 Dogs teaches step by step techniques for drawing 50 breeds of dogs. Aspiring artists may enjoy learning to draw a variety of animals and flora. Included in this series are horses, animals, flowers, cats and birds.

Paperbacks Start at $8.88

For the more advanced art student there is Drawing Made Easy: Dogs and Puppies: Discover Your "Inner Artist" as you explore the basic techniques of pencil drawing, by Nolon Stacey.

This book starts at $8.96 in paperback and $6.59 for Kindle

Paint By Numbers Sets offer a variety of images from realistic to cartoon.
They are all inclusive and very affordable

Best Dog Themed Board Games For Very Young Dog Lovers

Interactive Board Game Puppy-Opoly

Parents enjoy playing this game, patterned after Monopoly, as much as the kids do. In Puppy-Opoly players buy puppies instead of properties, go to the doghouse instead of jail and receive payment in treats not money. Players are required to bark for their treats, which are the currency of this board game. Here, players pick Dog Obedience cards instead of Chance cards. Kids love the dog obedience cards because they are asked to act out different dog behaviors such as roll over, chase your tail, beg and of course "High-Pawing" other players. For ages 5-8; two to four players.

For older players there is Dog-Opoly. Also based on Monopoly, the board game uses money and breed cards for real estate are arranged by breed size. Each dog "Deed" is fill with fun facts about that breed. This game can be played two ways, standard play and a "one hour" game play, which many parents will appreciate.

Best Dog Themed Board Games For Young and Adult Dog Lovers

Sequence Dogs - Although this game is marketed fro 7 years to adult, we have found that kids 4 years and older can enjoy this game with a little help from their older relatives. Similar to the other Sequence board games, the dog version includes fun facts about the breeds as well as very attractive breed images. The object of the game is to be the first to get five chips in a row on the game board, by match the images to those on your cards.

Fun Dog Art for Kids

Molding Mates Decals won't damage the walls and can be moved as many times as suits your young pet lover to create an animal fantasy land in any room. Molding mates come in a variety of species from cats and hummingbirds to chickens and action figures. The vinyl images will stick to table tops, glass non-textured wall paper and painted drywall. (3 pack of puppy stickers $19.99)

Molding Mates Puppy Pack 3 Molding Mates Home Decor Peel and Stick Vinyl Wall Decal Stickers

Dog themed shower curtains make getting up and getting ready for school much more exciting! There are a wide variety of styles to choose from. Select cartoon dogs, stylized dogs or real dogs like this one for Lab Lovers!