Man in the Torr Wool Gilet in Heather Green over a pale blue check shirt and jeans, in a stone-coloured cap, looking down at a brown spaniel beside flowering heather on a forest track.

Gifts for the Man Who Walks the Dog

The best dog walking gift for him is the clothing he stands about in at the gate, twice a day, in every month of the year, not more dog kit. He already owns the lead, the bags, the head torch and his own waterproof shell, and the layer he wears on the walk is the thing he never buys for himself. This page is for the man who owns the dog. It is not a thank-you gift for a dog walker you pay. Four gifts from Ghillie cover it, from £25 to £185:

What are good present ideas for a dog walker?

Good present ideas for a man who walks his dog are a cap, a flannel shirt and a wool gilet: things he wears on every walk and rarely thinks to replace. A cap needs no size. A brushed cotton flannel has buttoned chest pockets for the bags. A wool gilet keeps his body warm while his arms stay free for the lead. A fisherman's jumper in a Relaxed Fit is the one to choose if you are guessing his size.

What does a dog walk do to clothing?

A dog walk is hard on clothing in four ways that a hike or a weekend walk is not, and a good gift answers all four.

  • Pockets. The lead, the bags, his phone, the keys, a ball and something to bribe the dog with all need a home, and they go in and out a dozen times a walk.
  • Arms. He throws, he reaches for the lead, he opens and shuts gates with one hand. Anything tight across the shoulders gets left on the hook.
  • Standing still. Half the walk is stopping: at the gate, at the field edge, while the dog works a hedge line. He is not moving enough to make his own warmth, so warmth on the body matters more than it does on a hike.
  • Afterwards. Wet paws, a jump up at the knees, a muddy dog leaning on him at the back door. Then the kitchen table or the walk to the station, in the same clothes.

That last point decides between two of the gifts below, so read the gilet section before you choose.

Four gifts for the man who walks the dog

A flannel shirt with pockets that close: the Munro in Rifle Green

The Munro Flannel Shirt in Rifle Green is the one to start with. It has two deep pleated chest pockets under buttoned flaps, so what goes in stays in when he bends for the lead, and contrast drill cotton reinforces the places a shirt wears first. It is brushed cotton with a hidden button-down collar, in a regular fit cut to layer, with room for a tee underneath. It goes in the washing machine, cold or at 30 degrees on a gentle cycle, which matters after a wet dog has leant on it. Rifle Green runs S to 3XL.

If he prefers a check, the Brae in Raven, £95, is the same regular fit in 100% cotton brushed on both sides, with a lens cloth sewn under the hem. Not every Brae colourway has every size at present, so check his before you order. There is 20% off two or more flannel shirts, which brings a pair to £152.

The layer for standing at the gate: the Torr Wool Gilet in Heather Green

The Torr Wool Gilet in Heather Green answers the standing still problem: warm on the body, nothing on the arms, so the throw and the gate are as easy as in a shirt. It is cut from our own Tech Wool, 60% wool in the main fabric, and it is warm without bulk. A chest pocket and two deep waist pockets close on YKK Vislon zips, which is room for the phone, the keys and a rolled lead. It goes over the flannel and under his shell.

Know how it is looked after before you buy it. The product page puts it plainly: dry clean only, air between wears rather than washing, and brush off dried mud with a soft brush. It suits the man who hangs his outdoor layer on a hook to air overnight. If his mornings end with a wet dog jumping up at him and he wants something that goes in the machine, give him the flannel instead, or the Tarbert, which he can wash at home.

The easiest one to get right: the Tarbert Fisherman's Jumper in Slate

The Tarbert Fisherman's Jumper in Slate is the safest of the four if you are guessing his size. It is cut in a Relaxed Fit, with raglan sleeves for easy movement and a rolled collar that leaves room for a shirt collar underneath. It is a fisherman's jumper in a wool blend: 20% wool, 30% recycled polyester, 30% polyamide and 20% viscose, knitted in a heavyweight 5 gauge rib. There are no logos on it. Care is hand wash cold with a wool detergent where possible, then reshape and dry flat. The background is in the story of the stitch.

The small gift: the Tarvie Cap

Tarvie Cap in Ivy Green with a paler contrast peak and an embroidered Ghillie logo on the front, on a plain off-white background.
The Tarvie in Ivy Green. No size to guess, only a colour to choose.

The Tarvie Cap is unstructured 100% cotton with a washed finish, a contrast peak and a brass fastener at the back that sets the fit, so there is no size to guess. It comes in Ivy Green, Burnt Orange and Shoreline Blue. Headwear cannot be returned, so match the colour to what he already wears: Ivy Green sits with the Rifle Green flannel and the Heather Green gilet. If he wears a trucker rather than a soft cap, trucker or dad cap explains the difference. For a gift split two ways, the gift guide's tee and cap pairing adds a Logo Tee in Forest, £35, and comes to £60.

The bigger gift: the Arkle Wool Jacket

Smiling man in the Arkle Wool Jacket and a camouflage trucker cap, holding a curly-coated brown spaniel in his arms in front of the back of a pickup.
The Arkle, with the reason he goes out every morning.

The Arkle Wool Jacket, £240, is the same Tech Wool as the Torr, with sleeves and the same dry clean care; gilet or jacket sets the two side by side.

Which size, and what if it does not fit?

Lay a shirt or jumper he wears often flat. Measure straight across the chest 2.5cm below the armhole and match that figure to the "Chest, flat (cm)" column for the exact garment on the size guide. Do not double it, and if he falls between two sizes, size up. The worked example is in how to find his size without asking.

Free UK delivery over £150, which the gilet or a pair of flannels clears on its own, free exchanges, and orders placed between 1 November and 24 December can be returned or exchanged until 31 January, with the steps under what if it does not fit; for December delivery timings, check the delivery policy nearer Christmas.

What is a good Christmas present for a man who walks the dog?

At Christmas, the gilet or the jumper is the main gift and the cap is the small one alongside it; the gift guide's Dog Walker list has the same pieces in one place. For Father's Day in June, the flannel and the tee are the lighter pair. If the man who walks the dog is your dad, gifts for a dad who is always outside covers what not to buy him.

What if you cannot choose?

The Ghillie Gift Voucher is sent by email on a date you pick, in amounts from £25 to £250, with no expiry, and he chooses the piece and the size himself. Like headwear, gift cards cannot be returned. The voucher section of the gift guide has the detail.

Questions about dog walking gifts for him

Can a wool gilet go in the washing machine?

The Torr cannot. It is dry clean only: air it between wears rather than washing it, and brush off dried mud with a soft brush. If he wants a layer that goes in the machine after a wet walk, the Munro and Brae flannels wash cold or at 30 degrees.

Is a Ghillie cap one size?

Every Ghillie cap adjusts to fit, so there is no size to choose. Headwear cannot be returned for hygiene reasons, so the colour is the one decision to get right.

Built to be passed down.

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