Last year, I missed out on purchasing the BARK Dog Advent Calendar because it sold out almost immediately. So, this year, when I spotted the 2024 BARK Dog Advent Calendar at Costco in October, I was thrilled and purchased it right away for $39.99. Was it worth it? Unfortunately, as an excited dog parent who eagerly bought this for my dogs, I found it to be a major disappointment. Keep reading to find out why.
When I brought this BARK Dog Advent Calendar home, I showed it to my golden retrievers, KB and Kenzo, and let them sniff the box. They patiently waited until December 1st to open the first slot and reveal what was inside.
2024 BARK Advent Calendar for Dogs
My first big mistake – At Costco, I didn’t check the back of the box where all the toys and treats are listed. The large colorful box and its eye-catching, festive design drew me in, and I bought it on impulse.
What’s Inside the 2024 BARK Dog Advent Calendar?
The back of the box lists all 24 surprises, promising fun treats and toys for my dogs to enjoy as they open each slot leading up to Santa’s arrival on December 25th.
8 holiday-themed BARK toys:
3 Squeak It!
O Christmas Treat
Mocha Mutt Latte
Jolly Ginger
2 Fetch It!
ChristMutts Cookie
Puppermint Candy
1 Trash It!
Chris Mouse
2 Tug It!
Jolly MarshFellow
PupperMutt Pat
These toys are medium-sized for my goldens. Luckily, they are not heavy chewers or toy destroyers. These toys highlight BARK’s signature creativity, with clever designs and added squeakers that make them even more fun. However, the two Fetch It dog toys were an exception—they looked basic and subpar by BARK’s standards.
16 dog treats in 5 different Christmas cookie shapes:
Snowflake Snack
Frosted Wreath
Gingerbite Man
Frosted Candy Cane
Christmas Treebarkbox
One reason I wish I had read the back of the box before buying was to check the ingredients in the treats. While the treats were “cute” and decently sized, the ingredients were disappointing—particularly the added food dyes plus the treats were stale. These dog treats were a letdown, especially considering that BARK’s regular treats are usually of decent quality.
Since my dogs have sensitive stomachs, I didn’t allow them to eat all 16 dog treats. Unfortunately, I wasted money (which makes me sad), especially knowing that BARK sells (on their website) a 2-pack of Holiday Cookies (Frosted Wreath and Frosted Candy Cane) for $10.00 (or $7.99 on sale).
Given the poor quality of the treats, I really wish there had been more toys included, and especially the cost of this advent dog calendar is $39.99.
BARK Dog Advent Calendar Surprise for Dog Parents
A fun aspect of this advent calendar for dogs was an extra little surprise for doggo owners. When I scanned the barcode on the back right top of the box, it led me to costco.bark.co. This BARK website allowed me to upload photos of my dog(s) and create personalized Dog Holiday Cards using various BARK templates. Here are some of the cards I made.
While this was a fun addition, the advent calendar is ultimately meant for my dogs’ enjoyment, not mine.
Is It Worth It? 2024 BARK Dog Advent Calendar from Costco
As I mentioned earlier, as a dog parent, I found this dog advent box disappointing. I was not impressed. The dog toys and treats in the box did not seem worth the price. I feel that most of the cost went into the box’s design – but what’s inside each slot matters far more than the packaging and I have no plans on re-using the box for next year.
On the positive side, my dogs enjoyed the toys, especially Kenzo. He loved carrying them around the house and squeaking them. His favorites were the Mocha Mutt Latte and Jolly MarshFellow.
When I gave them the treats, I broke them into small pieces. Unfortunately, the Frosted Wreath and Candy Cane cookies left dye residue on my hands, and most of the dog treats were hard to break because they were stale.
Also, my dogs weren’t particularly excited about the treats—likely because they lacked an enticing scent. While they did eat the small pieces I gave them, they didn’t seem thrilled. Thankfully, since I only gave them a little, they didn’t experience any upset stomach.
Did you purchase 2024 BARK Advent Calendar for Dogs?
BARK Products
My dogs and I love BARK products, which are sold online and at Target. BARK also offers BarkBox, a monthly subscription service for dog toys and treats (which I used to subscribe to). It is also worth mentioning that back when BarkBox was just starting, our blog was chosen to promote their 2013 holiday box.
BARK has an excellent reputation among dog parents and their furry friends, so I was genuinely surprised by how disappointed I was with their 2024 Dog Advent Calendar.
Would I Buy the 2025 Costco’s BARK Dog Advent Calendar?
If BARK releases a 2025 Dog Advent Calendar at Costco and improves the dog treats’ ingredients and includes more fun toys, I might consider buying it again.
