August 26th is National Dog Day. Collien Paige, Founder of National Dog Day states that ”I founded National Dog Day in 2004 to honor dogs, to give them “a day”, to show our deep appreciation for the historical connection of companionship with one another – for their endearing patience, unquestioning loyalty, for their work protecting our streets, homes and families as Police K-9’s, Military Working Dogs, Guide Dogs and Therapy Dogs.”
Here are some ideas on how you can honor your dog during this special day.
Do Something Fun
- An ice cream treat. Our dogs love to take a short road trip over to Bruster’s Ice Cream. At Bruster’s, you AND your dog can enjoy an ice cream treat together. Bruster’s will provide you with a cup of vanilla ice cream for your dog (sometimes even topped with a small dog bone treat). You don’t have a Brusters or another dog friendly ice cream parlor near you? No worries, most grocery stores and pet food locations carry ice cream treats. Trust us – your dog would love some ice cream. Remember, stick with just vanilla. Dogs are deathly allergic to chocolate.
- Try a different dog toy. Stuffed squeaky toys and balls are great but why not try something a little different. Stimulate your dog’s brain and bond with her while teaching her how to use a new dog puzzle. There are wide variety of different puzzle types and you can find many at your favorite pet supplies store. Bella, my shepherd mix, loves the Treat-Hiding puzzles. She enjoys using her nose to push / shift / lift hidden compartments within an object for the reward of a tasty treat. Some of these puzzles have various levels of difficulty. So once your dog masters the easy level, you can keep them engaged with the toy by slightly increasing the difficulty level.
- Take a different path. Some dogs seem to love to take the same trodden path over and over. But others get bored. Instead of taking your normal left out of the subdivision, surprise your dog and take a different route. Then watch your dog’s ears perk up as they take in the different surrounding and let them enjoy sniffing a few different spots.
- Sign your dog up for BarkBox. We all love to receive surprise gifts. When you sign up for BarkBox, your dog will receive a monthly box full of toys and treats. But wait, there is another great reason why we love BarkBox. Just like Wagbrag, they donate 10% of their proceeds to dogs in need.
Do Something Serious
- Adopt a dog. National Dog Day also honors all the homeless dogs in dire need of rescue. Millions of dogs are sitting in animal shelters all across the U.S. So instead of purchasing a dog from a pet store please consider adopting.
- Support your local rescue organization. We’re always posting ways to support your favorite rescue organization. But by volunteering, providing financial support or donating to the organization’s “wish list”, you’re helping to make a difference for dogs in need.
- Contact your Congressman and ask them to ban puppy mills. Click on the following link to obtain the contact information for your congress representative. http://www.contactingthecongress.org/
Photo: Courtesy of Freaktograpy via Flickr (CC by 2.0)
