It’s our favorite holiday of the year! Here’s our favorite ways to celebrate this special day with your furry BFF!
The Puppy Academy student: Rocket!
March 23rd is National Puppy Day! So how can you make the most out of this day? We put together a list of our favorite things to make it one to remember. From fun gift ideas to interactive games, check out these Top 10 ideas that made the list:
1. Plan an Adventure for Your Puppy
There’s nothing more exciting than taking your puppy out on a new excursion! Since puppies love to run, sniff, and explore, this is one of our favorite ways to enjoy your puppy on National Puppy Day!
If you are in the midst of training your puppy and planning on an outdoor adventure, use this as an opportunity to work on some outdoor Recall (Come command) training with a long fifteen to a twenty-foot leash.
We recommend that you wait until your puppy has received the necessary vaccinations and medication to go out on hikes. But don’t think this idea is out if your puppy hasn’t gotten all of them just yet! You can practice Recall in your yard, and add in some fun routines like targeting Place to make the training activity more engaging!
2. Grab Them A Healthy Treat They’ll Love!
As a new puppy parent, you’re constantly on the lookout for healthy food options for your pup. Having a treat that you feel as good about giving them as they do about devouring them is the ultimate win-win! And that’s why we crafted our very own high-value, single-ingredient hypoallergenic treat that is not only tasty, but provides essential nutrients for growing pups!
Get your hands (and paws!) on our single-ingredient, certified organic turkey bacon strips that can be easily torn into the most perfect training treats! Grab them here and get a special National Puppy Day discount while supplies last!
3. Gift Your Puppy Some New Toys
If you’re not planning an adventure why not spoil your puppy at home with some new toys? As your puppy starts to grow they’ll need some toys to direct their teething and puppy energy!
Good chew toys are always a must-have, especially for a growing puppy. The teething phase can last until your puppy is six months or older. This is a good opportunity to switch out some of their older chewed-up toys that may be starting to fall apart for a newer set that can withstand that strengthening bite.
Opt for some interactive toys that will work your puppy’s mind and let you play together. Puzzle toys or snuffle mats are great for breeds with high drives that love to work. These toys let you hide a few treats so your puppy can work out the puzzle and get to their reward! Tug toys like ropes are great for one-on-one playtime. And for some puppies that prefer toys over treats, squeaky toys are a great alternative for puppy training rewards.
For more toy ideas and our go-tos, shop our Amazon store for our curated list of favorite and most useful puppy supplies we love to use in school at The Puppy Academy!
4. Enroll in Puppy School Together!
Puppy training is the greatest way to bond with your puppy while teaching them excellent manners. If you’re looking for a fun activity with a massive pay-off, enrolling in the right puppy training program will the best time and money spent with your pup!
We love to integrate obedience commands with tons of varying distractions because it simulates real-world situations you will most likely find yourself in with your pup. One such routine called Place Patterning where you will teach your puppy to target different spots as their “Place”, teaches them not only where to go and hang out at in the home, but when you’re in a new environment also.
For Place Patterning and brushing up on other super helpful skills like Recall and loose-leash walking, our Online Puppy School shows you how to do in simple steps so your pup catches on real quick!
Check out more about our Online School here:
5. Play the Over-Under-Through Game!
Puppy training and games go hand in hand. When it comes to raising a confident puppy, the Over-Under-Through Game is one of our favorites!
You can set up a mini obstacle course at home for your puppy using empty cardboard boxes, stools, towels, bubble wrap -- you name it! The goal is to safely expose your puppy to different surface textures, sounds, sights, and even smells, to get them feeling comfortable for the real-world and build their problem-solving skills!
The best part of this puppy training is that it’s a game! Lay some treats out across the course you created so your puppy can sniff them out and get rewarded for finding them. Over-Under-Through will challenge your puppy to step out of their comfort zone, engage in new experiences, and have lots of fun in the process!
6. Put Together a Puppy Play Date
The Puppy Academy students: Melanie & Mimi!
Socializing your puppy is not only for fun; it’s a key part of their behavioral development.
Quality is more important than quantity when it comes to successfully socializing — take the time to find the right personality match for your puppy. Always monitor your pup and step in to interrupt any rough or questionable play behavior.
For our socialization guidelines and what to look out for, check our our socialization blog here!
7. Give Your Puppy Their Own Memory Book!
You’ve probably seen those adorable first year photo albums for babies and all their milestones during their first year. So why isn’t there one for puppies? They’re our fur babies after all!!
We thought it was only appropriate to create a special book dedicated to puppies documenting their puppyhood experience….so the Puppy Memory Book was born!
In it, you’ll be able to add photos for those special moments like the day they came home, their first bath, first walk, first car ride, and so much more! Check it out and get yours here for the perfect National Puppy Day gift!
8. Donate Supplies to a Local Shelter
National Puppy Day is for all pups, including the ones still waiting to find a home.
Head over to the website of the shelter or rescue organization of your choice to learn about what supplies they may be needing. Dry and wet food is always welcome but oftentimes items like cleaning supplies, toys, grooming supplies, and bedding are in demand.
Many shelters and rescue organizations are also volunteer-operated! If you aren’t able to donate supplies, ask about donating your time to care for pups in need!
9. Foster a Puppy
Fostering provides shelters and rescue organizations the opportunity to help more puppies and dogs in need by opening up space. If you are able to, consider opening your home to a puppy looking for their forever home!
Another great benefit of fostering is the level of socialization with people and other dogs it provides, and it’s an introduction to living in a home. Many puppies that come in as strays or surrenders need to learn how to cohabitate and develop good behaviors in order to be placed.
And you never know, your new best friend could be your next foster!
10. Sponsor a Shelter Pup!
We wish we could give them all a home but sometimes that isn’t feasible and that’s okay! You can still take part in National Puppy Day by becoming a shelter or rescue pup’s sponsor!
If you’ve never heard of this, it’s a great way to help out a puppy or dog in need by providing financial support for their care. Your contribution will ensure that while the puppy is waiting for their forever home, they can still receive proper medical care, nutritious food, grooming, and more.
Reach out to your local shelters or rescue organizations to learn how you can become a sponsor to a puppy in need, or even more!
Happy National Puppy Day to all the pups and pup parents! Let us know which from this list made your top picks this year!
Have more questions about training your new puppy? Ask our trainers LIVE every Wednesday at 1 pm Pacific Time on our Instagram @thepuppyacademy and TikTok @thepuppyacademy during the Ask A Puppy Trainer Show! All replays are posted afterward, and you can catch up on our last ones on our YouTube channel!
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Check out these blogs related to puppy training and more!
Puppy Training 101: Teaching Your Puppy Place Command Routines!
Puppy Training 101: How to Get Your Puppy Responding to Come!