Yappy Valentines Day - 5 Dog Ideas For Valentines Day
Updated: Jul 1
Valentine's Day may traditionally be a commercial celebration of romance and love, but there's nothing wrong with using it as the perfect excuse to celebrate loyalty and love between you and your furry best friend. So here are 5 Dog Ideas For Valentines Day.
Netflix & Snuggle Grab yourself some cosy blankets and a big bag of popcorn for a lazy evening on the sofa with your pooch. Most owners know how close their dog likes to snuggle up when it's time to relax on the sofa, so why not make an event of it and treat them with some extra love and attention? Bring their favourite treats and maybe some human nibbles for them to indulge in while you watch your favourite movie together. The affection and cuddles will lead to the release of the happiness hormone, Oxytocin, which relates to the feeling of trust and can contribute to a stronger bond between you and your four-legged friend!
Bake Some Special Treats If you're anything like me then I know you just love spoiling your dog with treats and tidbits at any given opportunity! Well, it's time to ramp that up a notch and bake something special (and dog safe), especially for them. Knowing exactly what you're putting in them also means that you can avoid any ingredients like wheat or dairy that can cause allergies. For some inspiration on getting started, you can check out this Dog Furiendly recipe for Peanut Butter & Banana Pupcakes.
Go For Walkies! As Steven Wright once said, "Everywhere is within walking distance if you have the time", and if there is one word your dog understands then I bet it's "Walkies".
Walking your dog not only exercises their body but their mind as well, and stopping to allow them to sniff and discover new smells helps them to burn off a ton of mental energy. In fact, the mental stimulation that a dog gets on a slow walk with lots of sniffing is greater than that of a frenzied walk. Maybe you have a usual route you like to follow, but as we're celebrating then why not go on a new adventure to somewhere you haven't been before? You never know, you may discover your new favourite place.
Buy Them A Gift
If a long slow walk with your dog isn't enough to get rid of all that pent-up mental energy then there are other ways of helping out. As well as spending time to play a game or teach them a new trick, you could take a more hands-off approach and try an interactive toy. Often recommended by dog behaviourists, interactive dog toys are designed to help keep your dog busy while you’re away, stave off boredom, and offer mental stimulation to engage a pup’s natural curiosity. They can be as simple as the well-known KONG toy, to something a little more colourful like these Snuffle Mats from Hugo & Ted.
Groom Them...
This may not sound like an ideal way for your pup to spend a fun day with you, especially if your dog is anything like my Poppy, who actually hates being groomed. But bear with me, you don't have to give them the full spa treatment! Poppy actually doesn't mind having a bath and being brushed, she just hates having a razor near her face and legs. So grab yourself a brush, sit or lie your dog near you and give them a nice gentle massage with it. Make sure you have their favourite treats to hand too, this is a great way to get younger dogs and puppies used to being groomed when they get a little bit older too. If your dog doesn't mind a bath then you're going to need some gentle, dog safe, soap and shampoo to really get their coat gleaming. My personal favourite products to use are the soap bars from Dirty Dog!
Whatever you decide to do this valentines day, there is plenty of love to go around, so make sure to send some your dog's way. They may not understand why you're being extra loving but they sure will appreciate it and you'll certainly enjoy yourself too.
Yappy Valentines Day everyone xx - Tom