Prepare to Party! Aug. 26 is National Dog Day!

August 1st, 2022

It’s not like we need an official reason to celebrate how wonderful life can be with a dog by your side, but it’s certainly nice to have a “holiday” everyone can celebrate without buying gifts, needing to decorate our homes in some special way, or offending anyone who prefers to celebrate, say, cats or hamsters. And it’s a celebration where the guest of honor is always appreciative. In fact, National Dog Day would be the perfect holiday if only we could get the day off from work. Y’know, quality time with the dog, right?

History of National Dog Day

Interestingly, National Dog Day has only been around since 2004. We know what you’re thinking, “Why didn’t someone think of this sooner? I mean, how long have dogs been around, anyway?” (The exact answer is, of course, “a really long time”). But getting back to the origins of the official “National Dog Day”, credit goes to Colleen Paige, who is described as a “Pet & Family Lifestyle Expert”. That title is certainly good enough for us. The date of August 26 was chosen because that is the date that Colleen’s family, when she was just 10 years old, adopted their first dog.

All right, so the rest of us were celebrating 365 days a year and never thought to identify an official day to promote all that’s cool about canines and the various ways to show our appreciation. But don’t feel like you’re the only one to miss the obvious. It wasn’t long before other dog-loving countries joined the party, expanding National Dog Day into International Dog Day.

So Little Time! So Much To Do!

Before you grab your calendar (let’s pretend we all still have paper calendars, just for a moment) and start counting the shopping days until National Dog Day, relax and remember that, in the eyes of your dog(s), there’s really not much that you can do wrong. That’s why they’re such good friends. All you really need to do on National Dog Day is look at your dog with a little extra appreciation, maybe offer a few extra kind words, definitely some bonus hugs, and maybe a special treat in the food bowl.

And if you blow it entirely and miss August 26 altogether, just celebrate on August 27. Your dog never had a paper calendar so will never know the difference. We don’t even think there’s such a thing as a “Happy Belated National Dog Day” greeting card. You’re off the hook. (See, we told you this is an awesome holiday)!

Ways to Celebrate!

At the simplest level, National Dog Day is just a fun way to acknowledge how special dogs are to those of us who cherish their companionship.

Adopt a dog from your local shelter or rescue
Safety check your home to ensure it’s pet-friendly
Donate food, blankets, or toys to a shelter or rescue
Organize a peaceful demonstration in front of pet stores that sell puppies from puppy mills
Write your Congressperson in opposition to puppy mills and gas chambers in your state
Send a dog-related gift to a friend or family member
Host a National Dog Day party and invite friends and their dogs
Take a photo of your dog and enter it into a photo contest
Buy a National Dog Day T-shirt and represent
Assist an ill or disabled neighbor by offering to walk their dog
Have a portrait painted of your dog
Buy your dog a fun new dog toy
Give your dog some fun exercise
Brush your dog
Give your dog a massage or spa treatment
Teach your dog a new trick
Buy your dog a new collar or leash
Hire a professional photographer to capture the spirit
Take your dog to the beach
Say “BECAUSE DOGS” to everyone who says “hello” to you that day

OK, we didn’t write ‘em, we just report ‘em. So, in the spirit of keeping this simple, do what comes naturally and just boost the “dog love” dial a couple notches every August 26. Everyone wins, we promise.

How Happy Hound Can Help

As a general rule, we assume your hound will be happy if you just do a bit more of what you already do. But if you’re feeling the spirit, we absolutely want to be part of the party. Here are a couple ways Happy Hound “guests” have celebrated in the past:

Spa treatment at our Bark & Howl Day Spa
A special training course, like our Dream Dog Package

What About the Rest of the Year?

Happy Hound is happy to be your dog’s home away from home any day of the year. We celebrate each and every day we get to come to work, knowing that it’s our job to love dogs, and we’re experts at what we do. For more information, checkout our full range of dog day care and boarding services, plus dog training and dog grooming.

Thanks for reading!

P.S. We’d feel irresponsible if we didn’t disclose that National Dog Day isn’t the only “special day” celebrated on August 26. So that you don’t get confused if someone greets you with “Happy National Cherry Popsicle Day”, here’s a full list of “special days” that share August 26.