The origins of Valentine's Day weren't exactly hearts, flowers, and kisses, but that's what it symbolizes now! Valentine's Day is synonymous with cards, candy, gifts, and flowers. And for pet parents, it's also synonymous with special treats, toys, and dates with their best furry friend.
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| My Forever, Furry Valentines, Phoebe and Icy! |
Making your dog your Valentine? Great! 'Cause Dogs Make The Best Valentines Day Dates!!
Here are 5 Extra Special things to do with your dog this Valentine's Day. 💕
RELAXING SPA DAY OR HOMEMADE FACIAL
Several grooming salons and hotels offer spa treatments for dogs. They know many pet parents want to thoroughly spoil and pamper their pets.
The Pooch Hotel, in Massachusetts, will pamper your pet with style. In addition to more traditional dog grooming you can add spa treatments to thoroughly indulge your dog. I read about one place that even offers a warm Hydro Surge massage bath, hydrotherapy for dogs with arthritis and other muscle problems.
If a doggy day spa isn't in the budget, create an at-home spa treatment. Give your dog a facial and a pawdicure, dog friendly nail polish and all! I found a fun recipe for a homemade Blueberry Facial for your Dog on Wag's web site:
HOMEMADE FACIAL RECIPE:
🐾 In a mixing bowl, grind up a half cup of oats to a powder.
🐾 Add crushed fresh blueberries and combine.
🐾 Apply to your dog's facial with your fingers. Gently massage it into your dog's facial fur and skin (avoiding their eyes)
🐾 Rinse the mixture off your dog's face, using a soft cloth. It's ok if she licks some of it off, a small amount is healthy for them!
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Wag says that this will create a facial mix that is high in antioxidants and good for the dog's skin and fur. Check out their web site for full instructions and the proper method to give your dog a facial.
Blueberries tend to stain so make sure you don't use your good white towels!
Get some Valentines Day relaxation for you and your pup by taking a DOGA (Dog Yoga) Class. In New York City, you can book a private DOGA session with your dog, or find a group DOGA session to attend. Search for a DOGA class in your city!
Come visit my Etsy shop for giftable items women will love!
Are you doing anything special with your pet on Valentine's Day? Tell us about it in the Comments!
DOGA (Dog Yoga) CLASS
Get some Valentines Day relaxation for you and your pup by taking a DOGA (Dog Yoga) Class. In New York City, you can book a private DOGA session with your dog, or find a group DOGA session to attend. Search for a DOGA class in your city!
You can also Call a local yoga studio and ask if they know of any instructors that have led DOGA classes. A local animal shelter in my area actually hosted a few DOGA classes one Summer! How cool is that? There's a yoga studio in The Hamptons, NY that gives DOGA sessions in Summer as well. According to DOGA in NYC, "Doga is simply creating a space of presence where you and your dog can share a state of peace" That sounds good to me!
Host a Valentines Day Yappy Hour party for your dog's best furriends at your house, or search for one in your neighborhood. This is MY favorite!
A local brewery where we lived in New York has hosted Valentine's Day Yappy Hours. When I lived in Phoenix, Arizona there was a local bar that regularly hosted Yappy Hours. These days breweries have become so dog friendly! And many host fun events. If your favorite brewery doesn't do a Yappy Hour event, why not suggest it? If you live in a warm weather state and are near water, you may be lucky enough to find a Valentine's Day Yappy Hour Cruise!
A few years back I read about a singles group that hosted a mixer for singles looking for love... and their dogs! Attendees brought their dogs along to the event in the hopes of finding love. Talk about a great ice breaker, having dogs at an event! The event doubled as an animal welfare fundraiser. I love that idea.
Do an online search for Valentine's Day Yappy Hours in [your city]. BringFido.com/event lists Worldwide Dog Events, so it might be worth checking out their event page as well.
If you host a Valentine's Day Yappy Hour yourself, invite your dog's best furriends and have fun with a Valentine's Day theme!
💗 You can find inexpensive party themed items at the dollar store or craft stores.
💗 Get some Valentine's Day themed dog treats to serve your furry guests. Petco and PetSmart often have fun holiday themed dog treats.
💗 Set up some fun games for the dogs to play while the humans sip cocoa or wine. I like the super simple tennis ball muffin tin game. You place treats in a muffin tin and cover each of the muffin holes with a tennis ball. The dogs have to knock the balls out of the way to get to the treat!
Find the Treat is a super easy, fun game. Have the dogs stay out of the room while you hide small treats all around the room. Then let the dogs in and tell them to "find the treats!". Dogs catch on fast and will have a ton of fun treat hunting. I played this game with Icy and Phoebe on rainy days if they get antsy about having to stay indoors. They loved it!
If you have a few interactive or puzzle dog toys, bring them all out and have the dogs circle around to each one. Outward Hound makes great ones. We have several of them now.
Serve your dog a special home cooked Valentine's Day dinner. Boil up some Chicken, beef, or liver in a pot with healthy dog friendly vegetables like carrots, sweet potato, broccoli or other pet friendly veggies. Leave out the onion & garlic, as those can be toxic to pets! Add some brown rice or barley and serve up a homemade dog friendly feast.
If you don't have the time or desire to cook, look for special holiday dog foods by dog food brands like Merrick, Stella & Chewy, and others. Several brands make special Limited Edition, Seasonal Recipes.
Bake some special Valentine's Day dog treats, or Find a doggie bakery that makes something special for Valentines Day. Many dog bakeries (or BARKeries, as they're often called) will ship goodies right to your home.
Our friends at My GBGV Life have a great recipe for Strawberry Banana LuvCakes ! These are really special. My DIY Recipes, Crafts & Projects Pinterest board has lots of pet friendly recipes too, check it out.
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VALENTINE'S DAY YAPPY HOUR
Host a Valentines Day Yappy Hour party for your dog's best furriends at your house, or search for one in your neighborhood. This is MY favorite!
A local brewery where we lived in New York has hosted Valentine's Day Yappy Hours. When I lived in Phoenix, Arizona there was a local bar that regularly hosted Yappy Hours. These days breweries have become so dog friendly! And many host fun events. If your favorite brewery doesn't do a Yappy Hour event, why not suggest it? If you live in a warm weather state and are near water, you may be lucky enough to find a Valentine's Day Yappy Hour Cruise!
A few years back I read about a singles group that hosted a mixer for singles looking for love... and their dogs! Attendees brought their dogs along to the event in the hopes of finding love. Talk about a great ice breaker, having dogs at an event! The event doubled as an animal welfare fundraiser. I love that idea.
Do an online search for Valentine's Day Yappy Hours in [your city]. BringFido.com/event lists Worldwide Dog Events, so it might be worth checking out their event page as well.
If you host a Valentine's Day Yappy Hour yourself, invite your dog's best furriends and have fun with a Valentine's Day theme!
💗 You can find inexpensive party themed items at the dollar store or craft stores.
💗 Get some Valentine's Day themed dog treats to serve your furry guests. Petco and PetSmart often have fun holiday themed dog treats.
💗 Set up some fun games for the dogs to play while the humans sip cocoa or wine. I like the super simple tennis ball muffin tin game. You place treats in a muffin tin and cover each of the muffin holes with a tennis ball. The dogs have to knock the balls out of the way to get to the treat!
Find the Treat is a super easy, fun game. Have the dogs stay out of the room while you hide small treats all around the room. Then let the dogs in and tell them to "find the treats!". Dogs catch on fast and will have a ton of fun treat hunting. I played this game with Icy and Phoebe on rainy days if they get antsy about having to stay indoors. They loved it!
If you have a few interactive or puzzle dog toys, bring them all out and have the dogs circle around to each one. Outward Hound makes great ones. We have several of them now.
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| Interactive games can be fun for multiple dogs to play with together |
SERVE UP A SPECIAL VALENTINE'S DAY DINNER
Serve your dog a special home cooked Valentine's Day dinner. Boil up some Chicken, beef, or liver in a pot with healthy dog friendly vegetables like carrots, sweet potato, broccoli or other pet friendly veggies. Leave out the onion & garlic, as those can be toxic to pets! Add some brown rice or barley and serve up a homemade dog friendly feast.
If you don't have the time or desire to cook, look for special holiday dog foods by dog food brands like Merrick, Stella & Chewy, and others. Several brands make special Limited Edition, Seasonal Recipes.
SPECIALTY DOG CAKES & TREATS
Bake some special Valentine's Day dog treats, or Find a doggie bakery that makes something special for Valentines Day. Many dog bakeries (or BARKeries, as they're often called) will ship goodies right to your home.
Our friends at My GBGV Life have a great recipe for Strawberry Banana LuvCakes ! These are really special. My DIY Recipes, Crafts & Projects Pinterest board has lots of pet friendly recipes too, check it out.
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Now that you've planned something extra special for your dog this Valentines Day, why not treat yourself to something special? I have some wonderful Spa and Beauty gift boxes for Valentine's Day (or Galentine's Day) Gifts available in my Etsy store, Nature and Critters! Go on, indulge yourself, or that special lady in your life - you both deserve it!
Come visit my Etsy shop for giftable items women will love!
Are you doing anything special with your pet on Valentine's Day? Tell us about it in the Comments!
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