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They’re fluffy and playful, they yip and bark and are just all-around adorable, and all they want is to be loved. What could we be talking about? That’s right, puppies! National Puppy Day celebrates that most adorable of our four-footed friends, the baby canine, and it’s quite possibly the cutest day ever. It doesn’t matter the breed or gender, all puppies are the perfect solution to a terrible day.

They’ll cuddle and crawl and… well, occasionally pee all over everything… but they’re puppies! When National Puppy Day comes around, you better be ready for a barking good time, there’s no way to avoid it when the day is about the ultimate ball of heart-melting fluff!

Learn about National Puppy Day

The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too.

Samuel Butler

Be prepared for an overload of cuteness on National Puppy Day! This is the perfect day for dog lovers around the world to show their love and affection for their fluffy friends, although we are sure that most of you do this on a daily basis anyway! They say that a dog is man’s best friend, and there is no denying that there’s no better companion than a dog. They are loyal and they don’t judge; everything that makes the best type of friend!

Of course, this is a day for puppies, but you can celebrate a dog of any age on this day! After all, dogs are always really considered puppies in our hearts, aren’t they? However, if you want to know what is actually classed as a puppy, it is any dog under the age of two-years-old.

How to celebrate National Puppy Day

A dog will teach you, unconditional love. If you can have that in your life, things won’t be too bad.

Robert Wagner

Well the best way to celebrate puppy day is to spend time in the company of these small furry bundles of love. If you have love, space, and desire for puppies in your house then get ye down to a local pound to find yourself a puppy to share your life with! That’s right, a local pound or animal shelter, not a pet store or a ‘breeder’ found through craigslist. These have puppies who need your love and have been abandoned, and doing this helps to prevent puppy breeders from continuing their trade. This National Puppy Day do your part to spread awareness of the plight of puppies, and the love they can bring to your home.

There are lots of other ways that you can celebrate National Puppy Day as well. If you have your own puppy, you can try to teach it new tricks on this day. Puppies are always open to learning new things and teaching your puppy a trick can be a great way to bond. You will both have an exciting and fun learning experience. Not only can this help to strengthen your companionship, but it van aid in terms of developing the social skills your puppy has. Plus, we’re sure your little friend will enjoy the extra treats along the way.

Another way to celebrate National Puppy Day is by spoiling your little pup. After all, we all deserve a bit of pampering now and again, don’t we? There are lots of ways to pamper puppies. A five-star spa treatment, for example, would be perfect. Give your puppy a comforting bubble bath and then end the treatment with a luscious grooming session. Of course, you can always book your puppy in for a grooming session at a local business. They may even have special offers running specifically for National Puppy Day, so it is definitely worth checking this out.

If you do not have a puppy of your own, this does not mean you can’t celebrate National Puppy Day. There are plenty of ways that you can get involved. For example, if you know someone who has a dog, you could offer to take it for a walk.

Alternatively, you can spend your day looking at cute puppy photos on Instagram and videos on YouTube. There are lots of great puppy accounts to follow today, with super cute and funny content to watch. This could end up keeping you occupied for hours and hours on end! You can share any good finds with your friends and family so that they can take part in National Puppy Day.

Check out some awesome dog themed gadgets and treats!

We’ve scoured the web to find weird, wonderful and fun puppy products, so that you can play along at home. Here are some of our favourites.

Man's best friend's drink
Meat flavour beer for dogs Meat flavour beer for dogs

Have you ever thought it a little unfair that your furry friend can't join you in cracking open a nice, cold beer? Well, worry no more - it turns out that there's beer for dogs, and it's meat flavoured!

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
Dog++
Musical light-up husky Musical light-up husky
$27.99

Are you a dog lover, but want something a bit... extra? This dog lights up, sings lullabies, and glows in the dark. Its list of tricks is far more impressive than even the best-trained pooch!

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
03/08/2024 09:10 am GMT

National Puppy Day FAQs

When is National Puppy Day?

National Puppy Day occurs every year on the same day: March 23. It is celebrated and observed to raise awareness for the humane treatment of puppies and dogs all over the world.[1]

What is National Puppy Day?

The idea for this day is simple: raise awareness about the treatment of puppies, enjoy and play with a puppy if given the opportunity, and be careful when buying a puppy by sourcing it from a reputable breeder.[2]

Are Puppy mills illegal?

This is a great day to learn something from the Humane Society! In many cases puppy mills remain legal. However, the best way to shut them down is to work with local authorities and to fight for better legislation to protect puppies.[3]

When was the first National Puppy Day?

The Inaugural National Puppy Day happened in 2006 when Colleen Paige decided to raise awareness for the humane treatment of puppies, particularly in relation to fighting against puppy mills.[4]

Do puppies sleep all day?

Puppies certainly sleep a lot! Typically 18-20 hours each day is spent sleeping, which is great because that’s when they grow! Plus, they burn a lot of energy when they are awake so they need lots of rest both at night and in naps.[5]

History of National Puppy Day

You know what’s magical and fantastic? Oh right, we’ve already been fanboying about it, haven’t we? That’s right, don’t care! Puppies! Puppies bring the gift of love without boundaries to us, and they’re absolutely determined to be the best friend you’ve ever had.

When you come home from school, that’s all they care about, is that you’re home. Long day at work? Just a big happy ball of fluff coming to see you right at the door, more reliable than the bestest romantic partner. What’s amazing about the love for puppies is that it spreads across the world, through every culture and every social strata. Puppies just bring us all together!

National Puppy Day was established to bring awareness to the world about puppy mills and how to go about adopting. Puppy mills are often some of the most horrible establishments, with the females bred until they either can’t conceive, or die giving birth. They’re literally run like a factory, money in, puppies out. Between these heinous establishments and both wild and family dogs remaining unsprayed and unneutered, the population of dogs is getting out of control.

National Puppy Day Timeline

38000 BC – 25000 BC

Puppies are domesticated

According to some historians, canines are possibly domesticated around this time in China, the Middle East and Eastern Europe.[1]

1933

Queen Elizabeth II gets her first puppy

At the age of just 7 years old, then-Princess Elizabeth falls in love with the family’s first Corgi puppy brought home by her father, King George VI. The puppy’s name is Dookie and she likes him over other dogs because of his long tail.[2]

1950

Puppy mills begin breeding for extra income

During a difficult time for pigs and poultry, farmers begin converting to breed puppies, launching a huge business over the next few decades, often with inhumane treatment of the pups.[3]

2006

National Puppy Day is first celebrated

Founded by animal advocate Colleen Paige, this day was created to raise awareness about humane breeding practices, drawing attention to puppy mills and working to save homeless puppies all over the world.[4]

2013

Puppy bill is introduced in Congress

With the intention of closing the internet loophole, the Puppy Uniform Protection and Safety Act (PUPS) reduces the ability for commercial breeders and puppy mills to avoid federal licensure in the United States.[5]

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