5 ways to celebrate National Dog Week

It's National Dog Week!

National Dog Week has been around 87 years and always happens on the last full week of September.

You might be thinking: ANOTHER big dog event?

But the longtime message for this week is an important one. National Dog Week is all about teaching people to be responsible dog owners.

Captain Will Judy founded National Dog Week in 1928. He wanted to change the way we thought about dogs as a society. He wanted them treated with love and respect.

Judy's advocacy dogs extended beyond breeding. He was talking about the human-animal bond before it was a widely considered idea. He also advocated using dogs to help veterans recover, and even for dogs to help the disabled.

“The most forgiving thing in the world is your dog," Judy wrote once. "The one virtue most humans lack is that of forgiveness. But your dog carries no grudge and no spite. Punish him even undeservedly, and he comes to you, nudges his moist nose into your hand, looks up at you with pleading eyes, and wags his tail hesitatingly as tho to say, ‘Oh, come on, let’s be pals again.’"

So in honor of National Dog Week, here are five ways you can honor your dog and all the ways he or she has been faithful to you.

1) Spend more time with them. A great man once said a dog spends all day waiting for us so that you can spend whatever time we have for them. It might be a longer walk, it might be some extra play time, it might be a drive, it might be some more snuggle time. If you can fit in more time for your dog, it will mean more to them than anything else you could give them.

 2)Make sure they get more exercise. It's not just about the body, it's about the mind. Anything that keeps your dog stimulated will also keep them young. Buy them a toy they have to figure out, like a puzzle toy. Take them to new places to sniff (especially beagles!). We say learning should last a lifetime for humans, and it's true for dogs too. Keep up with obedience training and new tricks too.

3) Keep them clean. Spa days are good for your dogs, whether they like them or not. Ears clean, nails trimmed, anal glands expressed (if needed), teeth too. Those are so important!

4) Never stop trying to improve their lives. Don't get complacent in your own care of your pet. Keep reading about what's out there. Look for new ways to keep them engaged in your lives. Look for new ways to keep them happy and healthy. There is always something new.

 5) Always be willing to help other dogs too. Bring sheets, cleaning supplies, dog toys to an animal shelter. Be willing to offer advice to people who seek help with their dogs. Be active in your community when it comes to pets. There is always a way to help. It's not just about taking in another dog, but about making a difference.

“The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous is his dog.”

Sen. George Graham Vest, Tribute to the American Dog