International Dog Day 2021

What is International Dog Day?

International Dog Day is exactly what it sounds like – a whole day dedicated to celebrating man’s best friend. The celebration was founded in 2004 as National Dog Day by animal welfare advocate Colleen Paige. It’s celebrated every year on 26 August, commemorating the date the founder adopted her first dog.

International Dog Day celebrates working, domestic, and service dogs of all breeds. It also aims to raise awareness of the number of dogs that are still awaiting adoption from shelters and rescue agencies.

How to Participate in International Dog Day

If you own a dog, this one’s easy! You can celebrate International Dog Day simply by spending time with your furry friend. But even if you’re not a dog owner, there are plenty of way to get involved.

Adopt a dog. If you’re able, giving a dog a home is the best thing you can do on International Dog Day. The RSPCA has all the information you need on how to rehome a pet.

Play games with your dog. Go for a walk or run, create a doggy obstacle course, or even play a game of hide and seek. Teaching your dog some new tricks is also a great way to have fun and keep your dog mentally agile.

Organise a play date for your dog to get together with friends.

Give your dog a gift, like a new toy, a massage, or a tasty treat. You can even bake your own dog-friendly snacks at home if you’re so inclined.

Donate food, toys, or blankets to an animal rescue shelter. If you prefer to donate money, Assistance Dogs UK has a list of charity organisations.

Sponsor a dog or volunteer with a local shelter or dog protection group.

Pet a dog. A recent study shows that as little as 10 minutes of petting a dog can provide significant stress relief.

Hop on social media. You can follow the National Dog Day account on Instagram and post (or just browse) dog pictures on Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #InternationalDogDay

Think outside the box. Last year, pet owners around Scotland took advantage of National Trust properties re-opening to pose their dogs in photogenic surrounds.

Fun Facts

• Dogs can be right-handed or left-handed, just like humans
• A dog’s sense of smell is up to 40 times better than a human’s. Dogs can even be trained to sniff out cancer and predict epileptic seizures
• Puppies are born deaf. Despite that, dogs can eventually hear four times as well as humans and detect sounds at a much higher frequency
• Ever wondered why dogs have such expressive ears? Dogs’ ears have around 18 muscles helping them move
• The top speed of a greyhound is a whopping 45km per hour
• The only place that dogs sweat is through their paws. Instead, they keep cool by panting
• Dogs have unique nose prints similar to human fingerprints
• Dogs can learn over 100 words and gestures, making them about as intelligent as a two-year-old child