ways to show your pet you love them

Forget Valentine’s Day! National Love Your Pet Day is February 20, and we can’t think of a better day to celebrate our sweet furballs. While we show love to our little cuties every day (who else gets up at 5 a.m. to feed the cat or clean up dog puke?), we’ve compiled a list of extra ways to show you care.

Go for a long walk, hike, or new adventure

If you walk your dog on the regular, try to carve out some time for an extra-long adventure. Maybe take a half day and travel to your closest (dog-friendly) state or national park, or make your daily 5-minute walk a 15- or 30-minute walk instead. Just make sure you don’t walk your pup farther than they can handle.

A game of fetch

Our lives get busy and sometimes we forget to spend time doing what our doggies love best — playing fetch! (OK, maybe not “love best,” but they sure do enjoy it!) Take an afternoon break and hit the backyard with your pup and their favorite toy.

Quality time with your furry one

If hiking and fetch aren’t your thing (or your pet’s thing), why not have a good old-fashioned snuggle on the couch? Or hang out on the floor? You probably do this already, but in case you don’t, now’s the time to start.

Make a special treat

Mix up your pet’s routine with a homemade goodie crafted with love right at home. Here's one of our faves:

Peanut butter pumpkin cookies for dogs

Ingredients

1 ½ cup flour
½ cup peanut butter (no xylitol)
1 cup plain canned pumpkin

Directions

Thoroughly mix all ingredients in a bowl and add flour slowly. (You only need enough flour to make the ingredients stick together and create a dough-like consistency, so you might not use all of it.)
Form cookies into whatever shape you’d like.
Put cookies on a parchment-covered cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F until they’re firm.*
Let them cool, and hand one to your sweet lovebug when ready!

*Please note: Cooking time and temperature vary depending on your oven and the size of the treats.

Check out more of our favorite homemade treats here. And no matter how you show love for your pet, make sure to post those pictures to social media and tag us!