Discussing The Holiday That Celebrates The Cuteness And Adorableness Of Puppies
Lately it seems like there is a holiday for nearly everything. National Donut Day, Squirrel Appreciation Day, and Teddy Bear Day to name a few. But out of all the holidays out there, one of our personal favorites occurs on March 23rd known as National Puppy Day. Are you unfamiliar with National Puppy Day? Then look no further! This article will tell you everything you need to know about National Puppy Day including the history, meaning, and beauty of this wonderful holiday.
Why Have A Holiday About Puppies?
A puppy can be defined as a juvenile dog between the age of 1 and 2 years old. Similar to babies, they are still learning about the world around them and how to interact with said world. As a result, they are irresistibly cute and can often melt the heart of even the toughest of people. Puppies represent innocence, playfulness, new life, and new beginnings. National Puppy Day embraces these qualities and encourages others to celebrate them.
The History
National Puppy Day was founded by animal behaviorist and family/pet lifestyle expert, Colleen Paige. The holiday was first established in March of 2006. Its ultimate goal was to raise public awareness about the alarming number of dogs that need to be rescued every year. While overpopulation in dogs continues to be a problem today, this holiday has drawn more attention to the problem than ever before. As a result, more shelter dogs are now being adopted and less are being euthanized every year.
The Significance
National Puppy Day is about more than just how cute and adorable puppies are. It’s about reminding people about the importance of puppies/dogs in our lives. Dogs serve many purposes beyond that of companion animals. They are service dogs, police dogs, military dogs, rescue dogs, therapy dogs, and more! Even if you don’t own a dog, odds are you know someone who does. Dogs have the potential to change our lives, often for the better. We believe that’s something worth celebrating.
Fun Facts About Puppies
While we’re on the subject of puppies, we wanted to mention five fun facts about them. Everyone knows that puppies are adorable, but here at My Dog Walker & Pet Sitting, we value pet education. The more you know and understand puppies, the more you can begin to appreciate them.
Fact #1: Baby Teeth
Just like people, puppies grow up with baby teeth. Their original set of teeth will eventually fall out around 4 months of age. Afterwards, their adult teeth begin to grow in. This is just another odd quality that people and dogs have in common that reminds us we’re not so different after all.
Fact #2: Coat Color Changes
As a puppy grows up into adulthood, their coat is subject to changing color. While this varies depending on the breed, it is common to see patches of color on a dogs’ coat change throughout the course of their life. This is especially true in breeds like Dalmatians as they often don’t develop their famous spots until about 2 to 3 weeks old.
Fact #3: Helpless
When puppies are first born, they are practically helpless. They lack all senses including their remarkable sense of smell. A puppy’s eyes and ears are closed when they’re initially born. They typically don’t open their eyes for the first 10 to 14 days of life and their eyesight isn’t finished developing until around 7 weeks.
Fact #4: Biggest Litter Ever!
According to the Guinness Book of World Records website, the largest litter of puppies ever recorded consisted of 24 puppies. This was recorded in 2004 in the U.K. when a Neapolitan Mastiff named Tia gave birth to 24 pups.
Fact #5: 1.2 Million Puppies Everyday
Studies show that an estimated 1.2 million puppies are born everyday across the world. This is an insanely high number when compared to the 360,000 human babies born everyday across the world. That’s roughly three times the number of puppies versus babies.
How You Can Celebrate Puppy Love
At My Dog Walker & Pet Sitting, we don’t just like dogs, we love dogs! Pets are our passion and we want to celebrate this passion with you. On March 23rd, spread the word about National Puppy Day by posting the holiday on social media. Be sure to use the #nationalpuppyday hashtag on your Facebook and Instagram to help raise awareness about this wonderful, educational, pet themed holiday. If you enjoyed this article, be sure to check out our other pet themed holiday articles under the blog section of our My Dog Walker & Pet Sitting website. Happy National Puppy Day to you and your pups!