Spoil Your Pet this Valentine's Day

Every dog has their favourite walk whether it's a short trip to the local park, a long walk in the forest, or a wet one down the beach.

Whatever it is, make sure you make time for it this Valentine’s Day and they’ll surely love you for it.

Make the walk even more special by bringing their number one toy, doggy friend and their favourite human (apart from you of course!).

Arrange a play date with their best friend

We know Valentine’s Day should be all about you two, but they'll love you even more if you can share them for an hour or two.

Invite their best friend over or have them join you on a walk or in a class and your pooch will be forever grateful.

You can have a coffee and cake with your human friend and have a good laugh at your two furry comedians fooling around together.

Buy them their favourite treats

Does your dog love peanut butter? Perhaps their favourite snack is cheese or pumpkin? Anyone for broccoli?

Whatever their favourite treat is, make sure you have some at the ready for Valentines Day.

Be careful you don’t overdo it. You don’t want them to become ill or overweight, but one or two treats here and there through the day shouldn’t do any harm.

Make them something yummy

You could be even more adventurous than simply giving them their best treat – you could make them something.

There are plenty of recipes online for dog friendly treats you can make at home. Check a few out, find one that you think your pet would love and then give it a go. If it goes wrong, you can always pop to the local pet shop for a backup.

If you’re going to make your pet something, you must be very careful with the ingredients you use. Follow a recipe exactly and don’t add anything unless your 100% certain it’s safe for your pet.

Remember, just because it's generally safe for pets doesn't mean that your pet can't react badly to it. Just like humans, some pets have conditions or allergies that mean certain foods should be avoided. If you're ever unsure, contact your veterinary clinic for advice.

Invite their favourite human over

Obviously, as far as your pet’s concerned, you’re the top dog. You’re the best human there is, and no one gives better belly rubs than you. Most importantly, you’re the one that feeds them!

So, when we say their favourite human, what we really mean is their second favourite, after you.

Whoever that is, invite them round for the day and just watch your pet glow with pure delight and affection.

Treat them to some adorable new clothes

Admittedly, this one may be more for you. After all, our pets barely even know it’s them in their reflection, let alone appreciate when they’re wearing the brand new £50 designer coat you bought them.

With that said, they’ll still appreciate having something to warm them up in the cold and you will have some cute new photos for Instagram.

Buy them a flashy new collar

As with the clothes, they don’t really know they have a new, flashy collar, but they’ll still look very cute.

Just head down to the local pet shop or have a look online and get one that suits their personality.

You could even consider having one personalised with a cute message showing how much you love them.

Visit their favourite class

You may not have been fond of school, but most pets love a good class.

It’s an opportunity for them to meet new people/dogs, spend time with friends, and get rewarded with love and treats, all whilst enjoying some mental stimulation.

If you know your pet has a favourite class, or there’s one you’ve always wanted to try, book them in this Valentines day.

Don’t forget to bring along their favourite treats .

Spend the whole day with your pet

What does your pet love more than anything in the World? You.

If they could, they would spend every minute with you and they wouldn’t have a care in the world.

This Valentine’s Day make sure you spend all the time you can with your pet. You don’t have to do anything special, just be around them and give them all the cuddles and attention they want.

Remember, you’re their whole world and nothing else matters when you’re with them.

Buy them a pet friendly beer

One of the latest trends to hit the shelves of pet shops throughout the UK are doggy beer and pawsecco.

They look like the real thing, they may even taste like the real thing, but they’re alcohol free and devoid of anything that’s known to be dangerous to pets.*

Here’s an example of a doggy beer available from Pet at Home.

So, when you’re cracking open a cold beer or pouring yourself a glass of bubbly, treat your pet to one of their own.

*Like all pet food, whilst they’re safe for most pets they may still have ingredients that can cause harm due to allergies or an existing condition. Make sure you carefully read the ingredients first and even consider contacting your vet if you’re unsure.

Buy yourself something so you're always reminded of them

Show off your furry friend to all your friends and colleagues with some personalised items like mugs, calendars or phone cases.

It’s not just about showing off. In the unlikely event that you forget about your pet for one second, what better way to remind yourself than their face on your office mug?

Donate to a charity on their behalf

Not all pets are fortunate enough to have a loving family like yours. There are sadly thousands throughout the UK who are looking for new forever homes or aren’t feeling too great.

A donation on your pet’s behalf is a lovely way to celebrate Valentine’s Day whilst helping those that haven’t been as lucky as your pet.

You can help even further by shouting about your donation on social media and encouraging your friends to do the same.

Watch a movie together

Your pet doesn’t necessarily understand what’s going on in Titanic, but that doesn’t mean they’re not enjoying themselves.

They will undoubtedly be very happy just snuggling up to their favourite human and having a little snooze on your lap.

Always remember, together time is their favourite time.

Take them on a pet friendly weekend away

Why stop at one day when you can treat your dog to a weekend away?

There are plenty of options to choose from when looking for a dog friendly weekend away. Just think about where they’re happiest. If it’s at the beach, choose a beachside resort. If it’s in the forest, look at log cabins with lots of forest walks to choose from.

Whatever it is they like, you shouldn’t find it difficult to find somewhere the two of you can enjoy some alone time together.

Teach them a new trick

The saying goes ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks’, but that’s not true.

No matter a pet’s age age, they still enjoy learning something new, it just might take more persistence from you and must be within their capabilities.

Most pets, especially highly intelligent and affectionate breeds, love the mental stimulation and attention they get when learning a new trick.

If you’re not confident, you can start with basic tricks. There are plenty of videos and guides on the internet that can help you with techniques.

The most important thing is to keep it fun. Don’t get frustrated if they don’t make any progress. Either try a different technique or move on to another trick. Afterall, this is meant to be a nice bonding opportunity for you both.

Positive reinforcement is always the best technique, so whatever you do, don’t forget to bring their favourite toy and treats with you to reward them.

Pamper them

A good pamper can be anything from a grooming session to a bath or a good massage depending on what you know your pet likes.

If your pet is one to sprint in the opposite direction at the slightest hint of a bath, you may find it hard to believe that some pets really do love to be pampered.

A good pamper session means time spent be showered with attention and affection by their human and, if they’re lucky, they may even get a treat out of it at the end.

Maybe leave out the candles and petals for this one; you don’t want your furry friend eating something they shouldn’t or burning themselves.

Create an activity jar

Treat them to a whole year of activities.

All you need is a jar, paper and a pen. Write your pet’s favourite activities on small pieces of paper and put these notes in the jar. Then, whenever you’re looking for something to do, pick one out and do that activity.

It’s a lovely way to set up a whole year of spontaneous activities with your furry friend.

Don't forget, it's all about them

The running theme through in all of these tips is that your pet is at their happiest when they’re with you. This means all you really need to do is spent your day with them. Give them all the love and affection they deserve and give them the odd treat here and there.

Remember, a cuddle a day keeps the vet away.

Happy Valentine’s Day too all the humans, pooches and felines out there.

We Labradore you.