January's Dog Holidays

Congratulations, you and your pup have made it to 2017! With a new year comes new dog holidays (or old, really, but you can keep celebrating them all the same). Here's how the month of January is dedicated to dogs. 

National Train Your Dog Month

The month of January is a month you can devote to training your dog. You can make it your New Year's resolution to teach your old (or new) dog new tricks. This holiday was founded in 2010 by the The Association of Professional Dog Trainers. They don't just promote this holiday because they are a group of dog trainers, though.

The benefits of training your dog make it worth your time and commitment. Training your dog by yourself can be a worthwhile challenge. Even teaching them basic commands like "sit", "stay" or "down" can help promote your dog's cognitive health. You can even watch free webinars for some assistance at www.trainyourdogmonth.com. 

Training your dog will also benefit you in their behavior. You'll have an easier time with them off-leash and might be able to take them to dog parks when you haven't been able to before. Plus, you could always train your dog to bring you a bag of chips when you want it. 

Either way, if you celebrate this January dog holiday, you won't regret it. And neither will your pup. 

Walk Your Pet Month

While you should always be walking your pet, January is the official National Walk Your Pet month. 

There's a few ways you can celebrate this month! Take your dog for a walk every day this month, once in the morning and one at night. Not only will it help your dog get exercise, but it'll help you, too! Exercise for both you and your pet can promote cardiovascular health and weight management. 

You can also use this month as a warning if your dog is overweight. More than half of America's dogs are obese or overweight, which means there's a serious lack of exercise and/or overfeeding. While you may love your dog no matter their size, they might have a shorter life if they don't maintain a healthy weight. 

Walking your dog a little extra this month will promote their health and help foster that parent-dog bond that you love.