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| Image Credit:Viviana Garcia |
Puppies mature swiftly, but March 23 is a time to paws and enjoy their unconditional love.
The day, designed in 2006 by animal enthusiast Colleen Paige, encourages individuals to adopt dogs rather than support puppy mills. It also serves as a time to bond, treat, and play with kind canines.
Dogs reach maturity in a year or two, depending on the breed; however, they all require patience, love, and nutritious meals.
Pup Basics for National Puppy Day!
Puppy-proof your home.
Make sure to put away all small items that can be choking hazards. Coins, jewelry, and rubber bands, according to the American Kennel Club, can pose harm to dogs.
Avoid toxic foods.
Onions, garlic, grapes, chocolate, and macadamia nuts are some of the most harmful ingredients for dogs to ingest. Each food can bear varying health severity and should be avoided at all costs, as stated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Keep up with the vaccination schedule.
At about 6-8 weeks, a licensed veterinarian may give the first round of required vaccines. These shots will prevent the spread of diseases such as rabies and ensure the early stages of the pup remain healthy.
Puppy fun doesn’t have to disappear because a study conducted by a University Counseling Center in 2017 highlights the health benefits dogs bring to college students.
The study discusses how animal-assisted therapy (AAT) and animal-assisted activities (AAA) have positively impacted individuals who have received such resources.
“AAT and AAA programs can reduce levels of anxiety and loneliness, and increase student’s perception of their social support on campus,” as stated by authors of A Doggone Way to Reduce Stress: An Animal Assisted Intervention with College Students. College Student Journal., vol. 52, no. 2, 2018.
Students who engaged in these resources said, “Seeing the dogs made me so happy and helped me forget about the stress of finals. They made my day 100% better.” (College Student Journal)
After 235 survey responses, “87% reported their experience with the therapy dogs provided high stress relief while 13% reported moderate stress relief. Not one student reported that their exposure to the dogs provided neutral, little, or no stress relief,” which demonstrates how beneficial animals can be for human health.
Don’t have a dog? Don’t worry. Meet affectionate dogs on campus through “Doggy Therapy” Sessions hosted by CSUF Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS).
CAPS will host their third annual Student Mental Health Resource Fair on Tuesday, April 23, with about 25 resources, including the cuddly canines in the Quad, between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
To learn more about upcoming animal-assisted therapy, follow @csufcaps @capswellnessroom on Instagram.
I've got three dogs that we got as puppies, and you are absolutely right. Each puppy is different, so with my latest one the biggest struggle has been chewing on everything!!! Even when we think we've put everything away, it still feels like he finds something. We had to crate train our dogs for when we leave because of this.
ReplyDeleteYay for puppies! I recently read a study that spending time with your dog, brushing, caring, reduces stress levels itself.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the tips, I currently do not have any puppies but I know of many people that do. When it comes into the conversation, I will forward them this blog to teach them a little about their little loved ones.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tips, I remember when my dog was a puppy and I'm sure if I had read this blog back then it would have made my life a whole lot easier lol. When the time comes back for my family to get a new puppy I know what I will come back to read!
ReplyDeleteI love reading your blog! I didn't even know there was such a thing as National Puppy Day. Thank you for the tips and factual information about furry friends!
ReplyDeleteHello Viviana great blog! I am familiar with these toxic foods to stay away from, and I know a lot of people who want to give some of these toxic foods to their pets without knowing that they are actually terrible for them and I end up havig to stop some of my friends from giving it to their pets. Thank you for making a simplified list of toxic foods to keep out of reach from our innocent sweet fur babies!
ReplyDeleteViviana, I am so sad that I read this article late! As a dog mom, I celebrated national puppy day with my senior dog and can definitely relate to the tips you have mentioned :)
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