8 Ways to Spoil Your Dog This Pet Appreciation Week

The second week of June is Pet Appreciation Week, with pet parents across the country gearing up to show their fur-babies they're the pick of the litter. Pet Appreciation Week was founded in 1981 by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) to raise awareness about the "pawsitive" ways pets impact our lives.

Looking for ways to show your woofer they're the top dog? Here are 8 ways to spoil your dog this Pet Appreciation Week!

Scroll through "pawpular" pet social media accounts, and you'll find adorable videos of pups using dog buttons to communicate with their pet parents. 

You can record a word or phrase onto one of these buttons, teach your dog what the phrase means, and then watch in amazement as they tell you what they want or even ask a question. 

Dogs can memorize a surprising number of phrases — the average dog can learn as many as 165 words! Learn more about how dog buttons work in our guide to affordable dog training gadgets.

Since Pet Appreciation Week is at the start of June, your pup might be feeling the heat. If your mutt has lots of "fur-iends," why not invite them over for a pup pool party?

Invite some pet parents you know from your local dog park, set out some dog-friendly snacks, and let your pup make a splash! 

If you don't have a pool in your yard, consider buying a couple of plastic kiddie pools so all your four-legged guests can cool off.

🐾 Pro tip for first-time party planners: Host a "meet and greet" event before the big day to make sure all party-goers get along swimmingly!

If your doggo is a bit of coach "puptato," consider staying home and making them a DIY dog toy. Homemade dog toys are fun to make for crafty pet parents and are a “woofderful” way to spoil your canine compadre. 

Create a simple puzzle toy, like the muffin tin game, or put your weaving skills to the test to make a rope toy. To make this activity extra fun, cuddle up on the couch with your doggo to get them involved in making the toy. 

Need some inspo? Check out our eco-friendly dog toy ideas to spoil your pup and reduce your pup's carbon pawprint at the same time!

If you're a pet parent who works long hours, chances are your pet could do with a couple of extra walks a week. Your pooch probably gets bored at home alone, so spoil them with some extra exercise.

Booking a local dog walker will help reduce separation anxiety and show your pooch they're super loved. Plus, if your pup is a social butterfly, they'll love hanging out with their walker and exploring a new trail or two.

It's every dog's dream to go on a toy shopping spree. This Pet Appreciation Week, make your hound's dream come true. Many pet stores welcome pups with open paws, so take your doggo along to your local pet store and let them sniff out a few new toys. 

Visiting the pet store is a "grrreat" way to give your dog an extra dose of mental stimulation. Not only will your woofer be rewarded with some new stuff, but they can also meet new people (and pups!) and practice their obedience skills.

If you're not worried about the condition of your lawn, a doggy digging pit is a surefire way to spoil Spot. For dogs that love to dig holes, a digging pit is the “ultimutt” treat.

All you need to do is dig a hole in your yard and fill it with loose dirt or sand. Outline the area with bricks or pieces of wood so your dog knows where to dig (and where not to dig!).

With a bit of training, your dog will soon get the hang of it. You can even bury some treats in the hole so your dog can dig for buried treasure!

Looking for a unique, high-tech puzzle toy that will keep Luna endlessly entertained? The PupPod lets you play with your pooch remotely from your smartphone. 

This rocker toy lights up and makes noise, and when your dog paws the rocker at the right time, a separate feeder dispenses a tasty reward! The accompanying smartphone app even lets you track your dog's stats.

Featuring various difficulty levels, the PupPod gets gradually harder as your dog gets better at the game. You can even watch your dog play through the feeder cam! Any clever canine that gets bored when you're not home will feel spoiled with a PupPod around.

Homemade dog treats are a "furrific" way to show your dog they're your best bud. That said, you might not want to work up a sweat baking some peanut butter dog treats on a hot summer's day. Instead, consider spoiling your canine companion with a frozen treat. 

Making frozen treats is simple: put some chicken broth in an ice cube tray with a sliver of meat in each cube and let your doggo go to town. Or, rustle up some "pupsicles" with all-natural peanut butter and dog-safe fruit, like watermelon, strawberries, and blueberries.

Show us how you're spoiling your pets this week on Instagram @wag! Don't "furget" to tag #wagwalking in your post — we just might share your photo on our own feed!