Saturday is National Puppy Day! How to celebrate, most popular breeds and names, and how to watch a puppy livecam
Saturday is National Puppy Day!
Not that you need a special day to celebrate your pups and the joy they bring to your life, but it's a great time to take your little canine companion to the dog park or your closest dog-friendly beach, play with them, teach them tricks, and enjoy their company and playful antics.
It's also a good day to adopt a puppy and some shelters may offer deals on adoption fees.
Here are some things to know for National Puppy Day.
What is National Puppy Day?
National Puppy Day was created in 2006 by animal behaviorist, advocate and writer Colleen Paige to help raise awareness of the importance of adoption from shelters and to discourage buying pets from pet stores supplied by puppy mills.
National Puppy Day is celebrated around the world and has been recognized by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), the Humane Society of the United States and other animal welfare organizations. And it means your social media accounts will be filled with puppy pictures.
Paige likes creating social-media-friendly holidays and has also founded National Dog Day, National Cat Day, National Pet Day, National Wildlife Day, National Beach Day, along with many more.
In a 2019 video for famed dog-lover and reluctant assassin John Wick (Keanu Reeves) and the "John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum," Lionsgate Movies released a National Puppy Day promo.
When is National Puppy Day?
National Puppy Day is Saturday, March 23, 2024.
Ways to celebrate National Puppy Day
The National Puppy Day website has 50 different ways to celebrate the day besides playing with your own dog. Here are some of them:
Play with your puppy!
Adopt a puppy from your local shelter, rescue or pure-breed rescue organization.
Donate money, food and toys to your local animal shelter or rescue organization. Check with them to see what they need most and what restrictions they may have. You also can host a community event to raise money.
Have a puppy party and invite any friends, family or neighbors with young dogs to come play.
Volunteer at your local shelter to walk or play with a puppy, clean cages or anything else they need help with.
If you can't adopt a puppy right now but you can help out temporarily, consider fostering a puppy to help teach them socialization, potty training and basic commands and free up shelter space for other dogs.
Post pics of your pup online with the hashtag #NationalPuppyDay to help raise awareness.
The list also includes multiple activities you can enjoy with your dog, different ways to make their lives better and safer, and suggestions for how you can advocate against puppy mills.
We're top dog! Florida is the most dog-friendly state in U.S., study finds
Watch puppies at Canine Companions Live Puppy Cam
If you don't have a dog of your own and can't take one right now, or just want a peaceful break at work, the nonprofit service dog organization Canine Companions has a live puppy cam going on every day from March 18 - 23, from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. EDT, for "14 hours of continuous puppy joy."
Canine Companions provides service dogs to adults, children and veterans with disabilities and facility dogs to professionals working in healthcare, criminal justice and educational settings at no cost to clients. The cam features seven-week-old future service dogs.
"Engage directly with these adorable pups during interactive live sessions," Canine Companions said in a press release, "where special guests will share insights into their journey to become service dogs and how you can support the crucial role they'll play in enhancing independence and confidence for children, adults, and veterans with disabilities."
Note that depending on when you watch, the puppies may be sleeping. Puppies are wild balls of nonstop energy when they're awake, but they also tend to sleep from 18 to 20 hours a day, according to the American Kennel Club.
What are the most popular dog breeds in Florida?
According to the American Kennel Club, the French Bulldog was No. 1 nationwide for the second straight year. After that the rest of the top five are Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherd Dogs, and Poodles.
The AKC also looked at the top breeds in major American cities, and the Florida choices closely matched the national ones.
Most Popular Dog Breeds in West Palm Beach, Florida
French Bulldog
Golden Retriever
Poodle
Labrador Retriever
Rottweiler
Most Popular Dog Breeds in Miami
French Bulldog
Golden Retriever
German Shepherd Dog
Poodle
Labrador Retriever
What are the most popular dog names in Florida?
Camp Bow Wow analyzed the names of over 300,000 pets at its doggy day care and boarding facilities across the country last year and compiled a list of the most popular names. In Florida, dogs are most likely to be named:
Luna
Bella
Charlie
Lucy
Cooper
Luna was No. 1 nationwide for the third consecutive year, according to Camp Bow Wow's press release, leading in 27 states. The top 10 nationwide were Luna, Charlie, Bella, Lucy, Cooper, Daisy, Max, Milo, Bailey and Sadie.
“Timeless names like Max, Bella and Charlie will always be in style, as they have classic canine charm, are elegant and exude strength and loyalty,” said Camp Bow Wow’s Animal Health and Behavioral Expert Erin Askeland. “We also expect pop culture to continue to influence names this year and anticipate an influx of names like Loki, Greta, Rocket and Barbie, inspired by music, TV, movies and celebrities."
Maverick had the highest year-over-year increase and Goose came in third, likely due to the success of the 2022 "Top Gun" movie sequel. Second was Poppy, possibly due to Anna Kendrick’s character in the 2023 film “Trolls Band Together,” the release said.
Names tend to be simple and strong, and often food-related (Biscuit, Peanut, Olive, etc) but unique ones always thrive. Last year Camp Bow Wow noted pets named “Maxilicious BerryCrunch Master Cylinder III,” “Nyx the Primordial Goddess of the Night” and “Miss California Pumpkin, AKA Callie.”
Whatever your pup's name is, have a great day romping and playing with your pooch. And avoid John Wick.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: National Puppy Day: How to celebrate, top breeds, names in Florida
