Pamper your pooch

Pamper your pooch with one of these fun, bonding activities and ideas that both you and your playful pup can enjoy together.  

Is there a dog birthday coming up in your house? Or an anniversary? Or perhaps your dog simply deserves to be pampered? There are loads of fun ways to spoil your canine companion and ensure they have a wonderful day, and we’ve come up with a few of our favourites to help you narrow down your plans.

Continue reading and discover spa day treats, party ideas and tasty snacks your four-pawed pal will love! For the ultimate way to pamper your dog and yourself too, head off on holiday to a new destination and discover the UK with your canine companion by your side.

Homemade biscuits

There’s a wealth of wonderful recipes for dog treats that you can prepare and tailor especially for your best friend. Would your dog prefer peanut butter flavoured treats or bacon and cheese? Take your pick and get the oven heating up for a special birthday or celebration meal just for your pup.

Your dog will soon want to join in when they smell the delicious scent of their favourite treat being cooked! For ideas and baking packs, get inspiration from our partner, PawBakes, where Canine Club members get 20% off.

A doggy spa day

Did you know you can get bubble bath for dogs? Spoil your pet with a true ‘pamper day at the spa’ with a doggy massage and a haircut, before getting them in a bath for a good ol’ soak.

Of course, dog don’t tend to enjoy baths but what they will thank you for is that soft fur feeling they’ll get afterwards. If your dog has tangles of fur and is often scratching, then a good trim and wash could do them wonders, and you'll love their fresh smell too!

A new trick

Dogs would do anything to please their masters and many breeds are super stimulated to work but rarely get the chance. Teaching them a trick offers a fantastic way for you to bond with your canine companion while giving them the opportunity to do something new and use their brain.

If you’ve already mastered sitting and lying down, try teaching them to spin, go through your legs or rollover. Once you’ve mastered all of these, you could move on to more advanced moves such as getting them to cover their eyes. Take a look at our easy dog tricks for a great way to get started with training.

A new toy

Let your pup choose a new toy themselves next time you visit the pet store and you’re in the doggy aisle. If you think your dog is likely to go a bit bonkers around all those amazing smells and fun toys, pick out a couple that you think your canine companion will love and they can choose their favourite when you get home.

Whether you decide on a new pack of tennis balls, a Kong that you can fill to the brim with peanut butter, or a soft toy that will be destroyed in seconds, your playful pup will feel well and truly spoilt when you show up with a choice of these goodies. Hi-tech hounds will also love these must-have dog gadgets, which include an automatic tennis ball launcher for non-stop fetching fun!

A trip to the park

Where’s your dog’s favourite place to be? Chances are that if the park isn’t the favourite, it’s certainly in their top ten!

Pack up a picnic full of doggy goodies, from toys to biscuits – and perhaps add a few treats for the humans too – and head to the park for an afternoon full of fun. After a few rounds of fetch or a game of tug-o-war on the grass, you and your canine companion will be ready to flop down on your picnic blanket and tuck into whatever tasty snacks you’ve brought along.  

If you're looking for a park that ticks all the boxes, our favourite country parks for canines cover some of the best places to go across the country.

A luxury snooze

Make their bed super cosy with bundles of blankets, fluffed up cushions and their favourite raggedy old toy to make it complete for a wonderful night’s sleep. And if you’ve got a dog whose needs are a little more specific, you could spoil them with a brand new bed tailored for them.

Some dogs aren’t fans of the cosy, soft, fort-style bed and would rather splay out across a mat, paws all over the place. If that sounds like your pup, then there are plenty of mats and raised dog beds over at Berkeley Dog Beds, one of our partners, which offers up orthopaedic beds, wooden dog beds and travels beds too! If you’re a member of our Canine Club, you can take advantage of a special discount.

A crafty day

If you and your family love a craft project, get the family pet involved and create a special piece of art to hang on your wall or put pride of place on the windowsill.

With some non-toxic paint and a piece of paper, perhaps beautiful watercolour paper or flower petal paper for a lovely background, paint your pup’s paw and create a print ready to be framed. Or try creating a paw print in clay; you could D.I.Y salt dough clay or search for a local pottery studio which offers clay paw prints.

A pet party - invite all their friends!

Get all their best friends over for a party – your dog will be overjoyed to see all his or her mates in one place. Whether it’s the pup down the street or your cousin’s German shepherd you haven’t seen in years, it’s always fun for dogs to get together, hang out and play games. The hardest part will be trying to share, especially when the tennis ball comes out!

This is a great chance to bake up a few party treats for your canine guests too, or if you’re short on time, get a selection of tasty treats in from one of our Canine Club partners; Hownd, Natural Instinct and Scrumbles each have a selection of scrumptious snacks, while Woof & Brew can provide the doggy beer.

A treasure hunt

If your pup is always sticking his or her nose into shopping bags and searching for the next tasty snack, put that snout to work with a scent game. You could hide strong smelling treats around the garden or house for her to find and watch your dog in action.

Another way to test your pup’s sense of smell is to use a scented ball. Some dogs use their noses to find their ball in the long grass, but if your dog hasn’t mastered that yet, using a strong scent to help your dog sniff it out. Say ‘find the ball’ and reward your dog with a game of fetch. It’s worth noting that not all dogs or breeds have the nose for scent games; it’s a great way to stimulate hunting dogs who’ve been bred to sniff out prey.

A swim

If you have a water baby instead of a dog then take them to the nearest lake, river or beach for a swim. Splashing or diving into water is super refreshing, even a paddle can feel great on paws, and your dog will have a fun time on a water adventure with you.

Feel free to take off your shoes and socks, or even bring your swimsuit, and join in. A wild swim may be the perfect way to pamper yourself while treating your dog.

A dog-friendly holiday

Of course, we believe the ultimate way to pamper your dog is with their favourite activity – walkies! And we have a wonderful range of holiday cottages across the UK so you and your canine companion can stretch your legs somewhere new and exciting.

Whether you and your dog are keen ramblers who fancy conquering the heights of the magnificent Peak District, or would rather a relaxing stroll beside the sea in a place like beautiful Cornwall, we have a wonderful choice of dog-friendly cottages for you to explore.