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Holidays

Chihuahua Holidays & Important Dates of Awareness

Overview

The majority of pet owners in the United States and in many places around the world celebrate the holidays, in one form or another, with their dog or cat. In fact, in the U.S. a poll summarized by Time found that 63% of dog owners buy their canine family member a Christmas gift. However, it goes way beyond that.

With some holidays, you'll want your Chihuahua to join in on the celebration because he is part of the family. For others, it's a great time to start fresh in regard to care and other elements that you do to keep your Chihuahua happy and healthy. And for certain special days of observance, it's a perfect excuse to spoil your Chi puppy or dog just a bit. Finally, with some holidays, such as Halloween, you and your Chihuahua can have lots of fun together and have a great bonding experience.

In this section, we'll cover:

List of Pet Awareness Days, Weeks and Months - Days throughout the year that all pet owners should know about.

Celebrating holidays with your Chihuahua, which includes tips to keep your Chihuahua safe, holiday foods that your Chi can and cannot eat, ways to make your dog feel special and advice that revolves around the particular events of certain holidays.

List of Pet Awareness Days, Weeks and Months

January

National Walk Your Dog Month
Unchain a Dog Month
January 2nd - National Pet Travel Safety Day
January 14th - National Dress Up Your Pet Day; a day to be aware of the benefits of clothing your dog
January 24th - Change a Pet’s Life Day

February

National Pet Dental Health Month
Responsible Pet Owners Month
Spay/Neuter Awareness Month
February 14th - Pet Theft Awareness Day
February 20th - Love Your Pet Day
February 23rd- International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day

March

Poison Prevention Awareness Month
March 23rd - National Puppy Day(an annual day to celebrate puppies and promote adoption)

April

American Red Cross’s National Pet First Aid Awareness Month
Prevention of Lyme Disease in Dogs Month
National Pet ID Week (third week in April)
World Veterinary Day - last Saturday in April.
April 30th - National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day

May

Pet Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month
Be Kind to Animals Week (first full week of May starting with a Sunday)
National Heat Awareness Day (the last Friday in May)
May 14th - International Chihuahua Appreciation Day

June

Take Your Dog to Work Day (celebrated the Friday after Father's Day)

July

July 15th - National Pet Fire Safety Day
July 21st - National Craft for Your Local Shelters Day

August

National Immunization Awareness Month; a day to spread awareness of the importance of vaccinations.
August 1st - DOGust Universal Birthday for Shelter Dogs
August 10th - Spoil Your Dog Day
August 26th - National Dog Day

September

Animal Pain Awareness Month
Responsible Dog Ownership Month
National Pet Memorial Day (second Sunday in September)
September 14th - National Hug Your Hound Day
September 23rd - Dogs in Politics Day (also known as Checkers Day)
September 28th - World Rabies Day

October

National Animal Safety and Protection Month
National Pet Obesity Awareness Day (second Wednesday of October

November

National Pet Cancer Awareness Month
National Pet Diabetes Month
November 1st - National Cook for Your Pets Day
November 7th - National Canine Lymphoma Awareness Day

December

December 10th - International Animal Rights Day

Celebrating Holidays with Your Chihuahua

January 1st, New Year's Day

The perfect holiday to reassess care for your Chihuahua to have a great, fresh start to the new year. Take the Chihuahua New Year's Resolution Challenge.

February 14th, Valentine's Day, and also Pet Theft Awareness Day

Extra ways to show your Chi that you live him/her on Valentine's Day (coming soon...)

Independence Day - July 4th

The Fourth of July is always a great day to spend as a family and your Chihuahua can have lots of fun. However, you'll want to be sure to take steps in case your Chi is close enough to be spooked by fireworks and know which type of barbecue foods a Chihuahua can and cannot eat. Also summer heat safety tips. (Coming soon)

Halloween - October 31st

This is one of the funnest holidays to celebrate with a dog. You can dress up your Chihuahua in a super cute costume (most dogs love the attention that they get and it's a great time for a photo op), and you can also include your Chihuahua in either handing out candy to trick-or-treaters or take him for a walk in the neighborhood. Read more about Chihuahuas on Halloween...

Thanksgiving

If there's one holiday that says 'family', it's Thanksgiving. Celebrated in the U.S. on the 4th Thursday in November and on the 2nd Monday in October in Canada. You'll want your Chihuahua to join in the festivities, but it's important to know which Thanksgiving foods a Chihuahua can eat. Also, whether you're going to have guests over or bring your Chi to someone else's house, be sure to prepare so that your puppy or dog is comfortable and happy. (Coming soon)

Christmas

The timing of this wonderful holiday, deep into winter when pet ownership has quite a few challenges, gives a great opportunity to get some fantastic gifts for your Chihuahua what will keep him occupied and happy over the long winter. Not only are some fun toys a good choice, but it's also the ideal time to obtain some essential care products to help combat the winter cold & arid air.

General Holiday Tips

Anytime a holiday is coming up, it's a good idea to plan ahead in regard to how you'll handle certain things regarding your Chihuahua.

Of most importance is:

1) Knowing which foods your Chihuahua can/will eat. While it's always a good idea to have a set feeding schedule and also set foods that you give to your Chi, on certain days of the year you may want to give him a special treat. Or even make a special dinner or dessert for your puppy or dog.

And offering some special tidbits is just fine. However, you'll want to remind yourself not only about the foods that a Chihuahua can't eat, but also be aware that some of those ingredients may be included in other foods.

2) Keeping your Chihuahua happy and comfortable. Many Chihuahuas are very happy when they are at home and around their regular human family members. When visitors come to the house or if a Chihuahua is brought to visit another person's home, this is when it can get tricky.

While the holiday-specific pages above give full details, some general guidelines to follow are:

If at home, have an area set up that your Chihuahua can retreat to if he is feeling overwhelmed. You may already have an indoor canine playpen or gated off area for your Chi; however, if that area is too close to loud guests, your Chihuahua may not find it very restful.

If you can't move the guests away from your Chi's area that he normally relaxes, you may want to try moving the area. Just be sure that he doesn't feel too isolated. He should still feel as if he is part of the events, but far enough away he's not directly near the chaos.

Keep an eye on how children are interacting with your Chihuahua. Young kids may not know proper handling techniques and some youngsters may end up playing too rough or even pulling your dog's tail. In addition, while a Chihuahua may do great with children, every dog has their tolerance level. So, routinely check in to see if it's time to call a time-out.

If you bring your Chi to another house, bring along everything that he normally needs and uses to feel comfortable. This includes his food & water bowls, favorite toys and his bed.