National Puppy Day
By: Brittnie VanMeter, LMHC-A
National Puppy Day is on March 23, 2025, this year and who doesn’t love celebrating our furry little family members? As a dog lover myself I will never forget the first time I got to choose my own dog as a puppy. The puppy stage of a dog’s life can be exhausting and mentally challenging when you are the owner, because you are trying to potty train them, teach them how to be gentle, and it takes a lot of patience. What makes it all worth it is the mental health benefits you get from receiving the sweet little snuggles they give you when they are tired, or the happy tail wag that greets you when you come home from a long day at work. Puppies play such an important role in a home because they have a big role in a family.
As a dog mom, I will never forget the first time I saw my soul dog because I never knew that he was going to choose me. I was very determined to pick out the last girl puppy of the litter when I heard that the puppies were ready for a home. It was the beginning of November so there had been some snow on the ground and the woman had let all the puppies out to run and play. I was searching for the last little girl she had available, when suddenly, this little black and white German Short-Haired Pointer male puppy came and sat at my feet. He looked up at me right away with the little white half-mustache on his face and I just knew that this was the puppy I was bringing home.
Sweet Rosco was a lot of work as a puppy, but most puppies are and are often no different from the sweet kids in our lives. Puppies aren’t just some gifts for a small period, they have a big role in your home/family for their whole life. Puppies can be mentally exhausting when trying to teach them the skills to be a part of a family, but it is truly worth it in the end. Although we may be tired when training a puppy, they mentally bring us so much joy and comfort when we may have a really hard day. I have always said animals are our secret keepers and never judge us when we are going through hard things. We have our dogs for such a short time, but the importance of love and memories they share with us from the time we bring them home to the time they leave this earth are some of the most cherished moments we can have.