April 9 is Easter this year! Soon we’ll see tulips and daffodils pushing their way out (I am keeping the faith) and it’ll be time for Easter festivities! Easter is a joyful holiday to celebrate the start of new things. Think of all the new life that appears baby animals, flowers, and butterflies.

I love sharing this hoppy time with my pups too. If you’re looking for ways to get your pet in on the Spring and Easter festivities, try some of these.

Framed Paw Print Party Favors

Super easy and super cute! Grab some pet-safe ink and fun craft paper to make paw prints of your pup. Once the prints dry, you can frame them. Paint stems and leaves for a bouquet of paw flowers!

This sounds like a good way to add some fun new decorations, especially for those who are like me whose children are grown or do not have small children around. I must admit I miss the days of all the school projects coming home.

Quick tip: don’t force your pet to make prints. If they aren’t feeling it, let them be. You can use watercolor paint instead. Wet your pet’s paws and have them walk around on paper. Quickly fill in their wet paw prints with watercolor and let them dry. You’ll have a beautiful, springy piece of art!  

Paw Print Garden Steppingstones or Rocks

If you have a green thumb or enjoy beautifying the outside of your home, you’ll love this one. Painting, paw-printing, and decorating rocks or stepping stones is fun for the whole family. We collect heart-shaped rocks so this would be fun to add to my collection.

This is a perfect way to create a memorial for an older pet or a beloved pet you may have lost in the past year.

If you’re decorating rocks, you’ll probably find them for free in your garden or neighborhood. If you’re making a decorative steppingstone, there are lots of kits online, too. Just make sure they are made of pet-safe materials.

Let your imagination run wild! Colorful paint and other objects like glass stones, tile, or dog tags to make it more personal can be added to cement kits to really give your steppingstones a unique flair!

A Doggy Photo Booth

C’mon, party people! Who doesn’t love a photoshoot? The perfect way to practice your watch and stay commands.

Level up your photo game with some cool Easter or Spring-inspired accessories. Cute costumes, a stuffed Easter bunny, flowers, banners, bowties, bandanas, and other fun photo props can bring your pet’s pics to a whole new level. And it includes your pet in the seasonal fun! Carol, a local seamstress who owns paws and claws has adorable bandanas and bowties made or you can design your own.

Hint: clicker or a squeaky toy are great ways to get the look you want.  

Doggy Easter Egg Hunt

Hop into this fun and affordable tradition! Host a doggy Easter egg hunt in your home or outdoors. You’ll need plastic eggs and small, healthy treats You can also make your own this cute and tasty egg-shaped dog treat. Completely melt equal parts of peanut butter and coconut oil in the microwave or on the stove or make your own. I have done this with my dogs which are great fun. I also use hard-boiled eggs. Eggs, shells, and all are good for dogs.

 Safety Tip! Always check the labels on ingredients, to avoid foods or additives that are dangerous for pets and people. If an ingredient is unfamiliar to you, look it up online. For example, some peanut butter brands contain xylitol, also known as birch sugar, a sweetener that is toxic (even deadly) to pets. You can also use other nut kinds of butter for example I give my dogs almonds.

Leave off the color from your eggs unless it is natural like beets or blueberries. Please keep in mind that plastic eggs are not good for dogs who crunch things up enthusiastically.  Closely supervise the activity to keep it safe and watch for any signs of aggression between dogs going for the same egg.  Give your dog hints and see if they can follow them if they are having difficulty.  

New Physical or Enrichment Activity

Spring is about coming back to life after a winter’s sleep. Nature awakens, people refresh their living spaces, and it’s a great time to give your Dog something new, too.

Try a new activity with your pet. Enroll in a new class we have so many sports trainers in this area agility, scent work, herding, rally, and trick classes but it can also be as simple as going for a walk in a new area or trying some of the fitness tips I posted in my exercise blog.

Hint: To find more information on all the sports go to https://www.akc.org/sports/

For Easter 2023, Also don’t forget many of the Easter stuff Chocolate, flowers, plastic grass, and too much sugar – can also be toxic for dogs. Check out this ASPCA list of plant hazards now that spring is here.

What are you going to do to make this season extra special for your pup? Send me a message and let me know!