Sunday 16th June is Father’s Day.
Buying presents for Mother’s Day is easy: a pretty card with a cheesy poem, a bunch of her favourite flowers, a pampering treat. Father’s Day is not so easy! What to get Dad leaves us scratching our heads and frantically googling gift ideas. Another super-dense historical novel (that you suspect sits on the bedside table unread all year)? There’s only room for one mug with “World’s best Dad” in the cupboard. Socks? Argh! Well, fear not, we at NHHQ are here to help you come up with some more interesting and innovative ideas for making Dad feel loved and special – particularly if Dad is a dog-lover/owner.
1. Organise a Father’s Day dog walk and lunch. Take your Dad out to a dog-friendly pub (these are easy to find on the web these days – try https://www.dogfriendly.co.uk/pubs) and get all the family together for a healthy stroll beforehand in order to walk up an appetite, and then enjoy a slap-up meal with his beloved hound in tow. There’s nothing so satisfying as feeling like you deserve that sticky toffee pudding, and the dog will love the day too.
2. Commission a custom-made pet portrait of your Dad’s best friend. There are loads of options available for all kinds of pet portraits – life-like dog portraits from photos, comical caricatures, sketch drawings etc. Capture the character of your Dad’s dog in a way that he can enjoy forever. Take a look at Bob’s work at www.bobonpaintings.com who creates amazing watercolours and gives much of his fee to charities close to his heart.
3. Splash out on a leather collar and lead. Nothing makes the daily dog walk feel more special than a quality-made collar and lead. If your Dad treasures his constitutional, loves the time spent alone with the dog, then buying him something decadent and hand-made to take with them will help to make these moments more memorable.
4. Father’s Day picnic. Weather permitting (eek) a well-organised picnic for all the family can be a day that brings everyone together and puts Dad firmly at the centre of the rug. Why not really go to town and pre-prepare the food (rather than a few soggy salad sandwiches) and enjoy a full spread in the (fingers crossed) sunshine. You can also organise a few activities – there are plenty of portable cricket sets, or rounders bats and balls you can pick up in shops to ensure that the day is packed full of fun as well as packed lunch! Don’t forget to take a bowl and water for the dog and some quality food like Nature’s Harvest Grain Free Elite Dog Food made with sweet potato (https://www.naturesharvestpet.com/shop/grain-free/natures-harvest-grain-free-elite-adult-chicken-sweet-potato-395-g/) to ensure that the dog leaves the human picnic well alone. Dogs and Dads love a day spent outdoors surrounded by those who love them. And the best thing with a picnic? Hardly any washing up!
Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads from us here at NHHQ. You are appreciated! And Happy Father’s Day too if you are “Dad” to a canine thing and not a human thing. In our world that counts too and you deserve to celebrate and be celebrated.