Five Ways to Score a Canine Touchdown on Super Bowl Sunday

Commercials, buffalo wings, halftime show, penalties and instant replay: These are a few of the elements people across the country will embrace on Super Bowl, Sunday, February 1^st. Whether or not you like professional football (and I do), there is a slim chance you can escape the frenzy and hype that is Super Bowl week.

No matter what team you cheer for and whether or not football is your thing, here are 7 ways to embrace dogs on Super Bowl Sunday.

1 Help a Homeless Pet Score a Touchdown

We spoke to Joey Herrick, founder of The Lucy Pet Foundation, about his involvement with homeless pets and utilizing the Super Bowl to get that message across. Herrick is known to many in the pet world as the co-founder and President of Natural Balance Pet Foods. He decided to punt and go one step further: Founding The Lucy Pet Foundation.

A cruel, hard fact is that at least 80,000 dogs and cats are euthanized in shelters across the United States every single week.  Herrick wants to offer no to low-cost spay and neuter clinics in every state in the nation within the next five years.

Since commercials are such a big draw for folks on Super Bowl Sunday, Herrick is behind one of the hippest, coolest, and most techno-forward commercials with a pivotal message.  We have a sneak peek preview of the commercial right here:

And our exclusive interview for BlogPaws with Joey Herrick here:

Start tweeting this message from now through Super Bowl Sunday in the name of homeless pets:
[Tweet “The @LucyPetFdn is helping homeless pets SCORE a touchdown. Watch #TheLucyBowl #TeamDog”]

Follow the Lucy Pet Foundation on social: @LucyPetFdn on Twitter and Instagram, and Facebook.com/LucyPetFoundation.

2 Have a No Scream or Yell Zone

Let’s face it: Football games tend to make the blood pressure escalate of some people.  If hosting a Super Bowl party at your abode, let guests know your dog (s) is present and does not take well to yelling or screaming. Have fun but implement a “no scream” zone.

Dogs who are afraid or frightened will sometimes bolt, so ensure all doors and windows are secured and if you can, keep a baby gate near any rooms that have outdoor access. Better to be safe than sorry. Everyone wins if the dog is safe.

3 Puppy Bowl Fun

With 85 puppies participating in Puppy Bowl XI, tune in to Animal Planet at 3 pm EST to watch funny antics, cuteness with no offsides called, and plenty of water bowl cams in action. If you’ve never seen the Puppy Bowl, we double dog dare you not to make this a yearly event. Bonus: It happens BEFORE the Super Bowl, so you won’t miss the other big game. Check out the Puppy Bowl starting line-up here.

4 Attend a Fun Online Event

Fellow pet bloggers, All Things Dog Blog and DogTipper are hosting the fifth annual #SuperDogSunday event on Thursday, 01/29. Keeping dogs fit and winning prizes are on the agenda, so consider this some pre-game fun with your dog in mind! Click here for more details on #SuperDogSunday.

5 Tail-Gate and Pawty

Why not host a back yard tailgate party to kick off football season or engage with neighbors once the season begins? This social event is historically held around the open end of a vehicle, but tailgating can take place just about anywhere. Serve game day dips, drinks, sandwiches, and treats for your friends and opt for dog-friendly food for the pups.

One need not be a football fan to take part in the football games. Consider these activities in a fenced-in area:

– Football pass: Toss the football toy to your dog for the classic game of fetch

– Hold that down: Teach your dog to sit-stay and see how long he/she can hold it before you give the “okay” command for the dog to run to you for a reward. This is a fun game with other dogs in the mix. Never make a dog sit for super long periods of time, as the “goal” (pun intended) of this game is fun!

– Disc dog, flyball, and lure are all competitive sports you can also engage your dog with if he or she is highly driven, ball or disc motivated, and you want to add some activity your lives.

So suit up, huddle up, and wag it out: Football season has gone to the dogs. What are your Super Bowl Sunday plans?