Holiday Calendar

National Hug Your Dog Day

Next celebratedSaturday, April 10, 2027

An informal observance on April 10 celebrating the bond between people and their dogs and encouraging gentle, welcome affection.

Countdown to the day
--DAYS
--HRS
--MIN
--SEC
Last updated March 18, 2026 · by the Holiday Calendar TeamHave an update or spot an error?
YEARLY DATEApril 10
OBSERVED INUnited States
CATEGORYAnimals
SUBCATEGORYDogs
ORIGIN

Community Origin

FOUNDING ENTITY
Not documented
FIRST OBSERVED
Not documented
HOW THE HOLIDAY CAME TO BE

A hug-the-dog day with no documented author.

No primary record documents who created National Hug Your Dog Day on April 10, or when. A widely repeated claim crediting dog trainer Ami Moore belongs to a separate observance she declared, National Hug Your Hound Day in September.

+ Know the story? Submit a founder Help us complete this holiday
INTRO

A whole day for hugging the one pet that often hates it

Here is the quiet irony at the center of National Hug Your Dog Day. The calendar sets aside April 10 to wrap your arms around the family dog, and the dog, more often than not, would rather you did not.

Behavioral scientists who have studied the question keep landing in the same place. A hug is a primate gesture. To a dog, being held still can read less like love and more like being trapped. When psychologist Stanley Coren scored 250 photos of people hugging dogs, 81.6% of the dogs showed at least one sign of stress.

That does not make the day a mistake. It makes it a better invitation than it first looks: a yearly nudge to show your dog affection in the way your dog actually wants it, once you learn to read what the animal in your arms is telling you.

Advertisement
ORIGINS

Hug Your Dog Day history

INTRODUCTION

People and dogs have shared homes, fires, and work for thousands of years, long enough that the relationship is now something scientists measure rather than just assume. A day built around hugging a dog sits at the tail end of that long history, in an era when the bond itself has become a subject of laboratories and peer review.

Part of what researchers have found is biological. A 2015 study by Nagasawa and colleagues, published in the journal Science, showed that when a dog and its owner simply gaze at each other, oxytocin rises in both. The same self-reinforcing loop did not appear in hand-raised wolves, which points to something that grew specifically out of dogs living alongside us.

CHAPTER 01

From companion animal to studied bond

Dogs are among the most common companion animals in American homes, and appreciation days for them circulate widely through pet brands, veterinary clinics, and nonprofits. National Hug Your Dog Day moves through that same network. The Puppy Up Foundation, a pet cancer nonprofit, runs an annual post framing April 10 as a thank-you to "human's oldest friend".

CHAPTER 02

An origin no record can name

For all that the date is repeated, no primary record names who created the April 10 observance, or when. The most common attribution, to a dog trainer who declared a hug-your-dog day, traces instead to a different observance on a different date in September. The honest answer is that this particular day arrived without a documented author, and circulates today with no single steward behind it.

GOOD TO KNOW

Surprising facts about National Hug Your Dog Day

Dogs are built to flee, not to be held

Stanley Coren notes that dogs are cursorial animals, built for running, so their instinctive stress response is flight. A hug removes that option by physically restraining them, which can raise stress and, in some dogs, prompt a defensive bite.

There are three different hug-a-dog days

April 10 is routinely confused with National Hug Your Puppy Day on January 21 and National Hug Your Hound Day on the second Sunday in September. They are three separate observances, not one.

The bond runs on a shared chemical loop

A 2015 study in Science found that a mutual dog-owner gaze raises oxytocin in both the animal and the person, a positive feedback loop absent in hand-raised wolves. It is biological evidence for the very bond the day celebrates, tied to gaze rather than to hugging.

Researchers say we keep misreading our own dogs

The 2024 video study concluded that people often do not understand the body language or vocalizations their dogs show. Its authors argued for more public education in canine communication.

WHY THIS DAY MATTERS

Why We Love National Hug Your Dog Day

COMMUNICATION

Affection lands only when you can read the dog receiving it.

The same 2024 research that documented stressed dogs concluded that people frequently misread the signals their pets are giving. A day centered on affection becomes a reason to learn the head-turns, lip-licks, and pinned ears that tell you when to stop.

BOND

It marks a measurable human-dog relationship

The connection between people and dogs is now documented in the lab, including a shared oxytocin response to mutual gaze not seen in wolves. The day gives that long coevolved bond a place on the calendar.

WELFARE

It reframes affection around the dog's comfort

Because restraint reads as a threat to an animal built to run, well-meant hugs can quietly stress a dog. Naming that turns the day toward affection the dog actually welcomes, which is better for the animal.

GET INVOLVED

How to Celebrate National Hug Your Dog Day

EDITOR'S PICK

Read your dog before you reach in

Watch for a head turned away, whining, yawning, lip-licking, or ears pinned back, which signal a dog who would rather not be held. Veterinary guidance for the day suggests giving a squirming dog space rather than a squeeze. See the vet guidance for the day.

OFFER

Offer affection your dog actually enjoys

Many dogs welcome a slow scratch on the chest or along the side far more than a full-body hug. Let the dog lean in or step away, so the contact stays on its terms.

TAKE

Take a long, unhurried walk together

A walk lets a dog do what it is built to do, move and sniff, while you spend time side by side. It is shared attention with no restraint involved.

SIT

Sit for a quiet moment of mutual gaze

Calmly meeting your dog's eyes taps the same gaze-and-bond connection researchers have measured between dogs and their owners. Keep it gentle and brief, and let your dog look away whenever it wants to.

GIVE

Give the day to a shelter dog

Volunteer, foster, or donate to a local rescue so a dog still waiting for a home gets attention too. It extends the day's spirit beyond your own household.

Test your knowledge

How well do you know National Hug Your Dog?

1 / 8

What did Stanley Coren's 2016 analysis of 250 hug photos find?

Answer

It is observed annually on April 10 in the United States.

COLOPHON

Sources

How we know what’s on this page. References, not endorsements.

6sources
2primary records
4independently dated
Primary records
PubMed (Science)2015-04
Oxytocin-gaze positive loop and the coevolution of human-dog bonds
Study showing a mutual dog-owner gaze raises oxytocin in both, unlike in wolves.
View source
Free Publicity Group2014-10
National Hug Your Hound Day Created By Ami Moore, The Chicago Dog Coach
Ami Moore's press release declaring the September Hound Day, not the April 10 day.
View source
Additional coverage
Psychology Today2016-04
The Data Says "Don't Hug the Dog!"
Stanley Coren's photo analysis finding most hugged dogs show stress signs.
View source
Psychology Today2024-05
New Research Confirms: Dogs Really Don't Like Being Hugged
Summary of a 2024 peer-reviewed study of viral dog-hugging videos and their stress signals.
View source
Las Posas Veterinary Medical Center
April 10 is National Hug Your Dog Day: It's Good for Both of You
Vet guidance on the date, the stress signals to watch for, and gentler affection to offer.
View source
Puppy Up Foundation
April 10th is National Hug Your Dog Day
A pet nonprofit's annual post framing April 10 as a thank-you to dogs.
View source
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

Related holidays

SUN
13
Sep 2026
Hug Your Hound Day
Animals

Hug Your Hound Day

Show your pup some love this Hug Your Hound Day with extra cuddles, treats, and fun activities to make their day special!

160Read
THU
21
Jan 2026
National Hug Your Puppy Day
Animals

National Hug Your Puppy Day

It's National Hug Your Puppy Day - because who needs an excuse to cuddle up with your furry best friend? Get ready for some extra puppy love!

217Read
APR
01-30
Apr 2026
Dog Appreciation Month
AnimalsMonth-long

Dog Appreciation Month

A month-long observance through April celebrating dogs, the human-dog bond, and responsible, attentive care of companion animals.

821Read
MON
19
Apr 2026
National Dog Parent Appreciation Day
Animals

National Dog Parent Appreciation Day

It's time to give a big thank you to all the amazing dog parents out there - celebrate National Dog Parent Appreciation Day with your furry best friend!

217Read
FOR MARKETERS & CREATORS

Turn every day into a moment your audience actually shows up for.

8.4M
Monthly readers
5K+
Holidays tracked
Holiday Calendar for Brands Developer API