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National Brown Dog Day 2024: When It Is & How It’s Celebrated

Chelsea Mortensen Profile Picture

By Chelsea Mortensen

Phu Quoc ridgeback dog on pile of leaves

Do you have a brown dog? Chances are pretty good! Brown is one of the most popular coat colors, and there are many brown dog breeds—from Dachshunds to Chocolate Labs. This year, you can celebrate your richly-colored friend on National Brown Dog Day—that’s February 2!

Not sure how to celebrate? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

Divider 7The 5 Ways to Celebrate National Brown Dog Day

1. Get Some Brown Dog Décor

There’s tons of merch and décor celebrating brown dogs. Whether it’s a nice painting for your living room, a silly mug, or a cool shirt, there are lots of ways to celebrate your brown dog. You can even look for small businesses and artisan craftspeople to support!

a brown female Maltipoo dog sitting on beach chair
Image Credit: Heidi Bollich, Shutterstock

2. Spoil Your Brown Dog

Is Fido chocolate or mahogany? Whatever shade of brown your dog is, they deserve some spoiling on this special day. Grab their favorite treat, a new toy, or a big bone for them to chew on. Schedule some extra playtime to really make their day.


3. Attend An Online Event

Local Brown Dog Celebrations are still few and far between, but you can find celebrations online. These live events can be a great way to break up a boring week—and if you’ve still got dreary winter weather, you don’t even have to leave the house!

dog looking at computer
Image Credit: filumx, Shutterstock

4. Support Adoption Services

Every year, over 3 million dogs enter shelters. That means there’s a big need for shelter support. Whether that means adopting a dog, volunteering, or posting to raise awareness of your area’s shelter programs, spend some time supporting adoption services in your area.


5. Throw a Brown Dog Party!

If you’re really wanting to celebrate, throw a party! You can invite friends over to have themed treats, drinks, and games. If you don’t invite furry friends to come along, you can send owners home with a “doggy bag” to celebrate their own brown dogs at home.

Cute hungry Welsh corgi dogs waiting for food from dog sitter in dog cafe
Image Credit: Verin, Shutterstock

divider 9Why Celebrate Brown Dogs?

Brown Dog Day is a great time to show appreciation for the friendship and support dogs give us as pets and for the invaluable services working dogs provide. Between disability service dogs, K9 police dogs, Search and Rescue dogs, and herding dogs, our canine friends have done a lot for us! National Brown Dog Day is also a way to give back by raising awareness for shelter dogs and helping the adoption movement, so no dog gets left behind.

The 7 Brown Dog Breeds

There are lots of great breeds of dogs that are often or always brown. Here are a few of our favorites:

  • Chocolate Lab: The Chocolate Labrador Retriever is one of the most recognizable brown dogs. With a solid brown coat and boundless energy, these dogs make great companions. For reasons that aren’t quite known, these brown dogs have a slightly shorter lifespan than their Black or Yellow Lab variants. More reason to celebrate them now!
  • German Shorthaired Pointer: These dogs are energetic hunting dogs with some of the prettiest coats on the list. They have two brown variations—solid and white with brown spots—and both are absolutely gorgeous.
  • Cane Corso: These dogs are intimidating, but actually highly friendly. They have short, shiny coats that can come in a warm beige or deep chocolate color. They make great guard dogs, but it’s important to socialize them well.
  • Chihuahua: Chihuahuas come in all sorts of colors and varieties, but the classic coat color for this dog is a bright fawn. These tiny dogs are full of personality and perfect if you want an energetic dog but live in a smaller space.
  • Cavalier King Charles Spaniel: These Spaniels are highly popular with families, and they’re known for their soft, silky ears and long wavy coats. Their most common color is a rich chestnut that you’re sure to fall in love with.
  • Dachshund: Another famous brown dog, the Dachshund is known for its long body. They were actually bred to hunt badgers, and their short legs help them get into a badger hole. Their nickname, “wiener dog,” celebrates both their odd shape and the hot-dog-colored brown coat that’s the most common in the breed.
  • Labradoodle: Labradoodles are designer mixes between Labradors and poodles, and they’re famous for their tan, slightly curly coats that make them look like big teddy bears. They’re energetic, intelligent, and friendly, and the curly coat is low-shedding too!
brown dog celebrating 4th of July
Image By: Camylla Battani, Unsplash

Other Doggy Holidays

  • Jan 29—Seeing Eye Guide Dog Day
  • Feb 3—National Golden Retriever Day
  • Mar 4—Iditarod Race
  • Mar 13—K9 Veterans Day
  • Mar 23—National Puppy Day
  • Apr 30—Adopt a Shelter Pet Day
  • May 1—International Doodle Day
  • May 6—Westminster Kennel Club Show
  • May 20—National Rescue Dog Day
  • June 4—Corgi Day
  • July 31—National Mutt Day
  • Aug 10—National Spoil Your Dog Day
  • Aug 26—National Dog Day
  • Oct 1—Black Dog Day
  • Oct 21—National Fetch Day

Divider 7

Final Thoughts

As you can see, there’s a lot to celebrate! This February 2nd, thank the brown dogs in your life by doing something special for National Brown Dog Day. Whether you’re giving your dog a treat, organizing an event, or volunteering at a local shelter, it’s a great day to do something special.

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Featured Image Credit: Mark a. leech, Shutterstock

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