It's National Pet Month, the perfect occasion for animal guardians to give their best friends some extra love and attention. Animals aren't tough to please—they appreciate even just a little quality time with us. Our funny friend Fred Willard and his canine buddy like to spend time together practicing table etiquette and trading dog jokes:

Some tried-and-true ways to tell your loyal companion how much he or she means to you are extra-long play sessions, a new toy, or homemade treats. Check out these doggone good tips from Ingrid E. Newkirk's book Let's Have a Dog Party! and purrfect pointers from 250 Things You Can Do to Make Your Cat Adore You for more fun ways to speak your animal companion's language.

"We give dogs time we can spare, and love we can spare. And, in return, they give us their all. It's the best deal anyone ever made."
—M. Acklam

Does your dog get the "leftovers"—leftover time, leftover attention, leftover energy? We're all busy, but our dogs deserve more than leftovers. Quality time with their humans—spent playing fetch or hide-and-seek or getting a massage or even just a scratch behind the ears or a belly rub—is food for the doggie soul. Here are some fun, easy "snacks" for your dog's psyche from PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk's book Let's Have a Dog Party!

Dogs appreciate the simplest of gestures. Even a few kind words can send a pup into belly-up bliss. Praise your dog often with kind words, such as "Good puppy! What a sweetie! We love you!" and prepare for the wet kisses. Special treats—a new toy (try a musical one), homemade biscuits, or even cardboard boxes to shred, a sock with a ball tied inside it, or a branch to chew on—can make a dog's day. A raised voice can ruin it.

Every dog loves a walk, and they need the exercise (as do we!). They also need to catch up on all the local neighborhood news, so let them sniff. If you're using a collar, which can cause imperceptible but nagging neck injuries even if the dog pulls only slightly, try switching to a safer and more comfortable harness, which gives you better and easier control. Never use a choke or pinch collar—they hurt, and they're dangerous. Your best bet for dogs who pull hard is a Sense-ation harness, which has a front leash attachment.

When the weather is hot, short walks (never jogs) during the coolest parts of the day are best, choosing shady, grassy routes and avoiding hot pavement, which can burn foot pads. If you can't walk barefoot on it, your dog shouldn't have to, either. Walk at a leisurely pace and take along water. Overexerted dogs can quickly suffer from heatstroke because of their fur coats and inability to perspire through their skin, just as they do  when they are left in a hot car.

A dog party is a great way to show that you care. There are plenty of excuses to throw one—birthdays, adoption anniversaries, "bark" mitzvahs, and more. Invite friends to the beach, a dog park, or your backyard, and treat canine and human guests to fun games, snacks, and goodie bags.

For more detailed ideas for giving your biggest fan some star treatment, enter to win a copy of Let's Have a Dog Party! by posting a comment below telling us how you celebrate your dog.*

Written by Michelle Sherrow

*The winner will be chosen at random from commenters who tell us how they celebrate their dogs. The contest ends September 2, 2011, and the winner will be notified by September 16. Rules and restrictions apply. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.

A survey by Purina shows that 60 percent of doggie guardians are including their pooches in their Valentine's Day plans. The survey also found that 26 percent of guardians say "I love you" to their dogs at least once a day—the same percentage that share the sentiment with their significant other on a daily basis. Might as well face it, we're addicted to loving our dogs.

That's why Purina hosted a celebrity-studded "Be My Valentine" Doggie Dinner Party, complete with a red carpet stroll for the canines and live entertainment (Three Dog Night, perhaps?). I wonder if anyone asked for a doggie bag?

If you missed the doggie dinner party in New York, don't worry—you can still host a dog party of your own. (There are lots of fun ideas in PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk's book Let's Have a Dog Party.) Or you could take a cue from a group of kindhearted second-graders in Virginia who delivered valentines to outdoor dogs in hopes of convincing their owners to show love to their dogs by taking them inside.

However you plan to pamper your pooch (or someone else's), here's wishing you a happy Valentine's Dog—er, Day!

Written by Michelle Sherrow