Celebrating dogs come pretty naturally to those who adore them. Since most of us consider our four-legged pals fuzzy family members, it’s only obvious that we enjoy celebrating their birthdays! Whether you know your pup’s actual birth date or you just want to honor the day he came home with you from the shelter, we’ve got some great ideas to help you get the fun started!
#1 – Pick the Perfect Location
Location choice will depend on a number of different factors, such as the time of year, the number of guests, and the size of the dogs attending. A party of 10 Saint Bernards is probably going to need a larger location than a Dachshund party. If you’ve got a large yard, you should have no problem holding it at your home. But apartment dwellers might need to find a dog-friendly park nearby. No matter what you choose, your pup and his furry friends are sure to have a blast!
#2 – Provide Drinks & Snacks
You’ll obviously have plenty of fresh water available at all times since dogs can get very hot and thirsty running around all day! But when it comes to snacks, make sure to check with the other owners about any ingredients you might want to avoid. Some pups have very sensitive tummies and can be allergic to certain ingredients. You certainly don’t want to give out anything that would harm your guests!
#3 – Cake!
This is one of the best parts of the party! Following the same guidelines for choosing snacks, try to find or make a cake with ingredients that your guests should be safe eating. There are more and more dog bakeries popping up every week, and tons of dog-friendly cakes and treats can be made from simple ingredients in your home! In fact, you might have as much fun baking the cake with your pup as you do feeding it to him!
#4 – Set Up a Photo Booth
Just like human parties, dog parties can be full of fun entertainment! A photo booth is a great way to capture wonderful memories while also giving dog owners a souvenir to take home and cherish forever. Let’s face it, we’re all constantly taking photos of our dogs anyway. So why not have some fun dressing up your pooch with props and snapping some photos?
#5 – Try Out Agility
If you’re looking for more fun things to do at your pup’s party, consider giving agility a try. Agility equipment can be rented or purchased at discount prices if you aren’t looking for competition training, and your dog is certain to enjoy learning new tricks. Teaching your pooch and her friends to go over jumps and run through tunnels for treats and toys will be a hit at the party!
#6 – Play Find It Games
Find It games are a fun way to teach your pup to use his nose. Hide treats in places in your house or yard, wherever the party is, and let each dog find them one at a time. You can start by showing your pup where you hide the first treat and encourage him to seek it out. Soon enough, you’ll be able to send him to find all of the hidden snacks without your help. Dogs don’t need training for this, and it’s a fun way to teach them how to use their noses and get their brains working for food!
#7 – Hold a Talent Show
Does your dog or any of her friends know any special tricks? Holding a doggie talent show will give you and your guests and opportunity to enjoy the dogs’ tricks! If someone is especially good at obedience training, they can even put on a little demo to show the rest of the party the cool things their dog can do! Let there be a fun prize for the pooch who’s voted the winner!
#8 – Make It a Pool Party
If your dog’s birthday is in the hot summer, set up some kiddie pools outside to let your dog and his friends play around in. Better yet, if you’ve got access to a dog-friendly pool, lake, or beach, you can turn it into a swimming party! No matter the pool size, however, the pups are sure to enjoy cooling off in the water after playing around so much.
#9 – Have a Treat Eating Contest
It’s no secret that dogs love food, so why not make a game out of it? Doggie bakeries make mini pies, muffins and cakes and are a great treat to use in an eating contest. If you’re not close to a dog bakery, you can make these treats at home too! Make sure each owner has a hold of their dog so that none of the pups get angry with each other over the food, and see who eats the treats the fastest!
#10 – Make Sure to Supervise
While you likely know your friends and their dogs well, disagreements between pooches can and do happen. Make sure that no dogs are left unsupervised together at any time, and make sure to keep an eye on their behavior around treats and toys. While they may be best friends outside of the yard, a dog might become possessive over their favorite item and aggress and their friend. Always be prepared for anything to happen, and you’re likely to have a fun, safe party!
