Is Your Dog A Party Animal?

There’s a whole host of great reasons to throw a dog party. All children love a good party…and since your pooch is your furchild, he’s bound to have a wonderful time.

If you’ve ever been to a 5 year old’s birthday party, you’ve some idea of what a dog party involves –

Lots of noiseLots of excitementParty gamesParty foodLots of giftsCAKE!

Now you know what you’re getting yourself into, we’ll take a look at the why, where, who and how’s of throwing a dog party that’s a ‘howling success’!

Why

Pick one of these, or be creative…

Birthday PartyCostume/Theme PartyHalloween PartyChristmas PartyValentine’s PartyPuppy Class Graduation Party

Where

Of course you can hold your pup’s party in your living room (if you don’t have Persian rugs and antique furniture), or in your back yard, if it’s safely fenced.

There are other options too though. How about the local park or a dog safe beach? Some dog obedience schools or doggy-day-cares make rooms in their facility available for just such events.

If you choose an outside venue, make sure there’s plenty of shade and fresh water available during the warmer weather.

Who

Unless you want to spend 2 hours doing crowd control for 25 rowdy, over-excited canines don’t be too ambitious with your guest list! Remember every four-legged guest will have at least one two-legged one in tow.

A maximum of 10 – 12 dogs (and assorted owners) is about right. Try to get a fairly even ratio of males to females (dogs that is), as opposite sexes seem to get along a bit better. Also, stick to dogs or puppies that your pooch is familiar with. Think of neighborhood dogs he sees regularly, a friend he meets at the dog park, a relative’s pooch and so on.

How

The motto here is ‘Be Prepared’. Aim to send out written invitations at least 2 weeks prior to the big day. Stock up on dog party supplies and dog party favors, wet wipes and stain remover for any accidents, extra water bowls and toys (for the party games perhaps?) and so on.

Don’t forget the edible party supplies. You’ll need finger food for the canine, and most likely human, party goers. If it’s a dog birthday party (and even if it’s not), a cake is always popular. You can find good recipes to make your own quite easily, or buy a ready-made, personalized cake from a specialist dog bakery. You can even purchase dog party gift baskets, gourmet dog treats, dog party favors and more…that will keep you out of the kitchen on party day.

You’ll need to plan some dog party games. How about –

Musical Chairs – play music while the dogs are walked in a circle on their leashes. When the music stops, tell them to ‘sit’, the last to get his rump on the floor is the loser!

The Best Trick – have each party animal perform their best trick (or obedience exercise), one at a time. Let some impartial members of the party judge them. Best performance wins!

There are lots of other games, and with a bit of imagination you can think up many more. Tasty dog treats work great as prizes.

Now you’re armed with all this knowledge, you’re ready to throw your first dog party. But one last word of warning – don’t forget the safety aspects in all the excitement. If you’re holding your party in an public, outdoor space it’s best to keep all the canine party goers leashed. If you’re in your own home, backyard, fenced area or indoor facility it’s fine for them to be unleashed. Just make sure that they’re ALL unleashed, because squabbling can arise between a dog who’s movements are restricted (by the leash) and one who’s running free.

Make sure there’s plenty of toys, food, snacks, water bowls etc. You don’t want any fights to erupt and pup’s aren’t known for their ability to share nicely!

Pick up any messes (poop, spilled food, broken glass etc.) quickly to avoid accidents, fights or worse.

Oh and don’t forget…it’s a party, have fun!