For most people, celebrating your birthday is always one of the highest anticipated days of the year. I mean, who doesn’t love one day of the year entirely dedicated to them? Your birthday normally consists of celebrating with the people nearest and dearest to you, it can’t get any better than that! That is why when it comes to pets – who are also part of the family – celebrating their day of birth is just as important as any other family member. Throwing birthday parties can be fun and exciting, but when it’s done for your pet the excitement is a whole lot bigger.

Who doesn’t love a room full of dogs in party hats? Besides, celebrating your dog’s birthday is a good excuse to have all your fellow doggy friends over for a barbecue while you socialise with your human friends.

How to throw a birthday party for your dog

Why have a Dog Party?

There are a lot of things you should consider before you host a birthday party for your dog but the most important thing you should decide is whether hosting a party is a good idea to begin with. For humans, this may seem like the perfect idea, but while your dog cannot voice their opinion to you, it is important you judge their behaviour to see if they are capable of celebrating their day. If your dog is anxious or disobedient and aggressive around other dogs, it might be best to keep the party intimate to their favourite human friends. Parties – especially those including treats for prizes – can end up causing competitiveness between dogs, and if the host – or any other invited guests – are not entirely friendly towards other dogs, you may want to reconsider the idea. After all, you don’t want to ruin their day. But if you think your dog is quite sociable and would love to have a party then by all means start prepping! You can choose to have a party at the park, at the beach if possible, or at home if you have a large enough space.

For dogs that suffer from anxiety when interacting with other dogs but you still feel they are able to be a host, having a party in the comfort of their own home will be a great chance for them to socialise with other dogs without feeling too overwhelmed.

Hosting a Dog Party

If throwing a dog party is your final decision don’t feel overwhelmed with pressure. The ideas are endless and there are a number of resources available online that will help you throw the greatest day for your pooch. The first thing you need to consider is invitations. Again, make sure you have carefully selected guests that you know will be okay in the vicinity of other dogs. There are a number of dog-themed invitations you could purchase from your local newsagency that would be fitting for the occasion. When you send out invitations, make sure you ask of any allergies, as you will be serving food and the last thing you would want is to harm another dog. On the topic of food, you should be cautious of the types of foods you do serve as some human-loved foods are actually highly toxic foods that are a definite no-go for your pet’s party!

If your dog is a senior dog or is incapable of being as active as other dogs, don’t feel discouraged. You can still host a party by having their friends gather around eating some healthy doggy food and listening to some music. You could even consider taking them for a quick walk.

The Dog Party Venue

Setting up the venue in a way that creates a party-like atmosphere. If your party is at a park, you may want to set up mats for the owners including food so they can eat. If there are any trees around you could always hang up Polaroid pictures of your dog and their friends. If you are hosting the event at home, you have a lot more freedom when decorating the area. Aside from hanging up Polaroids of you and your pet, you can even make a slideshow of your greatest selfies with them! After all, those photos eventually do have to come in handy right? For the surrounding areas make sure there is somewhere where the dogs can do their business. Each owner should be responsible of cleaning up their dog’s mess so you might want to encourage them to be with their dog when they need to go.

Dog Games and Activities

As you will most likely be playing games, it is important that you have bowls of water scattered around the venue so the guests don’t become dehydrated. You can purchase disposable bowls from any convenience store and serve different kinds of foods in them. Make sure when serving food you give it directly to the owner as it would be a shame for two guests to fight over one bowl. Have somebody on water duty so they are constantly filling up the bowls around the place with fresh water, especially if it is a hot summer’s day. When your guests arrive, you want to make sure you have everything themed and your pet is looking stylish. If your party is during the winter, why not purchase a trendy coat so your doggy can stand out? If it’s too hot for a coat, you may use either a bow tie or a bandana available in many different colours so everybody knows who is the star of the day – plus they make really cute props for photos. We stock a number of accessories which you may find appealing.

When it comes to activities, this would all depend on your dog’s activity levels. If your dog is quite hyperactive, you have the opportunity to pick any types of games you like. You can be really creative and set up your own agility course, a great chance for those dogs who do not exercise as often to get their little legs working! During the games, it is important that dogs who are not so obedient are kept on a lead until it is their turn. Having more than one dog run across the agility course could be quite dangerous. For the dogs that participate the best you can purchase little dog toys or chews that can be handed out as prizes. The dogs will be able to acknowledge their achievements and are guaranteed to feel great.

Parting Gifts

For little party bag ideas, you could consider purchasing bundles of healthy dog treats and giving them in a goodie bag to each owner. While the pet won’t be receiving these directly, they are a great idea to give to the owner as a thank you, this way they will take them home and use them in the coming weeks. While gifts are always appreciated, why not try raising money for your local animal shelter? Let the guests know that instead of gifts, they could always bring a gold coin donation that you will be giving away. It is a great opportunity to have fun celebrating your dog’s day while still keeping in mind the other dogs that are not as privileged. Remember, you don’t need to spend a lot to make a mark on this special day. The most important thing is that you’re with people who love your pet as much as you do. Spoiling your pet is great every once in a while but if you find you may be pushing the boundaries a little bit you may want to read our guide on where we draw the line.

Attending a Party

If you have been invited to attend a dog’s birthday party, congratulations! You’re officially part of the coolest club out there. There are no limitations on dog’s birthdays so make sure you go all out. This is your chance to be surrounded by people who are just as puppy-obsessed as you are. Remember that dog sweater you impulsively bought one Sunday afternoon? Wear it! Why not make a meat cake and deliver it to your host? There are a number of paw-tisseries around that bake cakes purely for animals. If there isn’t one local to you, here you can find a great website with a scrumptious cake that your pet or other pets will love. If you are attending a puppy’s birthday party don’t turn up empty handed. There are a number of gift ideas you may consider purchasing that your host will appreciate. You could even consider bringing a small toy, some healthy snacks, or even a voucher from one of our stores so their owner can buy them something special.

After reading this article, you will be an expert at hosting your own birthday, so if your friend is hosting one for their pet you can always either share this guide or offer some of your own tips to help make their day run a lot smoother.