Congratulations! Your precious canine companion has turned another year older. There’s no better way to celebrate than by hosting a special dog-friendly birthday party for them! Whether you’re a first-time puppy raiser, or the proud caretaker of a dog reaching a substantially old age, a state-of-the-art birthday bash is called for.
In the following guide, we’re here to share all of our best tips and tricks to help you throw the best dog party paw-sible! We’ll provide recommendations for the perfect location, party supplies, useful canine-friendly food recipes, and dog socializing tips from canine experts, covering all the bases.
The Ideal Location
The first step in your party-planning journey is to pick a suitable location! Some location ideas include your backyard, your home, a dog park, or a beach that allows dogs to play on it. Choose a location that works for you and your pet, as well as the guests. Some dogs may have issues with traveling long distances, so keep this in mind, if possible. Above all else, when deciding on where to throw the party, make sure it’s a safe area for dogs of all sizes and ages to be present in.
According to Daily Paws, there are many easy ways to dog-proof your chosen party venue! Ensure that the garden or dog park is secure and fenced in with appropriately high fences if dogs are playing off-leash, and make sure there are no escape points. You should always supervise dogs if they’re near to or in a pool or other body of water. If celebrating at home, keep medications in cabinets that can be locked, or on high, secure shelves, and keep all food off counters, especially foods that are not dog-safe. If possible, install pet-proof latches on low cabinets, and be careful of where wires or cables are stored, in case of any chewing!
It’s definitely important to consider the above points if you haven’t already, or if you’re planning on holding the birthday event in someone else’s home or in a venue. Fur babies are our family members, so it’s key that they have the safest day possible, and that other guests attending with their own pets feel safe too.
Extravagant Invitations
Once you’ve selected the date, time, and location of your dog’s birthday celebration, now you can go about choosing some gorgeous invitations! Take your pick from our marvelous selection of different dog birthday party invitations made by our community of Independent Creators, or create your own design from scratch using our design tool.
A clever idea for your invites is to match the theme of the party to the design; for example, you can opt for a park invitation if throwing a dog park party, or customize a pool invitation if you’re hosting a pool party! You could also just choose an invitation design that you think is truly adorable, and, trust us, we’ve got a lot of those. Once you’ve added all the important details to your invites and ordered them, we’ll take care of the rest!
Amazing Activities
Now that your location has been secured and dog-proofed, and you’ve chosen your dream invitations, it’s time to come up with some fun party activities! When deciding on these, it’s a good idea to consider the types of dogs attending and what games or activities they may enjoy.
- If you’ve chosen to host a party on the beach or in your backyard and you’ve got a pool, one great activity idea is to let the dogs swim and play around in the water! We recommend stocking up on some dog toys made specifically for water-based activities, like this Chuckit! Amphibious Roller.
- It’s no secret that the majority of dogs absolutely adore running, so why not organize a special dog race? If there’s enough space in your garden or yard, you could even have the guest pups compete and show off their skills in an extravagant dog-safe agility course. Entice the four-legged participants and their owners by telling them that the winners get cool prizes!
- A treat treasure hunt is a simple and cost-effective activity option that will delight every last canine in attendance! To do this, simply scatter your treats of choice in your backyard or house, and then let the dogs loose to sniff and scavenge for the goods with their powerful scent detection skills.
- The most popular and well-known dog activity is obviously playing fetch! To raise the bar higher, though, why not design some special custom tennis balls for the occasion? Pro tip: let your guests keep these after the party ends for their furry friends as a thoughtful favor!
- If you’re looking for a cute way to keep the dog owners entertained while their fur babies play all afternoon, have them make some of our fantastic DIY dog bow ties!
Bone Appétit
Who’s ready fur some delicious treats? The next step is to decide on the type of food you’ll provide at your dog’s party. You could opt for a full dog-friendly meal, or simply serve up some slices of dog-friendly cake or pretty pupcakes. We highly recommend using paper plates when serving food to the canine attendees, in order to avoid any safety issues or damage to your dinnerware. You’ll also need to include some delicious refreshments for the humans attending the party too, of course!
The Party Set-up
To pull off a truly impressive dog birthday party, you’ll need some fetching party decorations and supplies! We’ve got you covered in this department. Why not design a lovely bunting flag set or party sign to display inside or outside the venue?
We’ve also got some wonderfully cozy dog blankets perfect for the pets’ relaxation time. You could also choose a calming dog-friendly music mix or playlist to put on during the party, for example, this Spotify playlist here.
Party Favors
No paw-ty is ever fully complete without some exciting party favors! Let the dogs express their fashionable side by ordering some unique dog bandanas or collars. Treat the doggie guests to some nice treats or high-quality chew toys. You could even go the extra mile by offering them some stunning personalized dog bowls!
Extra Tips
Now that you’ve reached this point in our guide, you’re almost ready to throw the best dog birthday party anyone’s ever seen! However, before we go, we’d just like to give you a few more useful tips to ensure that your party runs smoothly.
Make sure to have your camera or phone at the ready to capture the event! Immortalize this adorable day staging a photoshoot of all the attendees (dogs and owners!) For some advice on taking impressive photos of pets, be sure to check out our “How to Take Good Photos of Your Pet” article. You could even dress up the fluffy attendees, if they are comfortable with that!
Finally, make sure to always have the safety and comfort of the dogs and their owners at the forefront of your mind. According to Pet MD, when introducing other dogs into the home of yours, monitor them closely, supervise them when food or toys are present, use leashes if needed, and watch out for positive or negative dog body language.
We truly hope your dog party is a roaring success, and that you and your guests totally raise the woof! It’s time to eat, play, and be furry. Remember, It’s their birthday and they’ll bark if they want to.
Ella is a content specialist from Cork, Ireland. Her passions include spending time with her two energetic dogs, fashion, photography, and trying new vegan food!
