How to Throw the Ultimate Birthday Party for Your Dog!

The other day it occurred to me that my pups second birthday is only a month away! What?! It feels like just yesterday that I picked her out from her litter and started planning to bring home my new puppy. I immediately began prepping for the big day by ordering presents and finding the perfect “pup”-cake recipe to bake. In the midst of placing Chewy orders and scrounging Pinterest, I had an idea for the perfect way to celebrate, a dog birthday party! But with any party comes a lot of planning so today I’m sharing 9 tips to throw the ultimate dog birthday party!

Prepare a Guest List

The first step to throwing the ultimate dog birthday party is to put together a guest list. Are you inviting furry friends, human friends, or both?

Consider your dog and how well he gets along with both people and other pups. If your dog is known to be overwhelmed by lots of people, plan to only invite a few close friends.

If your dog has a history of being reactive towards other dogs, consider only inviting their favorite humans to celebrate their special day. If you aren’t sure how they’ll react to new dogs, stick with pups that they already know.

Whatever you choose, ensure that your dog is going to feel comfortable with the amount of people or pets involved. It is their party after all!

Pick a Party Venue

An indoor party may be great if your guests are mainly humans or just a couple of dogs. However, if you plan to have lots of pups running around, an outdoor venue may be best.

A dog park or beach is a great place to gather a group of furry friends for a party. If you plan to have lots of humans, along with their pups, a dog friendly brewery or outdoor restaurant is a fantastic option for a doggy birthday party.

Party in Style

Every birthday boy or girl needs a birthday outfit! Pick a birthday bandana or sweater for your pup to wear on their special day.

You can also purchase birthday hats for your pup and his guests to wear during the party!

Decorate, Decorate, Decorate!

The ultimate birthday party for your dog would not be complete without some paw-some decor! Decorate the party with dog themed balloons, streamers, or banners!

Note: Make sure all decor is hung high enough to avoid someone mistaking it as a snack!

Set Out Refreshments

Purchase some of your pups favorite treats to serve as refreshments for the party. You can even serve some extra special treats such as bites of chicken, sliced veggies, and peanut butter!

Bake “Pup”-Cakes!

No party is complete without a cake! Bake some peanut butter “pup”-cakes for your pooch to share with all his friends. 

Fill Some Kiddie Pools

Kiddie pools are the perfect addition to ultimate dog birthday party. Fill some pools with cool water for the pups who love to swim! If you have some guests who don’t enjoy water, you can fill a kiddie pool with balls for them to jump in and choose from. 

Play Games!

Plan some games to keep the pups entertained! A couple ideas include:

• Scavenger hunt: hide treats around the area for the dogs to sniff out
• Obstacle course: set up agility equipment and see which pooch can get through it the fastest
• Brain games: bring some dog puzzles and let the dogs attempt to solve them

Send Home Party Favors

Send all your guests home with favors to remember the fun day! Fill a goodie bag with yummy treats and a couple fun toys. 

If you have a polaroid camera or printer, take a picture with your pup and each of their guests to send home as a special keepsake.