Your dog’s birthday is a big deal, and it calls for a celebration!
Nowadays, dog parents are hosting lavish parties to celebrate their mutts’ birthdays, and why not? We treat our dogs like family every other day of the year; shouldn’t their birthdays be observed in grand fashion, too?
Throwing a birthday party for your dog can be done on a large scale, or it can be done on a budget. It’s really all about what’s right for you and your family. In today’s blog post, I’m going to give you 8 steps to plan your dog’s birthday party that won’t break the bank but are still guaranteed to make it a great time for all!
Make sure you read all the way to end of this blog post where you can grab some FREE printable birthday party invitations, too!
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8 Steps to Plan a Dog Birthday Party
1. Create your guest list.
Will your party be people only, or will it include some of your dog’s best 4-legged friends? This decision should be based on a couple of things: first, do you have space for both people and dogs to have a good time?
Secondly, and most importantly, are the dogs on your guest list well acquainted with one another? Lots of people, dogs, and activity can create a stressful atmosphere, so if you’re going to include dogs, make sure you know they’re comfortable in such a setting.
2. Choose the location.
If your party will be large with lots of people and dogs, it might be wise to move it to a dog-friendly park, a dog daycare facility, or a dog-friendly beach.
No matter where you decide to host your party, you’ll want to make sure there’s sufficient cover in the event of inclement weather, and it’s a great idea to have a secure area where pups can go to potty and just take a few minutes to get away from the festivities.
3. Choose the decorations.
Again, this is a personal choice. You can go all out with balloons and crepe paper, or you can keep the party decor very simple. Keep in mind what best suits your dog’s personality.
4. Decide on the invitations.
Whether you order your invitations online, send an e-vite, or make your own, you’ll want a fun invitation that really gets your guests in the mood for a celebration.
Just for fun, I’ve got a couple of FREE printable invitations that you might like to use! Just print them on card stock or heavy paper (I like 32 pound paper, it’s so luxurious!) and pass them out to your friends. You can grab them at the end of this post!
5. Plan the menu.
Planning the food for a dog-friendly birthday party is fun, especially if you and your dog don’t mind spending a little time in the kitchen. Some great menu ideas include a dog birthday cake, sweet potato chews, and of course these delicious peanut butter and apple sauce cookies for dogs. They’re always a hit!
Planning the food for your human guests can also be fun if you give it a dog-centric theme. Everybody loves pizza and if you throw in some “fetch” breadsticks, you’ll have some happy guests at your party.
And don’t forget that there are many people foods that are also good for dogs.
6. What about activities?
There are so many fun things you can do at a dog’s birthday party. Dogs always love a rousing game of fetch, and that’s an activity that your human guests can participate in, too.
Your human guests might also enjoy this fun dog personality quiz! Just save the quiz to your computer and then print off enough for your party!
7. Dress your dog for the occasion.
If your dog is anything like mine, I’m betting she’s not a fan of costumes. That’s okay, because this simple yet adorable bandana will let your guests know who the birthday girl – or boy! – is in style!
Click here to get the birthday girl bandana, and click here for the birthday boy. You can save 10% on your order when you use code DL5Q9VTB at checkout!
8. No gifts, please.
I’m betting your dog already has everything in the world she could ever want, so why not ask guests to skip the gifts and instead make a donation to your favorite shelter or rescue group. They can probably claim their donation as a tax deduction, and think about all the good it could do for those sweet pets waiting for their forever home.
Grab Your FREE Printable Party Invitations Here
But just because your dog isn’t getting gifts doesn’t mean that you can’t get a little freebie for the party! Remember printable invitations I mentioned above?
These adorable printable dog birthday party invitations are yours! They’re available in my FREE Resource Library for dog moms! Not only will you find these cuties, but you’ll also find lots of checklists, planners, printable wall art, greeting cards and more! All you need is a password to access all the good stuff!
Enter your email address in the box below to get the password to my FREE Resource Library!
Have you ever hosted a dog birthday party?
What tips do you have for planning a fabulous birthday party for your dog? I’d love for you to leave a comment below or, better yet, come join me in my private Facebook group for dog moms and let’s chat!
I’ve thrown catered parties for Wynston before! This was the first year I didn’t, since we traveled instead. I have a delicious doggy cupcake recipe on my blog!