Hosting a birthday party for your fur baby is not only fun, but it’s a great way to socialize your pooch. Instead of heading over to a local dog park, which may be filled with large dogs that overwhelm your tiny little guy or overexcite your sweet center of attention, hosting a party at home makes it possible for you to control the guest list. Plus it’s a great way for pet parents to party with their pooches. Can’t make up your mind of what to do? Here are three great themed birthday parties to consider that work for fur babies of all ages and sizes.
Everyone in the pool
If you have a backyard pool and a four-legged birthday boy or girl who loves to swim, host a Pooch-tastic Pool Party. Invite the parents of your guests to stay too, and encourage them to get in the water with their dogs to make sure they are safe and secure. To keep all of your guests happy, buy plenty of waterproof and floating dog toys—your local pet shop should sell durable balls and toys that you can toss in the water. Also, to make sure your four-legged guests can get themselves out of the pool, consider getting a Skamper Ramp from a company like PoolProducts.com. Even though your birthday girl or boy can get out of the pool just fine, some of your guests may need a little more help. Thanks to the sturdy and slip-proof pet ramp, even small dogs can easily get out of the water. For food, consider grilling hot dogs and hamburgers for all of your guests, but be sure the BBQ is away from curious snouts. If it’s OK with your furry friends’ parents, you can make mini cheeseburgers for the dogs and all enjoy lunch together.
A canine diva party
For dogs who adore being pampered and love heading to the groomer for a shampoo and nail trim, host a canine diva party that will have everyone going home looking and smelling great. Check with your potential guests’ parents to make sure their dogs enjoy being groomed. Then hire a mobile pet grooming company to come to your home and shampoo, brush and trim the nails of your four-legged guests. Or, if you are not sure about turning your home into a pooch salon, you could hire a groomer to come and give the two-legged guests tips on how to bathe and trim their dog’s fur at home, and then maybe arrange for a demonstration on a willing dog. For treats, serve cupcakes—some dog specialty stores sell them or you can find a recipe online, and then buy some pretty cupcakes at a regular bakery for you and the other pet parents.
Agility training for all
A lot of dogs enjoy doing agility. Your dog might be one of them, or you might have seen it on TV as a border collie or other athletic dog zipped through tunnels, flew over see saws and weaved through poles. If your birthday boy or girl would rather exercise than eat, host an agility party. Call your local agility club and see if they will rent their equipment to you for a couple of hours. Then hire one of the teachers to come supervise your guests. Dogs of all sizes enjoy playing on the slides and other equipment, and to keep them all cool, place a couple of wading pools in the backyard. Serve pizza and wings to your human guests and dog cakes to your fur baby guests and send everyone home with a new tube of tennis balls and a small box of treats.