How to Throw a Party for your Dog

Thinking of throwing a ‘pawty’?

What better way to show our infinite love for our furry family members than by throwing a birthday ‘pawty’ for them? As our dogs become an increasingly central figure in the family unit, there’s no doubt that there’s been a significant growth in trends such as celebrating your pet’s birthday in recent years. According to our Pet Report of 2023, more than three quarters of the population celebrate their pets birthday annually, with the most common celebration being a treat or special walk. More than 43% of respondants said that they like to treat their dog to a birthday present, while more than 18% go all out and buy a dog-friendly cake.

A doggie birthday party is more than just an excuse to have fun – it’s a special time for the humans to enjoy time with their beloved furry family members, and to show them just how appreciated they are!

If you’ve read this far, you’re probably already planning something special –  so allow us to be your pawty planning pack, and check out our guide to throwing a pawesome party for your pooch!

Pre-Party Planning Checklist

1. Invitees

As with any party, choosing who you would like to invite is important (or, impawtent should we say!). Make sure to cater to your dog’s needs – are they friendly and social and love meeting other dogs? Then a large guest list full of their friends from day-care, the neighbourhood, training class, or the even the grooming studio would be ideal. If your dog is a little less social, it’s best to keep the list to just a few hooman friends or family-only.

2. Venue

The local dog park, your back garden or even a dog-friendly community centre; your choice of venue is essential to your pawty-planning. Whatever the location, make sure it’s escape-proof!

3. Decorations

If you want to go all out, make sure to check off all the items you need for a classic barkday birthday bash. Bunting, balloons, party hats, party goodie bags are all essentials for throwing the ulti-mutt party. But don’t forget, it’s a dog’s party after all – make sure there’s no small items dogs could choke on, hide cords, lock up the rubbish bin and stow away poisonous houseplants. Be sure to provide plenty of fresh water in bowls too as partying, while fun, can be tiring too!

4. Delicious Treats

Look no further than Life of Riley Bakery for a range of delicious birthday/gotcha day themed cakes and cupcakes. This luxurious range of birthday cakes, pupcakes and special occasion treats for dogs is a must have for your dog’s birthday pawty. Birthday themed cakes, biscuits, and pupcakes – as well as a Bake Your Own cake mix – this bakery range is a must-have for all doggie birthday celebrations!

Puppucinnos are another great addition to any party; make sure to grab some small takeaway coffee cups, some dairy-free cottage cheese and your dog’s favourite biscuits and voila, you have a puppucinno your dog is guaranteed to go barking mad over!

5. Goodie Bags

If you’re inviting a plethora of guests you might consider giving away some party goodie bags. The Life of Riley party pupcakes make an excellent goodie bag filler, but also consider giving away some toys and other special items your canine friends would appreciate.

The Kong Special Occasions Birthday Balloon are a fun addition to any birthday with a festive fetch toy that is the life of the party. The long rope is ideal for games of tug and fetch and provide a fiesta of shaking fun that satisfies instinctual needs. The KONG SqueakAir Ball combines two classic dog toys – the tennis ball and the squeaker toy – to create the perfect fetch toy, ideal for giving as a present or include in a party goodie bag.

Party Outfit

Make sure your dog celebrates their big day in style with our range of birthday bandanas, such as the LI’L PALS by COASTAL Birthday Combo, designed to add a touch of festive flair to your small dog or puppy’s party attire. This party-themed set is the perfect way to celebrate in style and make your pet’s birthday memorable and fun!

Why not try the Bert’s Bows ‘It’s My Birthday’ bandana as the perfect party attire? Stylish, comfortable and oh-so adorable, it’s the pawfect addition to your dog’s birthday wardrobe. Available in blue, red and multi-coloured.

Activities

Now to think about what it is your dog and their pals can actually do at the party. Naturally, you’ll need plenty of toys; a mix of familiar feeling toys, along with some new ones, should give your dog plenty of choice so that they can really get the most out of their special day.

Additionally, we also recommend some mental stimulation games to ensure that their brains are getting a work out just like their bodies.

If it’s summer and your pet is a fan of water, why not make a splash and provide a small pool to play in, along with some water friendly splash toys.

Alternatively, an obstacle course is another great addition to your dog’s birthday activities. Not only will this give them the opportunity to experience a new environment and get some exercise, but it will also be fun for you to watch.

Party Safety Quick Tips

• Only invite dogs who know each other and play well together. It’s also totally acceptable to limit the party to humans only!
• Make sure the dogs are being monitered and watched at all times.
• Be aware of food aggression. Only serve individual treats, and give dogs space for eating them.
• Have a dog first aid kit on hand, just to be safe.
• Have plenty of cleaning supplies and wipes
• Overall, you should have a heightened sense of safety during your dog birthday party. You’re the human in charge!

Post-Party

Once all the fun and games are complete, and your dog has had the best pawsible day, ensure you give them plenty of time to calm down and relax. Birthday parties can sometimes be overwhelming for even the most social dogs so it’s important to help them cool off afterwards.

Some dogs may just want to sleep it off and find a nice comfy spot to decompress, others might need some attention from you and to be reassured that everything is okay. In either case, it’s important to respect their wishes and help them come down gradually from the excitement of the day.

Following these steps, you should be able to give your pet a su-paw birthday party, where they can safely celebrate turning another year older!