Give your dog a birthday party

Dogs are social creatures. Just like you, your dogs have their friends, they love a great party, they love to play, they love to eat, they love presents. Did you know that they also love birthday parties? Yes, it's true.  Dogs love any excuse to party.  So do Hank and I, so we fully understand.

Now you may think we're crazy, but Hank and I have never missed a pet's birthday. Here are some tips and ideas for your next doggie's birthday.

Oh, and for those of you who'd like to know, this is both a HubChallenge hub and a HubMob hub.  Exciting stuff.  Hope you enjoy.

Got any more ideas? We'd love to hear them.

How do you manage that?

• Your friends have dogs.
• Your neighbors walk their dogs.
• People bring their dogs to parks.
• Pet classes have dogs.

Blossom your dog's social life by blossoming your own. The more people with dogs you know, stop to talk to, etc. the more dogs your dog will come into contact with under social situations. The more you do this, the more people you'll meet, and sooner than later, you'll find you have a whole group of friends with the same interest... dogs!

This is something to think about during a couple of the party planning stages, because who and how many directly correlate with ...

• Where the party is going to take place
• What time of year
• What types of dogs (breeds, size, class)
• How well which dogs get along with which dogs
• How many dogs

Depending on the types of dogs your dog is friends with, and the time of year, you may be choosing

• a park -- Great if the park is an off leash park. The point is for them to get together and play as a pack and enjoy themselves, be able to run around, chase sticks etc. This may be a better meeting or walking date place than a party place if it is not an off leash park. Also take into consideration how many other dogs will be around, as your dog's party should really be a more private affair to get its full affect. You don't want to be worried about people and dogs you and your pet do not know.
• your back yard -- probably the very best place. Take space into account when choosing who to invite. You don't want it too crowded. However if you don't want a bunch of big dogs trompling your grass and garden, this may not be the best situation for you, or, you may want to limit your larger dog's friends to two for more control and better out of garden interaction. If your dog and your dog's friends are small, and assuming none of them are obsessive diggers, your yard and garden area should suit the situation just fine, even with quite a bunch of friends.
• a friends' back yard -- if a friend offers their yard for the party, it's just fine to accept. Keep in mind the same rules and situations apply as if it were your own back yard. Be sure you agree on ground rules, and even then, because it's not your own yard, you may want to be a bit more careful with plans than you would if it were your own yard being used.
• a dog friendly room in your house or a friend's house -- think of space, think of pet sizes and energy levels, think of weather (if too hot or too cold outside, you will definitely need to go this indoor route; more strictly so if any of the dogs joining the party have sensitive skin or are small breeds). Also think of these possibilities before making your decision: poop, pee, vomit, water or food bowl spills...

Be sure to have enough of the following in terms of entertainment:

• Ice Cream Paws (can be found in your grocer's freezer by the people ice cream)
• Frisbees and or rope toys -- For play and competition
• balls of appropriate size -- For play and keeping them occupied.
• bandanna's -- Most dogs actually feel special wearing their collars, they feel part of a group. A bandanna will do the same thing. Hand out bandannas at the beginning of the festivities and have all of the owners (including you) tie on the bandannas at the same time. This enforces to the dogs that they are part of a pack, however temporary. We do this at the beginning of walk with new acquaintances and it works wonders. They tend to be more likely to work together and look out for each other as opposed to working apart. Possessiveness also diminishes.
• chew toys -- For play and comfort (you can suggest your guests bring one of their own).
• treats -- Reward some of the good behaviours, offers for a nice break.
• water -- You don't want thirsty or overheated pups. In fact, you may want to think about setting out a sprinkler or puppy pool for some refreshing fun if you're going to party hearty outside.
• music -- Animals respond to music, you can alter the course of things just by playing something sweet, or mellow; it could also help out some of the more nervous pets.
• doggie bags aka pooper scoopers
• disposable or digital cameras -- You can give out disposable cameras to each of your guest's owners so everyone can take photos during the festivities.

 There is really no need to bring a gift.  The point of the party is the company and memories, as well as the good social health of your dog or dogs and yourself.

However, if you feel so inclined, or you feel as though the pet owner is expecting you to or would prefer you too, and you feel to oblige them, here are some useful and appropriate ideas.

• Gift card to PetSmart, PetCo, Target, or other pet supplier frequented by the party dog
• A new toy.  Try to be sure it's of a type preferred by the party dog's owner.  Owners can be picky about materials and brands their pets play with.  When in doubt, ask.  If you're not sure, go with a gift card or another choice.
• A photo album.  A fantastic gift that can be bought for little money spent.  You may have one you haven't used, or you may find one on sale as I often see them for a dollar on end caps or clearance sections.  Perhaps start it off with a photo or picture postcard of your dog.  A fantastic way to hold memories of ones pets and their pets' friends.
• Bag of preferred or acceptable dog treats or dog food.
• A jar for pets' treats

This should do to get you started.  You've probably had plenty of time to get to know both the owner and the pet and have a fairly good idea of what to go with. Veering from this list is, of course, completely appropriate.  Hopefully this made for a good starting off point for you. 

Leaving a gift receipt with given gift is totally acceptable.

Dogs are NOT people, so you have to take into consideration their safety. Balloons, I would say, are a probable NO NO unless you're securing them high up out of reach and far from lights where they can burn and pop.

Please take care to research possible allergies your invited guests have to ingredients that may be found in foods that you will be serving.

Just like people parties and celebrations, doggies love all kinds of excuses to get together and party. 

Don't forget to take time out to enjoy today and everyday with your pets.  You mean the world to them.

~Naddy