Spoiled Dog Party! Guest Blogger Julee Russo

Second in a series of blog posts by the talented and dog loving writer, Julee Russo. You can read her December 20th post here.

Happy Birthday Doggie!

photo from http://bloggydoggies.com/top-3-doggy-cake-recipes/

Spoiled Dog Party

Spoiled! We are talking menu, décor, activities, party favors, heck even a doggy piñata! Planning a birthday party for your dog? You can go all out and invite the whole neighborhood to celebrate the birth of your favorite companion. There are several items you’ll want to include in your dog party, so make a list and have fun. If you plan your party well in advance, you’ll have time to put together a menu, buy all your decorations and other supplies, and even buy a dog-bone piñata. Here’s everything you’ll need to put together a wonderful birthday party for your favorite pal.

Plan the Menu

A spoiled dog party needs to have a lot of delicious treats. Your menu needs to include dog-safe food, such as prepackaged dog treats and homemade goodies with ingredients that are safe for them to eat. Make sure you use fresh ingredients and cook the treats thoroughly. Some ideas for homemade treats include the following:

· Chicken liver treats

· Peanut Butter & Oat Balls

· Pet Party Mix

You can bake a large Doggy Cake, or you can make individual cupcakes for all the four-legged guests so there’s no fighting over one large cake. There are several recipes available on the Internet for different flavored cupcakes. The one ingredient you want to make sure you absolutely do not use is chocolate. It is very dangerous for dogs and could kill them in certain quantities. Do your research before selecting your own ingredients (grapes and walnuts are toxic as well).

Decorations and Supplies

You’ll want to decorate your backyard for your dog’s party just as you would for a child’s birthday party. Hang streamers and balloons, a large banner, wall decor, and a tablecloth to match your party’s theme. Pick up plenty of durable paper plates to serve the food on. Make favor-boxes with dog treats, small toys, collars, and other items perfect for the birthday dog’s friends. If kids are coming too, you can make party favors for them. Buy matching invitations to send to all the neighborhood dogs and their companions. For an extra treat, pick up a special pet costume for the guest of honor.

Buy a Dog-Bone Pinata

Whether it’s the dogs or the kids, everyone will have fun hitting a piñata and dumping the treats that are inside. Some companies sell dog themed piñatas. You could actually purchase 2, one that you will fill with dog treats and the other with candy. For the dogs, you should hang it low enough so that the dogs at the party can take turns giving it a good wack of the paw until it opens and they can eat what’s inside. Just make sure you are always supervising, and if there is any chance the dogs can get possessive with the treats, spread the dogs out and give them each a handful. The second candy filled piñata would be for the kids at heart.

Your dog’s birthday party can be a fun and enjoyable experience for everyone. Plan some other activities, such as digging up buried bones or chasing a ball. Have a costume party and judge who has the best one. You can use large rawhide bones or toys for prizes. Be creative and have fun.