Let’s get the Pawrty Started

Throwing a party on your dog’s birthday can be a great way to make your pooch feel special and express gratitude for all that your four-legged friend has done to make your life wonderful.  It’s that one day where you can pamper your pet with limitless treats, toys and other gifts. For all those who have never celebrated their dog’s birthday before, it’s time that you give your furry buddy a big surprise by throwing a gala party on his/her next birthday. Here are some tips to help you organize the dog birthday party and make it a memorable event for everyone.

Deciding the Date

Even if you are unaware of your dog’s actual date of birth, you can celebrate the birthday on the day you brought him/her home. Just decide on a date and celebrate your pooch’s birthday on that particular date every year.

Crafting the Birthday Invitation

Crafting a dog birthday invitation card can be great fun. You can use computer tools to design it or make it manually with your hand. Consider including a paw print or bone pattern in the background or make the card in the shape of a dog or a big bone. Personalize the card with your dog’s name, picture and don’t forget to include your contact number and the time and venue of the event in the invitation.

Preparing the Guest List

Include your friends, family members and your doggie’s furry pals and their parents in the guest list. Don’t invite too many pets; else it would get difficult for you to manage the crowd. For every dog you invite, make sure there is atleast one person to manage and look after that pooch during the event. It’s also important to ensure that all the invited dogs are spayed or neutered and do not have any aggression and socialization issues.

Choosing a Venue

When choosing the location for your dog’s birthday, it’s best to opt for a wide open area like your garden or backyard. If you plan to host the party in your backyard, make sure it’s fenced so the dogs won’t be able to escape out. You can also conduct the event in other dog-friendly places like a dog park, a doggie daycare facility or a pet resort.

Here are some Pet Party Venues in Bangalore:

Petspace

Pet Stepin

Paw & Claw

Arranging for the Party Food

Order a personalized birthday cake for your pooch and other canine treats from a good dog bakery in your city.

Here are some dog bakeries that you can order the canine cakes and treats from:

Dog Bakeries in Bangalore: Pupcake, Bone Appetite

Dog Bakeries in Mumbai: The Spoilt brat Barkery, Waggy Bags Gourmet Dog Bakery

Dog Bakery near Delhi: DoggieDabbas

Don’t have any dog bakery or canine food stores in your city? Do a quick search online for dog birthday cake recipes and bake one for your pooch at home. It’s always better to speak to the dog owners who plan to attend the party, regarding their dog’s dietary restrictions, before you order food or prepare a meal for the party. While you are busy making food arrangements for the canine guests, don’t forget to order cakes, snacks and drinks for the humans attending the party. They too deserve to have a drool-worthy time at the event.

Decorating the Venue

Ideas for decorating the venue are limitless. You can cover the tables with paw-printed fabrics; paint bones or paws on balloons and tie them to chairs and other objects around the room/yard. You could further decorate the hall/yard by displaying your dog’s photos or some funky dog paintings and art pieces. Don’t forget to purchase some cute doggie bowls that you could use for serving food. You can shop for pet bowls here.

Getting your Pooch Party Ready

A birthday party is one such event where your dog gets a chance to show off his/her personal style and get decked up in cute clothes and funky accessories. Get your pooch party ready by dressing him/her up in pretty dresses( for birthday gals) or smart tees( for birthday boys). Even if your pooch is not comfortable wearing clothes, you could make him/her look like a rockstar with stylish accessories like party collars, bandanas, bowties, hats and hair clips.

Party Games and Entertainment

Purchase a variety of dog toys to keep the canine guests entertained. You can also organize Pet Fashion/Talent Show and other interactive games(Read this post for some dog game ideas) to engage both the dogs and their owners. Load up with some dog gifts that you can present the game winners and other canine guests at the party. Toys, Collar Charms, Leashes, Grooming Products and Dogs Treats make great return gifts for dog parties.

Have any other dog birthday party ideas? Feel free to share them in the comments.

Image Courtesy: Youqueen.com

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Eat, Play, Run

In addition to having a nutritious diet and a regular exercise routine, toys play a significant role in keeping out pets healthy.  Being highly curious by nature, dogs tend to get bored easily; and in order to keep their boredom at bay, and avoid them from causing damage to our household property, we need to keep them engaged through toys and games.

Toys and games benefit dogs by:

• Staving off Boredom
• Boosting physical and mental health
• Promoting healthy gums and teeth
• Reducing separation anxiety
• Counteracting destructive behaviour
• Encouraging them to bond with their owners and with other dogs

There are different kinds of dog toys available in the market, ranging from Fetch toys, Chew toys, Tug toys, Plush toys, Treat toys to interactive Dog Puzzle Games. Your pooch might have his/her own preferences and it’s important to consider that while buying a new toy. Aside from that, here are few things that you must consider while choosing a toy for your dog:

Safety: Make sure the toy is safe and made of non-toxic materials. Also ensure that it does not contain any sharp edges that might hurt your dog while playing, or loose parts that your dog may pull out and swallow.

Purpose: Be clear about the main purpose of the toy. Is it to keep your pooch mentally stimulated or keep his gums and teeth in good health? Is it to comfort your pooch or distract him/her from aggressive behaviour? Here are the different benefits of different types of dog toys:

• Promote good dental health: Chew toys, Tug Toys, Rubber Toys
• Physical Fitness: Fetch toys like balls and frisbees
• Reduce anxiety and keep them entertained: Plush Toys, Squeaky Toys
• Mental Stimulation: Treat dispensing toys, Puzzle games

Size: Make sure the size of the toy is right for your dog. The toy should be small enough to allow your dog to hold it in the mouth, and big enough to prevent your dog from swallowing it.

Personality:  Always keep your dog’s personality under consideration while choosing toys. A timid dog that suffers from separation anxiety may feel better cuddling up with a plush toy, and an aggressive dog would enjoy playing with a toy made of harder material(like rubber) that can chew with all his strength, without ripping it apart.

Image Courtesy: Dapper Dogs and Cats

5 Drool-worthy DIY Dog Toys

Does your pooch seem bored of all his existing toys? Then, it’s time to treat him to some new ones. Take a look at some of these fun DIY toys that you can make for your dog at home.

1. Sock with a Ball

It’s time to put those old socks of yours to some good use. How about making a toy for your dog? Just place a tennis ball inside the sock and seal it inside by tying a knot over it. The ‘Sock with a Ball’ toy is one of the simplest toys that you can make at home!

2. Braided Tug Toy

Got some old clothes, towels or napkins? You can make a cool tug toy for your pup with these. Take three old towels (or some other pieces of cloth) of different (preferably bright) colors. Cut three 2-3 inches wide and 11-15 inches long strips from each of these. Bunch the three strips together by tying a knot at one end, and then braid them as tightly as possible. Secure the other end of the strips with a knot, after braiding.

3. Stuffed Squeaky Toys

You can easily make stuffed toys for your dog at home. Cut a pattern of bone shape, star shape or any other shape that you like, out of paper. The pattern will be of the size of the toy that you want to make. Place the pattern on a double layer of an old sweater or any other thick fabric. Cut the fabric around the pattern, leaving some extra space for the seams. Now, sew the cut fabric pieces together, leaving a small opening to allow for stuffing scraps of fabric or squeakers inside.  Once you have stuffed the fabric, sew its open end; and voila, you have a cute new plush toy for your four-legged kid!

4. Big Box of Treats

Though not a toy, a big box sealed with treats can turn out to be an exciting game for your dog. Take an empty cardboard box and fill it with crumpled newspaper bits and some dog treats. Seal the box with masking tapes and place it in front of your dog. Your pooch will have a great time ripping it apart and hunting down the treats. It would be fun to watch your pet do this, but do get ready to clean up the mess, once the hunting game is over 😉

5. Jar of Goodies 

If you feel that the ‘Big Box of Treats’ game is a bit too messy, then opt for the ‘Jar of Goodies’ game. All you have to do is put some dog treats inside a plastic jar. Take the lid off and place the jar on the floor. Your dog will roll the jar on the floor, punch it with his paws, and do all sorts of things to take the treats out.

Have any other interesting ideas for DIY dog toys? Do share them with us in the comments. You can also shop for some cool doggie toys on Woofilicious.com, if you don’t have time to make them at home 🙂

Images courtesy: Petsyy.com, Barkscratchandsniff.com, Etsy.com, Dextersdays.com, Clickertraining.com, 7thHouseontheleft