The key to a successful dog birthday party (as with any other event) is in the preparation.

I thought I was slightly obsessed about my annual birthday celebrations for my dog and for many years kept it to myself for fear of being judged as the ‘crazy cat lady’ by my friends, until I found out that there are many people just like me out there who throw a dog birthday party each and every year for their beloved pooches. You can celebrate your dog’s actual birthday, the day of his adoption, or make a day up (but stick to that day each year)!

A number of surveys have shown that between 40 - 65% of dog owners celebrate their dogs birthday by throwing a dog birthday party, giving a dog birthday cake, special treat, new toy or commemorating with a trip to a special place.

If your planning on celebrating with a dog birthday party here are my 6 TOP TIPS that will help make the event run smoothly and ensure a fun filled day for your friends and their fury friends.

Before the big day you may want to consider some of the following:

1. Who to Invite

It is highly recommended to invite a small number of dogs that your dog is familiar with and played with before. Think about the space you will be hosting in and how many dogs you can cater for in this area without them trashing your house! And don’t forget adult supervision! Remember, every dog you invite comes with a human companion, which means there are two mouths to feed per invite. Don’t forget to check on food allergies and preferences for the dogs and their parents. You may like to include this on your puppy party invites.

If you’re worried about canine conflict at your party, just invite the birthday dog and his human friends. That way, he’s the centre of attention which he will no doubt love!

2. Food, Food, Food!

As with any great party food can make or break the event, and just like us – dogs love their food! Highest priority, of course, is the Dog Birthday Cake to celebrate your pooches special occasion. There are so many creative ways to make a dog birthday cake that your pooch will love, and it’s another fun family activity where you can be creative in the kitchen! You’ll probably find you have as much fun baking the cake as your dog will have eating it. There are so many different flavour combinations and creative decorating tips that can help make a unique dog birthday cake for your fury friend.

You will also need to serve up some tasty snacks and dog birthday treats for your pups fury friends. Providing Puppy Party Bags filled with treats and gifts are always a big hit for fury and human friends alike. There are loads of fun ideas on different party food that your dogs will love!

With all the excitement make sure to keep plenty of water easily accessible. Its best to have one bowl per dog spread around the yard for food and water to avoid conflict.

3. Entertainment

Party games are a great way to keep everyone entertained and are great bonding exercised for the dogs. There are so many great options – be sure to have your camera on hand to capture the memorable moments.

4. Theme

Dog birthday parties are all about creativity, so think outside of the box and consider organising your dog’s birthday party around a theme. There are so many cool options for themes for your dog birthday party. Some of our favourites (if we had to name a few) include pirate, halloween, princess, sports, superhero and beach themed dog birthday parties. Consider whether you want your guests to come dressed in costume for your chosen theme or whether your theme is for decorative purposes only. If you plan to host a dress up party then be sure to encourage your friends to bring their dogs in costume so that everyone enjoys the fun. There are so many great outfits to choose from for the special day.

5. Expect the Unexpected!

As the saying goes – accidents will happen – and with all the excitement expect the unexpected! Before the party be sure to take a good look around your space and remove anything valuable or that could be easily damaged by a swinging tail or the lift of a leg. But even the best planning cannot avoid all accidents so keep paper towels, cleaning spray, baggies and a first aid kit on hand just in case.

6. Greetings

Before the party gets into full swing introduce all dogs to each other outside of the yard/park in a neutral area to help avoid conflict later on. Be sure to ask your friends to bring dog leads for this, and once they’ve gotten acquainted you can show them into the yard or park and release them from the leads. If you have the party in your yard make sure your gate and fence are secure so all those celebrating are safe.