How to Throw the Perfect Pet Party
Learning from our American Cousins
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Hot on the heels of the American pet owners us Brits are now catching onto the idea of having a pet party, whether it’s for our dog, cat, rabbit or budgie.
Over the pond it’s not unusual to have a party to celebrate a dog’s birthday, Christmas, Easter, Independence day and dogs even get their own ‘Bark-mitz-vas’. There are other doggie guests, cake and treats for dogs and owners alike, presents and exciting games. Not surprisingly there are now a host of dog party planners that organise and plan the event, guests and food and just make sure that things run smoothly.
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What’s the occasion?
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First decide on your occasion is it a Birthday, Easter, welcome home if your dog has returned from kennels, maybe a treat if they have been ill or perhaps you just want to show your furry friend how much you adore them?
Next you need a theme, if it’s a Birthday maybe its fancy dress where the owners arrive in matching costumes with their dogs, or a sparkle theme where the brightest bit of bling wins. Some dog ‘parents’ in the US are known to have exotic pamper themes complete with Spa treatments and hydrotherapy! Of course you don’t have to go to extremes to throw a great bash, let your imagination run wild; as long as you keep your pet guests happy you can arrange all kinds of entertainment for your human ones!
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The VIP list
One of the big questions is who do you invite? The answer is anyone you think would enjoy the do! It doesn’t matter if they have a pet themselves they can still join in the fun. It would be a wise move to only invite canine chums you know get on with your own dog and won’t cause any trouble, the last thing you want is a garden of chaos with ‘Benji’ attacking ‘FiFi’ and ‘Jess’ hiding under the table to escape the kids!
For the human guest list invite friends, family, neighbours, other pet owners that you frequently meet out and why not get them to invite a friend too, it’s not just about socialising your pets it’s also a great way to meet other pet enthusiasts. It’s always best to over-invite people as numbers should even out on the day and if you can try to get RSVPs so you can get a clearer idea of the final figures.
Your Place or Mine?
So you have a theme, a guest list and now you need a location. This depends on the numbers of people and canine guests. If it’s a quiet affair or you have a nice day and a big garden consider having it at home; although be careful if your dog is very territorial as this could cause upsets! Another alternative is a picnic at the local park or beach, although weather dependent, this would be a great way to bring local dog walkers together to a social event.
Many large halls are happy to accommodate a party, check out any places that host dog training sessions as these obviously don’t mind dogs! You can always ask for a small contribution towards the cost of hiring the hall.
Nosh and nibbles
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The main event will surely be the food, as at any big get together it’s essential there is a good spread to keep everyone happy. Decide if there are drinks on the menu and make sure there are some non-alcoholic ones for Fido. Food can be more adventurous; buffets and spreads always go down well and some healthy biscuits and bones made just for dogs will keep the guests of honour licking their lips! Be imaginative if it’s a glorious day (rare in the UK climate but not unheard of) then get the BBQ going, if it’s an indoor party on a cold winters night then a bowl of steaming chilli and jacket potatoes would warm the spot and a rainy summers eve calls for canapés and Pimms.
Whatever you choose make sure there is an equally varied menu for your doggie guests and that any allergies are taken into consideration!
Finally no party is complete without a cake, Little Fluff can provide a fun, healthy cake, or why not have a go at making your own?
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Fun and games
At any party there should be a selection of games, again this is always going to be weather dependent, so here’s a list of fair weather and rainy weather games:
Outdoors:
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Chase: any dog will love a good game of chase and no doubt the other guests will agree.
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Tug-of-war: grab a rope, choose a side and encourage your dogs to join in!
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Pool Anticsif you are lucky enough to have a scorching hot day and a paddling pool, get it filled and have a splash in the water.
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Hunt the biscuitsecret a selection of your pup’s favourite treats about the garden, the dog who finds the most wins. This game can be played inside to.
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Retrievea number of toys are placed about the garden and the dog that can bring back the most or in the quickest time wins.
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TeacherYou could have a 'learn to dance' session or learn new tricks where you help each other to teach your dogs to roll over or play dead.
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Barking ChairsA doggie version of musical chairs, when the music stops you must get your dog to sit (or lie) still the first dog to move is disqualified.
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Hide and Seekas in the garden version, treats are hidden in the house and the dogs must find them, whoever finds the most wins.
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Logic Problems: Using a dog puzzle toy hide treats in them, the dog guests will love trying to solve them to get some tidbits.
Inevitably the dogs will have a good play with each other no matter what’s on offer and will enjoy the company and attention, so don’t worry too much if some games don’t always include your dogs.
The owner’s entertainment might be a little harder depending on the audience, if there are children they will no doubt enjoy running about with the dogs and often will enjoy a game of hunt the toy as much as their furry friends. You could have some usual Birthday games such as pass the parcel, hide ‘n’ seek, pin the tail on the puppy etc. For some adult entertainment how about charades, Pictionary (where you have to guess the drawing), or ‘who am I’ where you pin a name of a famous person onto your back and ask the group questions to find out who you might be. If you fancy a bit of a giggle then why not try the old favourite Twister!
Goody Bags
When the fun and games are over and it’s time for home don’t let your guests leave empty handed. Mini goody bags are ideal for stuffing with a toy and a selection of treats from the day. Adding a photo of the afternoon or a ‘thank you for coming’ card makes a nice reminder of the day.
Whatever you decide to do, don’t forget it’s an informal party giving you a chance to enjoy fun and games with your friends and their pooches. Parties don’t often involve pet guests and it’s nice to be able to include them once in a while. Your pet will just love you for providing tasty food, companionship and lots of cuddles and attention!
Little Fluff does Pet Parties
As a take on the old Tupperware party why not invite Little Fluff to your pet party?
We will bring a selection of products suitable for your pet and some gifts for the owners too. We will give demos, provide samples and there will be special offers on the night that are not available to anyone else! It gives you a chance to try before you buy and to add something different to your party!
This is currently only available to the local area (parts of Lancashire and Cumbria) but will eventually be expanding, please call first to check we can offer this in your area.
Give us a call on 01524 842642 to arrange a time.