So my dog Stanley III just had a birthday party (can’t believe he is 11), and my mom threw a fun dog party for him with family, two legged friends, and four legged friends. There was a lot of playing, sniffing, nose butting, and woofing that went on…good times for sure! Looking at the pictures from the party, I figured I had to start a string here about dog birthday parties…supposedly there are millions of them held every year by Americans who love and do crazy things for their pooches…

Party planning tips include questions and thoughts such as:

- Should the party be indoors or outdoors?
- How many human vs. canine guests should attend?
- What kind of food and drink should the dogs have vs. their two legged owners?
- Always have your digital camera ready…pooches won’t hold a pose for long

Party must have’s are:

- Doggy invitations…even dogs like to get mail
- Dog games…races and singing contests are good ones, and I’ve seen a peanut butter eating contest go down as well
- Party hats…Sparky may not want to wear it, but the pictures will be great
- Goody bags…all dogs want to go home with some nummy treats
- Poop bags…yes, it’s inevitable that Lola will leave behind her own party favors

Party fouls could be:

- Barking too much…could more than three misconducts warrant dismissal?
- Humping the birthday boy or birthday girl…give them a break on their special day
- Eating cake that is not yours…small dogs sometimes eat slower, so don’t polish off your own plate and then go swiping other’s goodies
- Sneaking away for a poop and leaving it as a surprise for a human foot or shoe…Clifford, if you are doing #2, be honest about it!

Here are some links to sites that have other fun ideas and discussion about dog birthday parties.

(Links to follow…sorry for the delay!)

Cheers!