1. Getting Started
How do I start?
2. Guests
Who to invite?
3. Location
Some great ideas for party themes
4. Food
It's all about the food
5. Activities
Keeping everyone entertained
6. Other Resources
Web sites to check out
Guests
Who to invite: Part 2 of 6Guest lists can be as narrow as your immediate family, and as large as every dog on your block!
1. Who do I invite?
Anyone you like, and as many people as you can afford or fit into your location! Below are some ideas if you're stuck.
People: immediate family, extended family, friends, other dog lovers you know.
Dogs: friends from a play group or doggy day care center, dogs from your neighbourhood, other dogs your pooch plays with on a regular basis. This is not the best time to introduce a new dog to your pooch.
2. Ask yourself: how many dogs can I handle?
Be realistic about the number of dogs you can handle in a single place, as well as how well they play with others. You may want to think twice before inviting guests who don't get along well with other dogs or other people. Nothing can spoil a party faster than an overly agressive dog trying to dominate the other canine party guests or small children who may be attending.
It's common to invite doggie owners along with their pooch, so this may affect your decision as well. Every dog may mean two mouths to feed, so work within your budget.
3. Ask yourself: will small children be invited?
While small children can make a wonderful addition to your celebration, you will need to ask yourself how many children you can handle. You may also want to observe the children around dogs before extending an invitation, as some younger kids can either be too rough with or frightened by dogs.
4. Being prepared
With all the excitement, expect accidents; keep bitter spray on hand to dissuade younger canine guests from nibbling where they're not supposed to and stock up on cleanup materials (baggies, cleaning spray, paper towels).
Make sure you always have on hand a good doggie first aid kit (depending on the number of doggie guests, you may want to double up on certain items) and the names and numbers of everyone's veterinarian.
5. Invitations
For small casual get-togethers, a simple handwritten note should suffice. Many software programs exist as well if you wish to make a more stylish invitation yourself.
For larger or more formal birthday parties, you can look online for dog invitations or visit your local stationer. (see the Resources section for links)
Next: Location »
