How to throw a fun-filled get-together for your canine

It won’t be a party without silly hats and cake (lots of cake). Fun dog games will make it even better.
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Everyone loves a party—dogs included! What could be more fun then a bunch of happy canines running around playing and enjoying themselves?

Dog parties are becoming more popular with good reason. They are a blast. You can throw a party to celebrate your dog’s birthday or adoption day, or just have a dog party for the heck of it.

Here are some of the things you’ll need to throw a dog party:

A Fenced Yard. Your party should be outside. The last thing you want is a bunch of dogs running amok in your house. Make sure the yard has a fence around it, and inspect for places where small dogs might escape. Fix those spots before the party.
Invitations. Your guests need to get invitations to the party. You can buy regular party invitations at the store, or you can make them yourself. Be sure to include the date of the party, the time, the place and a phone number or email address so people can tell you if they are coming.
Dog Cake. What’s a party without a cake? You can buy cakes just for dogs that you can order online if you’re not lucky enough to have a dog bakery nearby. You can also bake your own dog cake. You can find recipes for dog cakes on the Internet, or in books about cooking for dogs.
Party Hats. Some dogs don’t mind wearing party hats, at least for a little while. You can get regular birthday party hats from the store. They are made for kids, but can fit dogs too.
Food for People. You need potato chips and dip, pretzels, candy or some kind of food for the human guests. Or you could serve lunch to your guests.

Creating and sending fun invitations helps ensure your party has lots of attendees.
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The best part of a dog party is the games. You can have your canine guests compete for prizes, like toys and treats. Here are two games dogs love to play:

Bobbing for Hot Dogs. Cut up one hot dog for each dog at the party. Put the hot dog slices in a bowl or pot and fill it with water. Have each dog take a turn trying to grab the hot dog slices from the bowl. The dog who grabs the most pieces while you count to 10 is the winner.
Will Eat Anything. Some dogs will eat anything. Find out which ones with this contest. Cut up pieces of celery, carrots, tomatoes and other kinds of vegetables (except for onions—these aren’t good for dogs). Have the guests sit while you offer each dog a piece of one of the vegetables. If a dog eats the vegetable, he stays in the game. If he won’t eat it, he is disqualified. The last dog left who has eaten a piece of each vegetable you offered is the winner.

One of the most fun parts of your dog party will be watching the dogs play together. To keep things safe, don’t put out toys for the dogs to play with during the party. You don’t want any dogs to fight over the toys.

And when it’s time for the dog cake to be served, be careful. Have your guests stand far away from each other. Then ask them to put the plate of cake down in front of their dogs when you say the word “now.” Having everyone feed the cake at the same time is best. That way, dogs won’t run to each other’s plates and try to each other’s food—or maybe get into a fight.

About the Author: Audrey Pavia is an award-winning freelance writer and author of “The Labrador Retriever Handbook.” She is a former staff editor of Dog Fancy, Dog World and The AKC Gazette magazines. To learn more about her work, visit www.audreypavia.com and hollywoodhoofbeats.net/