Canine Cottages is officially having its 5th birthday! With this wonderful milestone coming up, we’ve been getting in the party spirit and decided to investigate dog birthday party ideas that our four-pawed friends will go barking mad for.
Birthdays are full of tail-wagging fun and excitement and we’ve no doubt your four-pawed furball deserves the very best! Problem is, when planning what to do on your dog's birthday, it can be tricky knowing where to begin.
Do you start with presents, a run around in the garden or treats galore? Your best friend deserves to be spoilt absolutely rotten and we know exactly how you can make that happen.
We’ve been prepping and planning, researching and hunting down everything you need to know to give your dog the best birthday ever. Click below to begin browsing our cottages or read on for our ideas on how to throw a birthday party for your dog.
Pick a great pet-friendly party venue
The Blue House in Ripon offers a beautiful backdrop for a birthday garden partyWhile thinking up dog party ideas, it’s always important to pick a great venue as a backdrop to the shenanigans. Will you be playing host, booking a large, stylish holiday cottage, or are you heading to a dog-friendly cafe to meet your party guests?
There are plenty of wonderful places to have a dog birthday party and if it’s going to be a nice day, a garden party or trip to the park is essential. In fact, even on a wet day, your pup may love running and rolling about in the mud – when they leave mucky footprints on your new rug, just breathe and remember, today is all about them!
Bake your dog a birthday cake
This can be wonderful fun for you and your pup in the run-up to the party, as we’ve no doubt they’ll love following you around the kitchen and cleaning up any dirty dishes during the prep of their dog birthday cake.
There are plenty of dog birthday cakes to be found online, you could assemble your pet’s favourite ingredients into a no-bake dog cake, or take a look at our list of canine-friendly cake recipes for a host of delectable dog baking ideas – some of them can even be shared with humans!
If you would like to prepare a few snacks, our top dog birthday party food ideas include cheesy bacon popcorn, homemade dog biscuits or tasty doggy donuts.
Find the perfect dog birthday present
A new dog bed and a bag of treats are the perfect way to celebrate your dog's birthday!What does your four-pawed best pal love the most? Is it a favourite kind of toy, a fluffy blanket for curling up on, or is your pup tennis ball mad?
If there’s something you’ve been meaning to get your precious canine pal for ages but haven’t yet got around to it, now’s the time. Useful essentials like a new hairbrush or a plush new dog bed could be great for adding to the pile of dog birthday presents. Some pets love the fun of tearing apart paper so, as long as they aren’t likely to start eating the wrapping, they could even open their own presents on their big day - we've got a few fab birthday present ideas for your dog!
Plan a dog birthday trip out
Start the day with a trip into the great outdoors and surprise your canine companion by taking them to their favourite place. A woodland walk that you know they love or a trip to the nearest beach for a paddle in the sea is a wonderful start to any birthday celebration.
If you want to do something special on your best pal's birthday, we've got a few ideas! Our guide to the UK's top woodland walks will provide you with magical routes past towering oaks and pretty sycamores, while the more civilised canine may appreciate our list of the best dog-friendly gardens in the UK offering stunning scenery that changes with the seasons.
Invite the dog squad around
No dog birthday party is complete without waggy-tailed guests, and your pup deserves to see all their mates on the big day.
When planning a dog birthday party, make sure you check off the guest list. It’s a great chance for you to catch up with other pet owners too, chat about the tricks and challenges of pup parenthood, and simply enjoy a fun-filled day together that’s all about the dogs.
Make party hats and take lots of photos
Dog party hats are all the rage these days so don’t let your family pup miss out! Get a stylish hat, a goofy hat or make your own party hats for the big birthday.
You could hand them out to guests as well and get photos of the dogs having a wonderful time in their party gear, eating cake and just hanging out. If you invite guests around, make sure you get a group picture of the entire pack together on this special day.
Why not throw in a party game?
If you’re trying to think of things to do at a dog birthday party, you could get everyone involved with a dog party game – even the sleepiest dogs won’t be able to resist joining in the fun!
Party game ideas for dogs
Dog limbo or an agility course: set up some obstacles like jumps and tunnels for everyone to have a go at.
Fido says: similar to ‘Simon says’, in this dog party game each pup has to obey commands like sit or lie down, and guests who don’t perform the action are out until there’s one winner.
Scent game: give each member of the pack a toy to play with. Once they’ve got the scent, throw all the toys at the same time – the first pup to return with their own toy is the winner!
Musical chairs: get all the owners to play musical chairs with the dogs on a leash. When the music stops, the owner must command their dog to sit. The last one sitting in each round is out, just like the human version of this game.
It’s always entertaining getting everyone together for a group game but don’t let them go on too long, otherwise, your canine guests may start to lose patience. Give them the freedom to roam about and just enjoy socialising and playing together and the party will be a hit.
TOP TIP: Make sure there’s a quiet space – dogs all have different personalities and instincts so if any dogs get over-excited, anxious or aggressive, they may need a quiet space to chill out away from the main party.
Cool down with some doggy ice cream
After all the excitement of the party games, this dog squad will be ready to rest and refuel so now’s the time to break out the doggy ice cream. There should be water bowls available anyway so your dogs can take a cool drink when they need it, but doggy ice cream is an extra special treat!
You can buy doggy ice cream or make your own by mixing plain yoghurt with fresh, non-toxic ingredients and leaving it in the freezer to set. Bananas, peanut butter, and strawberries are all dog-friendly foods you could add.
Put together dog party bags or boxes for the guests
Everyone loves a goodie bag or box filled to the brim with treats! If you would like to make a party bag for your guests to take away with them, you could include simple but smart gifts like dog chocolate (not the human kind), a rope toy, and a charm for their collar. Perhaps pop in a party gift for the humans too.
Plan a dog-friendly holiday to celebrate in style
Jimmy's Barn is an enchanting place for a pet-friendly holidayFinally, after your dog birthday party is over and everything is tidied away, treat yourself and your beloved companion to a well-deserved break. Dogs are adventurers by nature and always welcome the chance to sniff out a new place or stretch their legs on a walk as long as they are with their favourite humans.
If your canine friend is a beach bum at heart, we have a host of coastal properties with sea views and beaches nearby so every morning can be spent leaving pawprints in the sand. Or for relaxed days spent lounging in your own private garden, we have plenty of secluded country cottages to discover too.
Our cottages for a dog birthday break
We hope these dog birthday ideas have been useful in helping you plan the ultimate celebration for your special pup! Browse our cottages to find the perfect party venue or the ideal place for a quiet dog-friendly holiday for you and your four-pawed best pal.
Disclaimer: Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information at the time of writing,
please ensure you check carefully before making any decisions based on the contents within this article.