Does your child have a bad case of puppy love? Then throw him or her a tail-waggin' birthday party with our Dog Party Ideas! We've provided some decorating suggestions and food, game, and activity ideas to fit any dog-related party theme, like Blue's Clues or Scooby Doo. Get your creative juices flowing and have a canine good time!
Planning & Invitations
It's important to select a location for your Dog Party early in the planning process. If you'd rather not have the party at home, consider holding the party at a local park, community clubhouse, or reserving a room at a local recreation center. Or, try one of the other locations listed in our When & Where to Have the Party article.
If you plan to use dog-themed party supplies, our Suggested Party Supply List may be helpful while you're shopping. Please note that you may not need everything on the list; it is intended only as a guide.
Along with traditional party supplies, such as cups, plates, napkins, and streamers, you may also want to consider purchasing or borrowing the following items:
- Dog beds
- Dog houses
- Crates
- Clean, new dog toys
Invitations
Creative invitations can help build excitement before a party. If you have the time to make your own, here are some ideas to get you started:
- Cut a dog bone shape out of white cardstock. Punch a hole in the top and attach a metal key ring. Write the party details on one side of the “dog tag” and mail to your guests.
- Fold a sheet of paper in half to create a card-style invitation. Draw a large paw print on the front. Run a glue stick within the lines of the paw and toes and sprinkle white glitter on top. Write your party details on the inside.
- Attach a card-style invitation to a small squeaky dog toy and hand-deliver your invitations or mail them in padded envelopes.
- Cut the shape of a fire hydrant out of red construction paper and write the party details on one side.
- Use creative wording when writing the party details. Here is an example:
Come! To [child’s name]'s Tail-Waggin Birthday Party!
Fetch! On Over to [location] at [party time]!
Play! Until [party end time]!
- Check out our personalized dog invitations! We will print your child’s name and all the party details on a background that complements your theme!
Dog Party Favors
Thank your guests for attending your child's party with fun puppy party favors like small stuffed dogs, red bandanas, dog stickers, bone-shaped cookie cutters, dog-themed candy, small frisbees, coloring books, and "dog tags" made from our personalized bag tags or luggage tags. Or, consider our complete Dog Party Favor Sets that include a matching bag! Whichever favors you choose, your guests will be wagging their happy tails all the way home!
Additional Party Planning Tips
To simplify the rest of the party planning process, check out our Party Planning 101 section for ideas on when and where to have the party, our party planning timeline, and other party planning basics.
Decorating & Food Ideas
Fun Ideas to Set the Mood
- Let paw prints lead the way! Use sidewalk chalk to draw puppy prints on the driveway or sidewalk, or up the steps. Construction paper paw prints can be used indoors. You can also use dry erase markers to create paw prints on windows or mirrors.
- Use a large cardboard box to create a "doghouse." Place it in front of your open door, and let your guests crawl through it to enter the party area.
- Draw dog faces on white balloons with a black marker, attach construction paper ears, and place them around the party space in groups of five. Or, simply tie or weight groups of five balloons throughout the party space, mixing any two colors. Choose from our large selection of dog-shaped balloons, colorful latex balloons, and balloon weights.
- As your guests arrive, use face paints to draw a doggie nose and whiskers on each child's face. Tie a red bandana loosely around each child's neck, too.
- Your child’s own stuffed dogs will make great decorations. Set a group of toy dogs on the table as a centerpiece, or set groups of stuffed dogs in baskets around the party space.
- Make large signs with sayings like “Wipe Your Paws”, “Puppy Crossing”, “Beware of Dogs”, “No Cats Allowed”, etc., and hang them on the doors and walls.
- Play songs like “Puppy Love”, “Who Let the Dogs Out”, “How Much is That Doggy in the Window”, and “BINGO”.
- Cut white dog bones from construction paper to use as placemats for the table.
- Ask an older child or adult to make balloon dogs for the children. Use our easy Balloon Animals Kit that includes an instruction book, balloons, and balloon inflator.
Dog-Gone Good Party Food!
- Serve snacks, ice cream and cake to your guests in new, clean dog bowls personalized with the children’s names. Use paint pens or permanent markers to personalize the bowls.
- Serve cookies or sandwiches cut with a dog bone cookie cutter. Brownies or crispy rice cereal treats can also be served this way.
- Offer “Puppy Chow” made from cereal snack mix.
- Make a few “Dog Food” labels for empty containers, and fill them with round children’s cereal, such as Cheerios or Fruit Loops.
- Fill a bowl with graham cracker snacks in the shape of doggie bones, often sold as Scooby Snacks.
- Hot dogs make great puppy party food!
- Rename cupcakes “Pupcakes”, and decorate each with white icing and a paw print. To create a paw print, use one junior mint candy as the paw pad and four brown M&Ms as the toes.
- Make a large paw print cake by using one round cake as the paw and four small cupcakes around the top half as the toes. When you serve the cake and sing “Happy Birthday”, let your guests bark between each verse (“Happy Birthday to you, WOOF…”).
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