Doggy Christmas Parties

Topic: Christmas

Filed under Dogs

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The Christmas season is an ideal time to get together with family and friends to enjoy their company and show how much you appreciate and love them. Your dog is a beloved member of the family and hosting a doggy Christmas party is a fun way to acknowledge and honor your very special pet. Over the last few years, pet parties have certainly become a new and popular trend. Hundreds of thousands of dogs in the United States have Christmas and birthday parties given to them by their owners annually and it is time to add your canine companion to this number.

Preparing for the doggy Christmas party is fun but there are many safety guidelines to follow in order to have a safe, enjoyable time for the dogs in attendance and their owners. Always use your best judgment, common sense and safety guidelines for a safe, risk-free doggie Christmas party. Here are some of the many dog Christmas party safety tips:

Make sure that you only invite dogs to the Christmas party that your pet has met before and get along well. If there is a dog you would like to have at the party but your pet has not met, arrange a meeting between the two dogs. This gives them a chance to meet and become familiar with each other before the doggie Christmas party. Just like people, not all dogs get along so if that is the case, it is best to leave that pooch off the guest list or there could be problems. Never invite dogs that are overly aggressive or of a dominant breed, especially if you know that there are other more timid dogs in the group. Also, consider inviting all guests to a dog park together for at least one group socialization for the dogs before the party date.

Every dog invited should be accompanied by their owner or a guardian they are comfortable around. If no one is available to bring and watch a dog invited to the party, it should not attend, as you do not want people holding you responsible if something should happen. In addition it may be necessary for dogs to go outside, so you don't want to leave any dogs together unsupervised in your house or even outside in your yard. Just because your dog won't jump the fence or chew on your favorite table, don't assume that someone else's dog won't.

Before supplying dog goodies at the Christmas party, talk to the owners to see if their pets have any allergies or allowed treats. Make sure each owner or guardian gives his or her respective dogs their treats to avoid any possibility of dogs being feed items that cause allergies or digestive problems. If you are making the treats yourself, print the recipe on a decorative card and leave it in front of the treats for the guests to review. Commercial brand names can also be printed on the cards to help owners select what foods are the best for their individual dog.

Have an enclosed area that is safe for all party guests and have a large supply of waste bags on hand. You will also need to have easy access to an outside area where owners can take their dogs as needed throughout the event if it is being held indoors.

Start to plan your doggie Christmas party weeks in advance but keep it fun and light-hearted. The first step in hosting a Christmas party is selection a location. If you live in an area that is warm year round, you may want to hold in the backyard if it is fenced or a dog park but or somewhere else outdoors. If you are using a public outdoor space, be sure to notify the correct officials or book the place well in advance. Be sure there is plenty of space for both the dogs and owners. Also, have a backup plan it the weather does not co-operate. If holding the party indoors, do not give the canine guests the run of your house so hold the party in one large room.

Make up a doggy guest list but keep the dog Christmas party invitations to a reasonable level so it does not become too overwhelming. The guest list could include immediate and extended family member’s dogs, pets your dog plays with regularly and close friends and their dogs. Once you have decided upon a guest list, it is time to prepare the invitations and send them out. You can buy dog Christmas party invitations, make handmade invitations, simply phone family members and friends or sent out email invitations. Put RSVP on invitations so you have an idea of just how much canine and people cake and food to supply. Be sure to plan the menu for both the human and canine guests. Have plenty of water available and either buy or make dog Christmas cookies or a cake. There are dog bakeries where you can order and pick up a dog Christmas cake or even have one delivered. You may want to try making one yourself or you could order a dog cake or find cookie recipes online. Pick up some Christmas party decorations to make it look festive.

Along with food, you should plan to have some activities that are fun for both the pets and pet owners. A large yard with a lot of room available is ideal for relay games, which are always popular since both dogs and people love competitions. Have some toys, balls and Frisbees on hand for people and their pets to play with. If you want to get creative, make up small dog Christmas stockings with the dog’s names on them. Have each filled with toys and treats for the canine guests to take home such as adorable Christmas plush toys, squeaky toys, chew toys, and Christmas shaped dog bones. You might want to include a small gift for the dog’s owners such as pet coffee mugs or dog magazines.

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