HOLIDAYS
HOLIDAYS
Invite all of your friends and their four-legged pooches over for a relaxing day outdoors. From home-baked biscuits to puppy pools, we've outlined everything you will need to make your Dog Days of Summer party a huge hit with your guests.
Keep in mind that a little adaptation makes this party idea a great way to spend doggie birthdays or other themed pup parties.
Our article below will give you all the basics you need--all you have to do is tweak the concepts using creativity for a personalized party for your pooch.
Serve them at your Doggie Biscuit & Treat Shoppe during the party, or send guests home with a small bag of cookies tied with a ribbon.
Tip: Try using a dog-bone shaped cookie cutter for professional looking biscuits. The cookie cutter is only 69 cents, a bargain that will make your treats look lovely.
If you enjoy cooking treats at home for your dog, check out the Three Dogs Bakery Recipe book, which is chock-full of delicious, healthy homemade treats for the doting dog owner.
- 1 Whole egg
- 1/3 Cup peanut butter
- 1/2 Cup mashed banana
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 Cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 Cup wheat germ
- 1 egg white, lightly beaten, for brushing
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
- Stir together the egg, peanut butter, banana, and honey in a medium bowl; blend thoroughly. Stir in the flour and wheat germ; mix well. Turn dough out onto a floured board and roll to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes with a cookie cutter, place on prepared baking sheet, and brush tops with egg white.
- Bake biscuits in preheated oven until dried and golden brown, about 30 minutes, depending on size. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
- To create a safe, fun pool party for your canine guests, set up one to three kiddie wading pools in your yard.
- Fill the pools with about six inches of water for small dogs to a foot of water for large dogs.
- Wading pools are much safer than allowing dogs in your real pool, and can be dumped out afterward and hosed down to avoid dog hair clogging your pool's drain.
Doggie Tip: Encourage dogs to jump in the doggie pools by placing a few floating balls in the water.
Encourage guests to enjoy them during the party, and then create their own take-home "Doggy Bag" favor filled with treats for later:
What You'll Need:
- Glass Jars (apothecary jars, mason jars, etc)
- Cake stands
- Platters of varying sizes
- Double Stick Tape
- Paper Labels
- Different types of dog treats & dog food to put on display
- Paper Bags
- Roll of dog stickers to seal the paper bags
Setup Instructions:
1. Set up all of your cake stands, glass jars and platters across an outdoor table. Intermix the varying containers to create a scene resembling an old-fashioned bakery.
2. Fill the apothecary jars with different types of kibble, and use the paper labels to write what is in each one. Affix the label to the front of the jar with the double stick tape so guests will know what they are feeding their pooches.
3. Set up dog treats evenly spaced out on the platters, and stack goodies like dog bones on the cake stands. See our recipe for making mouth-wateringly delicious homemade dog biscuits. Make sure to label each different platter and cake stand as with the apothecary jars.
4. Let guests know that they should create a take-home goodie bag for their pup before they leave. Lay out the paper bags and roll of stickers so they can fill their "Doggy Bags" and seal them up to go.
1. Colorful Dog Bowls
It's important to make sure that there are plenty of water bowls set out for your four-legged guests.
On a hot summer day, dogs can drink a full bowl of water within a few hours.
- Put out one large bowl of water with ice cubes in it for every two or three dogs coming to the party. This will ensure that the pooches stay hydrated and happy while playing outside.
- While you're choosing bowls, get creative by using bowls with a theme.
- We spotted a large white bowl shaped like an oversized seashell, a fun bowl shaped like an old fashioned popcorn bucket, and a colorful striped bowl with a beach ball in the center, all for under $8 per bowl.
- You can also buy a few extra bowls to use for the human food (up on a table, of course) and to hold dog treats to carry the theme throughout the party.
2. Dreamy Dog Beds
Create lots of comfy places where pets can relax and enjoy the summer day.
- All you'll need is one large foam mattress pad that's at least an inch thick and old towels or sheets to place over them for color and protection.
- Either start with an old mattress pad or purchase a budget-friendly foam pad (like this one from Overstock for $25) and use strong scissors to cut it into smaller rectangles the size of a dog bed.
- Then, lay a large beach towel or sheet over the foam and tuck the ends underneath--voila! A custom dog bed for your guests to lounge on during the party.
- Place a few dog beds in the sun and a few in the shade so dogs can take their pick of where to lay.
3. Chew Toy Spread
A dog party isn't a party without plenty of fun toys the pooches can play with!
- Set out a large assortment of balls, ropes and squeaky toys that dogs can enjoy.
- At the end of the day, encourage guests to choose one toy to take home with them as part of their favor.
- For the other part of the party favor, see our section on creating a gourmet Biscuit & Treat Shoppe.
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