Planning a Dog Halloween Party
October 8, 2009 by Paris and John
Filed under Holidays & Your Dog, Tips
Halloween and parties go hand in hand–or paw in paw if you’re lucky enough to have plenty of dog-loving friends. A growing number of dog families are celebrating the event with their own dog-centric party.
If you’re considering throwing your own dog Halloween party, here are a few considerations to keep your event fun for all:
When and Where: Where will you have your party? Consider locations available to you such as your backyard, a public park, a dog-friendly beach or a friend’s place. When considering a public area, like a park, check with the park board on availability and on the rules regarding leashes and other considerations.
Sending Invitations: Halloween is a busy time so advance invitations are a must, even for the most casual party. Be sure to include a start/stop time in your invitation and special instructions your guests need to know such as bringing a leash.
Making the Plans: Begin with a master list of who is coming – both dogs and their people. List food and drinks you plan to serve both for dogs and humans. (To make it safe for the dogs, avoid serving/distributing chocolates and any sugar-free gum. Even though you’ll plan for only humans to enjoy these, dogs can all-too-easily get hold of these toxic substances in the hustle and bustle of party activity.) How about plates, utensils, and cups? Napkins? Dog water bowls? Are you giving goodie bags to the guests and their dogs? What about cleanup? You don’t want used plates and half-finished drinks sitting around and tempting dogs; make plans for secure trash facilities. And, on the subject of cleanup, don’t forget the doggie cleanup bags!
Activity Planning: What will your guests do at the party? Will you have a Halloween dog costume contest? Will you award prizes? Will you have activities like Frisbee or more Halloween-themed fun like bobbing for hot dogs?
Making A To-Do List: Like planning any party, when arranging a dog Halloween party, make a list of everything you’ll need. Do you need to order a cake or food? Buy decorations? Make a list of all activities you need to complete, put them in chronological order by the number of days in advance of the party this needs to be done, and you’ll be organized and ready to go.
Most of all, don’t forget to have fun! Have a camera at hand to capture all the memories of your special Halloween party for your friends and their dogs!
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