What child doesn’t love a puppy? And whether it’s your own little pup that your child can’t get enough of or a cartoon dog that he;s crazy about, these dog party ideas, games, activities, and recipes will leave lots of tails-a-wagging!  

Best For…

Children aged three through eight will adore this puppy party.

Party Planning

For peace of mind, begin planning your dog birthday bash six to eight weeks in advance. This will allow you time to gather all the supplies that you need, including dog party decorations, gifts, and menu items. Planning ahead also gives your guests time to RSVP and make travel plans, if needed. Don't panic if you find yourself short on time; you can still plan a great party! Planning ahead simply reduces the risk of conflicts with guests' plans and may increase your party’s attendance.

Make your own dog birthday invitations with construction paper paw prints. Simply draw a paw print on a folded piece of construction paper, and then cut it out, leaving the crease for the card in tact. Alternatively, you can just draw paw prints directly onto the cards or make “fingerprint” paw prints using your child’s thumb and some acrylic paint to create paw prints on the cards. Another option would be to cut the cards into bone shapes. Or, if you'd like, you can either try our printable invitations or just purchase personalized or pre-printed dog birthday invitations online. We recommend mailing your invitations three to four weeks prior to the party—any sooner and your guests may forget, any later and your guests may already have plans.

To simplify the rest of the party planning process, check out our Party Planning Timeline, and read the paragraphs below for information on selecting dog party supplies, puppy party favors, dog party activities and more for your child's party.

What Do I Need for the Party?

If you plan to use paper tableware and dog party supplies, our Suggested Party Supply List may be quite helpful. Please note that you may not need everything on the list; it is intended only as a guide.

If you are going with a generic puppy theme, use colors such as white, brown and black. If you are using a cartoon character, go with their colors. For example, the dog from Blue's Clues is blue, so use that as your starting point when selecting a color scheme for decorations and partyware.

Goodie bags may include a small, stuffed puppy toy, “dog treats” (i.e. crackers or bone-shaped cookies), puppy stickers, candies and other dog party favors. Doggie bags are easy to make when you take brown lunch bags, fringe the top edges, and paste on ears, eyes, and muzzles cut from colored construction paper. Complete the bags by drawing on mouths with a black marker, and then you're ready to fill them with puppy party favors.