36% of dog owners celebrate their dog’s birthdays according to the American Humane Association. The American Pet Association has it a bit lower stating that of the over 40 million dog owners in America, close to 10 million celebrate their dog’s birthday in some way or another.

Either way that’s a lot of dog birthdays being celebrated!

Some pet owners celebrate with a cake, some with a new toy, some have a whole party complete with singing.

Around here we keep it a bit simple. A nice new bone and a few new toys, maybe something special added to the dinner bowl. To be fair the cats get to join in and they get a new toy as well.

The year my dog Said turned one, many of his family came to celebrate. His mom and dad, two of his brothers and one of his sisters, plus a few friends. The dogs swam, the humans compared notes on the pups and watched them interact. It was a blast!

I have been to some great dog birthday parties over the years. Some were simple family affairs; some had whole orchestras and many dogs. I went to one that was a barbeque and the cake for the dog was a giant grilled burger with candles in it. Each dog in attendance got a cake shaped piece.

Toys? Oh, yes! There will be birthday toys!

If you are planning a party, keep your dog’s personality in mind:

~ Does your dog like large crowds?

~ Does your dog share toys well?

~ Is your dog good around food? (This goes for all the other canine party guests also.)

It can be fun to explore ideas for party supplies and party tips. Most stores now sell greeting cards especially for pets. While some may think it silly, it’s nice to mark each passing year with your 4 legged loved ones and it’s a treat when friends enjoy your pet as well and celebrate along with you.

I recently found cards that dogs can eat at a few local stores. One was a pet store and one was a pharmacy chain. I am not a fan of rawhide but this was just too cute to pass up.

My boy Said turned 4 June 10th!!

I really do treasure every day I have with him, he never ceases to thrill me and celebrating his birthday is a nice way to celebrate him.