What Kind of Birthday Party Does Your Dog Want?

In this article:

• Who should I invite to my dog’s birthday party? 
• Where is a fun place to host my dog’s birthday party? 
• How do I know what my dog wants to do on their birthday? 
• How do I make a birthday cake for my dog? 
• What should my dog wear for their birthday? 

One recent weekend, I had to send my regrets for three surprise birthday parties. They weren’t for college buddies, colleagues, or cousins. They weren’t even for my kid’s schoolmates. 

They were for dogs.

Whether parties for dogs are merely a trend in my life, or a trend everywhere else too, the reason for these fêtes isn’t a mystery. The majority of the pet-owning public views pets as family. According to a Pew Research analysis published in 2023, a solid majority of Americans have a pet. And about half of pet owners surveyed report that they “not only consider their pets to be a part of their family but say they are as much a part of their family as a human member.” 

And what do you do for beloved family members? You make them feel special on their special day.

“I think it’s great if a person wants to celebrate their dog’s birthday or gotcha day,” said Dr. Alexandra Horowitz, director of Barnard College’s Dog Cognition Lab and author of The Year of the Puppy (when she says “gotcha day,” she’s referring to the rescue equivalent of a birthday—the day that a person “got” their dog). “It’s a nice chance to commemorate the relationship.” 

“That said,” she added, “if it’s even remotely to be a party for the dog, think about what a dog would like.”

So what is the best kind of party for your dog? Here’s how to take into account where they like to be, who they like to be around, what they like to do, what they consider to be a tasty treat, and more.

Settle on the guest list 

Before planning any celebration, honestly assess your dog’s temperament. Is your dog a real dog’s dog? Or do they prefer solo adventures with you? Your answer should dictate the party plan.

Dr. Zazie Todd, psychologist, author, and certified dog trainer, emphasizes this individual variability: “Some dogs will enjoy a party with lots of people. Dogs who are very prosocial, who love meeting new people, will actually love a party; but some dogs will find that too much.”

Also consider that your dog doesn’t know what the Gregorian calendar is. By its nature, a birthday or gotcha day is a once-annual thing in a dog’s life, so it likely feels random to them. If it’s not handled well, a celebration of any scale could even be a little alarming. Even for social dogs, Dr. Todd said to consider that “if lots of things are different, that raises [a dog’s] arousal level and they might be a bit more likely to be stressed by something that on a normal day they would not find stressful.” 

You might want to start with a smaller group or even a party of two (you and your dog) if your best friend doesn’t have experience with a party-like atmosphere.

Pick a location 

My dog’s favorite dog park was recently abuzz with tales of a birthday party held at a local restaurant’s outdoor space. Shelby Semel, a certified dog trainer in New York, doesn’t necessarily advise this option. She said that renting a space like a restaurant can be fine—but you’ll need to do a lot of legwork ahead of time. One consideration: Is the space dog-proof? 

Semel said to consider the flooring, “because dogs are running around on their paws.” Other things owners should think about if they choose to book a space for their dog’s party: “Is there food being served for the humans? Like, is there avocado, which wouldn’t be safe for dogs? Are the tables high enough for the dogs not to jump up and get it? How is the staff going to handle the dogs? Where’s the doorway to get in? Do you have all the [cleaning] stuff for when the dog goes on the floor?”

There’s…a lot to think about. If you have a prosocial dog who would thrive in a more traditional birthday-party context, Semel suggests renting a doggie daycare as a good option. One of her clients did this to great success. Semel likes the idea because the daycare is already built for dogs in terms of both safety and cleanup. Bonus if they already know the space.

Again, a traditional party might not be right for your dog. “I don’t think there’s a standard template for a birthday party for a dog, just like I don’t think there’s a standard template for a human,” said Dr. Sarah-Elizabeth Byosiere, a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB) and the former director of the Thinking Dog Center at CUNY Hunter College. 

For every person who likes to be surrounded by one hundred of their nearest and dearest, there are those who’d rather go to a bar with their friends, and still others who want to sit on the couch and watch TV.  “And I think that’s true for our fuzzy friends,” Dr. Byosiere adds. 

If your dog would enjoy going big, find somewhere that they already know and love, and that’s built for the presence of dogs. If your dog prefers quieter moments of joy in their comfort zone, set something up at home.

Figure out what activities your dog loves

The best dog birthday celebrations center on activities that you know your dog loves—just amplified or extended. Horowitz suggests that owners think about “what a dog would like, whether they appreciate that it’s their birthday or not: perhaps lots of activities, dog friends, and snacks…and probably not wearing an uncomfortable hat and having people sing at them and clap.”

Enrichment shouldn’t be reserved for birthdays—it’s essential year-round. But a birthday is a fine time to indulge your dog. Dr. Todd recommends doing their favorite activities, which you’ve probably gleaned simply by living alongside them, only more. 

“Maybe you’ll do a bit more of them than you normally would,” she said. “If the dog wants to keep going, you’ll let them keep going.”

This might mean an longer hike at your dog’s favorite trail, an extended play session with their preferred toy, or additional sniffing time during a walk. 

It can be a moment for bonding, too. “Whatever you and your dog do together and enjoy together, do that,” Dr. Byosiere said. “Like, if you’re doing something because you think it’s fun and your dog’s enjoying it, then you’re also doing something for your relationship, and that’s generally a good thing.”

Make a cake… or a “cake” 

By way of explaining how to know exactly what your dog likes best, Dr. Byosiere offered the example of her dog Sadie, an extremely food-motivated Labrador. “Anytime I eat, she’s sitting next to me, drooling, googly eyes, wanting something, and so she seems to be giving me all the behavioral signals [that she loves food],” she said. “Then, even though I have yet to find something she won’t eat, I see an increase in her demanding behavior when there are things like banana or pumpkin or carrot. And so, when it came time to think about what I was going to put in this cake, I picked the things that I thought she demonstrated behaviorally were her favorites.” 

To give Sadie an extra layer of fun, Byosiere put the KitchenAid mixer on the ground and let the pup watch everything come together. 

For the food-motivated dog whose owner wants a photo, Dr. Todd points out that most of what they can eat can be fashioned into a cake. Not in the Is it Cake? sense, but more so styling your dog’s favorite, safe food in the shape of a cake. If there are foods that your dog especially likes, but should only enjoy in small quantities, like cheese or plain peanut butter without any added ingredients, this is a good time for those (but still offer them in moderation). And molding your dog’s complete and balanced food in a cake pan and decorating it with treats can feel celebratory for all involved—the owner, who likes to abide by tradition for all birthdays, human or canine, and the dog, who likes to eat no matter what day it is. 

Pick an outfit (or don’t) 

It’s true that most dogs live their lives in their birthday suit, but it can be tempting to add a little chapeau for the official occasion in order to complete the visual. 

If you want to put in the work to acclimate them to a birthday hat, start way earlier than you think you have to. If their birthday party is in November, start in October (this is a step-by-step guide to getting your dog comfortable wearing their Halloween costume, but the training principles are the same for anything wearable). It may seem like a lot of work, but Dr. Todd said there can be benefits for your dog if you go through this process—including that they get used to being handled. This can ease some stress when they go to the vet or have to wear more practical clothing, like booties or a jacket. 

Still, it would be understandable not to want to prep for your dog’s birthday months ahead or subject your dog to something that they find uncomfortable on a day that’s meant to celebrate them. In that case, you can put on a festive collar, which they are probably already used to wearing. The bottom line: When it comes to clothing (and ditto decor, activities, and the guest list for that matter), your desire for festivity should never come at the expense of your dog’s comfort. 

So your dog had a great birthday… 

Birthdays for humans can be a time to take stock, and think about the year behind and the year ahead. And birthdays for dogs can serve a similar purpose for your lives together. Dr. Horowitz pointed out that celebrating your dog’s birthday is an opportunity to “remember that most dogs are beholden to us all day, every day. For things to happen to them, we often have to make them happen—be it a hike, a swim, or a sniffy walk.”

And you don’t need to wait for a special occasion to make your dog’s life extra fun. As Dr. Horowitz put it: “If you know what your dog likes, try to make it a birthday every day.”