Halloween is the time of year where we can all let our hair down and be someone different for a night, but this year you could go one step further and give your best furry friend the chance to transform and celebrate too: By hosting your very own  Halloween party for dogs. This article looks at everything you'll need to know to ensure your Dog Halloween Party is the talk of the town!

Where To Host Your Party

Depending on where you live and the size of your guest list, you may opt for a furry friendly party in your own home. Remember that other dogs may have different habits to yours so take the time to pet-proof keeping your things safe and the pooches out of danger.

Alternatively, you may decide to host your party in your garden or at your local dog-friendly park - both are great options if you prefer to be outdoors. Here's a listing of dog friendly party venues

Invitations

If you are hosting a small Dog Halloween Party with your friends, why not get your creativity flowing and set up a little photography session with your dog, add the details of your party and share via social media with your besties. You can use something like Picsart's background changer  if you want to put your pup on a spooky backdrop. 

Or if you're having a bigger get-together with friends but you are also thinking of inviting pooches you see on your daily walk, you can also print a few invite cards and take some with you next time you walk around the block. Not only is it a great way to meet local dog owners, but it also means that there will be more dogs attending!

And if you're opening an 'all are welcome' Dog Halloween Party, think about creating an event on Facebook to get the word out

Decorations

Decorations that hang from your ceiling are a great option for a Dog Halloween Party because there's  less chance of a curious dog in taking a bite out of them or knocking them over with their tails.

Outdoors you can use bunting and pumpkins but use caution with candles - wagging excited tails near an open flame is never a good idea.

Games & Activities

1. The Costume Parade


Let guests know in your invite that there will be a costume parade and a winner so your dog friends come dressed to impressed.

Or you could ask pets and their people to come dressed as a pair (like copy and robber, Vampires etc)

To ensure you get a winner, give each guest two votes and stipulate they cannot vote for their own dog. Provide some prizes like treats or toys for first and second place, but make sure you have plenty of treats to go round so every dog is a winner!

You can also add your own twists if you have a big event and add some extra categories, such as scariest, prettiest, sparkliest, best pet and parent combo.  And because some dogs aren't comfortable in fancy dress outfits you can also include a category for the best accessory so every dog can be included.


2. Trick For A Treat

Place a star on the floor and have a big of treats ready, every time a doggy does a trick on the star they get a treat!


3. The Hunt

Before your guests arrive hide lots of delicious treats around your party, remember to hide them in safe locations and for small or shy dogs pet owners can join in the hunt too!

You'll want to make sure that the treats are 'fragrant' so the dogs' noses lead the way like hot dog bits, jerky and other meat -based treats.


4. Bone Bobbing

A personal favorite of my pooch is Bone Bobbing, she is a little ball obsessed! So we took a small 15" wading pool and filled it with hollow tennis balls and kongs that are stuffed with cheese, peanut butter and treats,  letting the dogs bob for a ball to play with and the balls that survived the day were taking home.


5. The Spooky Booth

Just like the human version, creating a photo booth is super simple. All you need is a spooky backdrop, a range of pet appropriate props and we provided a polaroid camera too so our guests had a photo to take home and put on the fridge, not just in their phone gallery. It was a huge hit! Some dogs weren't keen on the props but all of them loved a cuddle with their owner and pup best friends against our haunted night sky backdrop.

Food & Drink

There are two audiences here to feed: Dogs and Humans.

Humans

You can ask guests to each bring a plate to share to make it really easy.  Here's a list of fun Halloween food ideas.

Dogs

It's best NOT to leave treats out on a table throughout the party, because it's too distracting for many dogs, and could cause aggression. Instead have times throughout the party where treats are offered. It's also preferable that you give each pet parent the treat and let that person give their pup the food.

It goes without saying to stay clear of human food especially chocolate and candy as many are harmful to dogs and the wrappers are a pesky hazard too. Instead, you can find a great range of healthy and organic treat options online or at your local grocery store.

If you want to have a go at baking a dog safe cake, why not make it with pumpkin? It's definitely seasonal and pumpkin is so good for dogs. 

Water

Make sure you have lots of bowls out with water. Some dogs don't like to share a bowl with another dog so having different places where they can take a slurp is a good idea to stop any bar fights!

Party Favors And Parting Gifts

All dogs are winners in our eyes and therefore they all deserve a doggy bag to take home. There are tons of cute goodie bag options on Etsy.

Here are some ideas of things you could include:


- Dog treats
- Halloween Toys
- A ball
- A photo from the photobooth
- A Halloween bandana
- A Halloween collar pendant

And that concludes our ideas, tips, and recommendations on hosting a pawtastic Halloween party for dogs. We are sure you and your furry, and non-furry, friends will have a hauntingly great time!

Rocky Kanaka

Rocky Kanaka is an entrepreneur, pet rescue advocate and dog dad to a rescue boxer named Flip, a blind Cane Corso called Kobe, and a terrier mix named Zoey. He's also a pet chef and owner of The Dog Bakery, which specializes in dog birthday cakes and fresh baked dog treats. His three dogs can't get enough of the dog cakes and treats!

Lorna Ladd

Lorna Paxton Ladd is a passionate dog lover and enthusiast of The Dog Bakery. She loves spoiling her 3 rescue dogs with dog cakes and jerky. A 15 year veteran in the pet industry, her aim is to educate pet parents on the best recipes, products, tips and tricks to optimize the human/canine bond. Her favorite product at The Dog Bakery are the customizable dog birthday cakes.