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It’s My Party Day – The Top 10 Over-the-top Pet Parties

2 Pet Lovers: Forget Sponge Bob Square Pants cakes. For a pet-lovers party, guests might be dining on dog-friendly cakes made with peanut butter and yogurt.

Let’s face it. We all love to pamper our pets. They’re our best friends, and we want to show them how much we care. And every pet deserves a special birthday. Whether it’s a simple hike in the woods that day, or an over-the-top extravaganza, it’s nice to recognize your pet on his or her special day.

Of course, things can quickly escalate into the pet party of the century. And if you’re one of those over-the-top people who like to do everything to the extreme, then check out these Top 10 pet parties for some ideas.

1. Ernie, a Bichon Frise who lives in New York, was recently the guest of honor at his own “Bark Mitzvah,” which celebrated Ernie’s 13^th (dog years) birthday.
2. A Manhattan Dachshund recently celebrated her special day with 15 canine friends. The menu included peanut butter and yogurt cake and a special drink.
3. Book a day for your pooch and his or her friends at Manhattan’s Drop Off Service, where the special guests of honor will enjoy homemade cake, and will walk out with doggie blankets and gift bags, while their owners enjoy beer and hors d’oeuvres. Sign me up!
4. If you’re in the Washington state area, check out The Dining Dog Café in Edmonds, Wash. The ambience is set with some soft music, chandeliers and elegant white linen tablecloths. The pet-friendly restaurant opened in 2005 and the restaurant’s owners are more than happy to accommodate your next pet party.
5. Spa Day – Wow…I would need a spa day just to recover from planning a pet spa day, but believe it or not, it’s big business these days. If you’re near Westlake, California, The Barkley is ready and able to provide your pet, and a dozen or so friends, with a precious pooch pampering day. Animals will receive “Pawdicures,” massages, grooming and can even have their fur dyed. The hotel also offers in-room dining service, and a doggie day camp.
6. Located all over the country, The Zoom Room is a favorite destination for humans to celebrate their companion’s special day. The venue has hosted pet marries, adoption parties and Doggie Disco days. The event can be a bit pricey, and typically starts at $150 for two hours. Additional options, like doggie cupcakes, are available as well.
7. If you’re thinking of a cat party, skip this one. Most cats don’t appreciate water. But if your dog likes swimming as much as mine, check out Avon Lake’s annual Big Splash Dog Party, held annual at the end of each summer to give all dogs full access to Avon Lake’s municipal pool. Games, activities and prizes await your prized pooch as well. And proceeds benefit a local pet advocacy organization. You can’t beat it!
8. Homemade pet parties might not be as over-the-top, but your pet can have a great day with a little creativity on your part. By organizing your own party, you can save lots of cash, and still provide your pet an outrageous time. Start with an invitation that includes a pic of your pet, and invite 10 friends over to your home for a hair-raising experience. Look on any homemade pet food website for a variety of cake recipes, and bake it yourself! Make up some doggie gift bags ahead of time, and send your guests off with their own treats. Not a lot of money, but a lot of fun!
9. Party at the park! Take your pooch and a few canine companions and head to the doggie park for an afternoon of frolicking in the sun. Pack some doggie treats, and don’t forget the leashes!
10. Me and You and a Dog Named Boo! Truly, there is no better day than just spending quality time with your faithful companion. Sometimes, less is more. How about celebrating your animal’s special day with the family. Enjoy a nice dinner, and treat your pooch to a special treat. Spend the day loving on your animal. It’s the best birthday present ever!

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Pupcakes!

A while back I had saved recipes for pupcakes (cupcakes for dogs) and tonight I finally did it! Yesterday, I celebrated the two-year anniversary of the date that I brought my dog Ellie home so I thought this would be a good excuse to make the pupcakes. They were super quick and easy too!

Recipe from BakeSpace:

2 ripe bananas
2 cups water
1 egg
1/2 tsp double strength vanilla
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
2 Tbsp honey
1/2 cup peanut butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Spray cupcakes or mini cupcake pan with olive oil. (I greased them with butter)
2. In a large bowl, mash bananas with a fork. Add all ingredients except peanut butter and mix with a pastry blender until well combined. Add peanut butter and continue stirring until well blended.
*I just put everything into my Kitchenaid mixer and let it do all the work for me.
3. Fill cupcake tin 3/4 full. If using mini muffin tin, bake for 15 minutes. For regular-sized muffins, bake for 25 minutes.

For the frosting, I just mixed together plain yogurt and some peanut butter. There was no exact measurements, but it was probably about 2 cups of frosting and 1/2 cup of peanut butter.

It passed the taste test because Ellie inhaled it!

If you need a quick snack to share with your special friend and don’t have time to bake… regular carrot cake or cheese, in small quantities, or a ginger snap cookie will also work! if you have a dog who tends to get car sick the ginger snap cookies often help with that too!!

h/t to What the Cupcake?

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The New Breed of Baker

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For these moms, a dog-day afternoon

For these moms, a dog-day afternoon

Pedro and Princesa, a pair of very well-dressed Chihuahuas, scampered into Unleashed Indoor Dog Park like a couple late for the party.

After all, it was Mother’s Day, and Princesa and Pedro were here to celebrate with their “mom,” Betty Orellana.

Pedro, one handsome little dude, was decked out in a bright print shirt, khakis, tinted shades and the tiniest sandals imaginable – until you saw the shoes on Princesa, who accented her look with a sparkly frock that exactly matched mom’s vivid green blouse.

The oohs and ahhs followed in their wake – “Look, look!” and “Aww, how cute!” in several variations – and Orellana doted on her kids like any proud momma.

“Their father passed away about a year ago in a motorcycle accident,” said Orellana, of Mesquite, “and we didn’t get to have kids.

“Pedro and Princesa are my children. They’re the only kids I have.”

So she decided to go out with the kids, to a party with other moms and their “fur babies” to be treated and pampered and, for once, to feel they weren’t left out on Mother’s Day.

“It’s wonderful!” Orellana said. “When one of the ladies here told me they were having a special Mother’s Day, I couldn’t believe it!”

Kelly Acree, an owner and co-founder of Unleashed in Far East Dallas, said that when she and her partners assembled a business plan for the indoor dog park – the first of what they hope will be many – they noticed an interesting demographic development.

“We saw that young people weren’t getting married as early as they used to, and that a lot of single guys and girls have a pet as a ‘child,’ ” Acree said. “There’s a real trend in society – more humanization of pets. It used to be they spent their time out in the yard. Now they sleep in the bed with you.”

And the pets help meet basic human needs of love and companionship for people who often have no one else.

Call it puppy love.

“I don’t know what I would have done without Pedro when my husband died,” Orellana said. “He sure filled a void when I lost the man I loved.”

Across the room, new arrival Carrie Johnson of Dallas took in the scene – lots and lots of women and men and a whole bunch of dogs romping and wagging and having a great time.

The grown-ups carried gift bags and sipped wine and nibbled candy or cakes, or maybe enjoyed the ministrations of a masseuse. And the dogs were busy being dogs.

“This is so cool,” Johnson said, leading in Sebastian, a little fluff ball of a Shi-Tzu.

“Mother’s Day can be hard when don’t have children. You feel like it isn’t a day for you.

“But this is a day for all of us.

By: MICHAEL E.YOUNG / The Dallas Morning News

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The New Breed of Baker

Homemade Dog Breed Cookies Who doesn’t love a homemade cookie? Nobody, that’s who. Not your mail carrier, not your groomer, not your dog walker, not your dog sitter, not your vet and these people all deserve them too. So we thought it was high time we indulge the people in your pampered pooches’ lives. So dust off your cookie sheets…  Here is a recession-ready gift idea including (including recipes) fresh from your kitchen. But wait, it gets better: Dog Breed Cookie Cutters! We couldn’t resist them. Positively baker’s bliss, choose from over 80 stainless steel dog breed cutters and other pup-centric shapes like bones, paws, doghouses and fire hydrants that make the baking part seem well, boring. And for those of you who are not bakers or are just time tapped, you can roll out the pre-made cookie dough and get to work with the cutters? We’ve even got a tasty icing recipe to top them off.  Yum! Here’s what you need: An assortment of doggie cookie cutters. Sugar cookie dough. Make it yourself or purchase pre-made cookie dough. Icing. Find pre-made icing in tubes from Williams-Sonoma or baking supply shops (the tips should be the thinnest you can find) or experienced bakers, whip up Royal Icing and use #2 and #3 tips with your pastry bag. Optional jimmies, colored sugar and other “fur” candy decorations. Bake Your Cookies Roll dough to desired thickness and cut into shapes with your cookie cutters. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until the cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges. Decorate Once your cookies have cooled, it’s time to decorate. Keep it simple and just outline your dog shapes with a fine line: Touch the tip of the icing tube or pastry bag to the cookie and gently squeeze, raising the tip a bit and outlining the entire edge of the cookie. To seal the seam and make it disappear, dip a paintbrush in some water, dab it on a paper towel to release some water and then gently touch the seam. Allow the outline to dry. Then add your pup’s eyes, nose, a smile and maybe a collar too for color. Take it up a notch by filling in the outline with frosting and adding decorative “fur.” Use Royal Icing or for easy icing, take a few spoonfuls of pre-made vanilla frosting, microwave it until it’s runny and add a few drops of food color. Then choose to add jimmies or colored sugar decorations before the icing dries. Allow the icing to dry completely before packaging your cookies to give as a gift or eat them with wild abandon. The Scoop: Dog Breed Cookie Cutters Over 80 breeds, plus other fun shapes, $2 each. www.thelittlefoxfactory.com   And for those of you who would rather pay than bake and play:  Elenis  –  www.elenis.com Cookie Decorating Supplies and Tools  www.kitchengifts.com Thank you to ArtGirlCookies.com for the photo and your inspiration!.

 

 

NO FAIL SUGAR COOKIES

This recipe is GREAT when using complex cookie cutters.  The dough holds its’ shape and won’t spread during baking.  Make sure you let your oven preheat for at least 1/2 hour before baking these or any other cookies.

6 cups flour 
3 tsp. baking powder 
2 cups butter 
2 cups sugar 
2 eggs 
2 tsp. vanilla extract or desired flavoring (I like almond myself)
1 tsp. salt

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Mix well. Mix dry ingredients and add a little at a time to butter mixture.  Mix until flour is completely incorporated and the dough comes together.             

Chill for 1 to 2 hours (or see Hint below) 

Roll to desired thickness and cut into desired shapes.  Bake on ungreased baking sheet at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until just beginning to turn brown around the edges.  This recipe can make up to 5-dozen 3” cookies. 

HINT: Rolling Out Dough Without the Mess — Rather than wait for your cookie dough to chill, take the freshly made dough and place a glob between two sheets of parchment paper.  

 

 

 

Roll it out to the desired thickness then place the dough and paper on a cookie sheet and pop it into the refrigerator.  Continue rolling out your dough between sheets of paper until you have used it all.  By the time you are finished, the first batch will be completely chilled and ready to cut.  Reroll leftover dough and repeat the process!  An added bonus is that you are not adding any additional flour to your cookies.

Lick the Bowl What better way to say “I love you” then homebaked treats. Spoil your pooch with a little fresh-baked love from your kitchen. These peanut butter goodies are fun to make (get out the cookie cutters) and so adorable you’ll want to share them with your other doggie friends. Peanut Butter Dog Treats 2 tbsp corn oil 1/2 cup peanut butter (make sure you are using organic or non-tainted peanut butter) 1 cup water 1 cup whole wheat flour 2 cups white flour Preheat oven to 350F. Combine oil, peanut butter, and water. Add flour 1 cup at a time, then knead into firm dough. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness and cut with small bone shaped cookie cutter. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. For hard and crunchy treats, leave them in the oven for a few hours after baking.  Makes about 3 dozen.  Photo of Kaweah courtesy of Jennifer Yu. Recipe from http://www.dogaware.com.   Dogwise, All Things Dog!  Monthly Feature: BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS IN DOGS Related Article:   Pet Parties – The Latest Craz For these moms, a dog-day afternoon

Get Your Pets To Love Their Halloween Costumes!

With a properly trained dog, and dog-loving neighbors, you can take your dog trick-or-treating with his new Halloween Pet Costume.Some dogs love getting the attention that a halloween costume brings, but other dogs                          Don’t put the costume on right away and expect your dog to go along with it. A few weeks before you expect him to wear the costume, use treat training to get him motivated.  Drape the costume over his back for a few seconds, and then give him a little treat. Do this for a few seconds several times, then daily, longer each time, treating and praising all the while.  Put the costume on loosely, and follow the above instructions, for a few seconds, then a few minutes, with praise and treats galore.  Enlist the help of a friend. Let the friend give treats when the dog is in costume and when the costume comes off, the friend (and treats) go away.  Soon your dog will be glad when he sees the costume being taken out for him. Now your dog should be ready to cooperate whether at a party, getting pictures taken, or “Woof-or-Treating”

Hurry… Save on Pet Howl’oween Costumes & Goodies

Pet Parties – The Latest Craze

As the baby-boomers are taking the lead, in ever-growing numbers, as pet owners, so is pet spoiling and the ‘special pet events’ phenomenon. Baby-boomers, who are primarily empty-nesters are replacing their grown children with pets and spoiling those pets as they used to spoil their children.

Pet parties are one of the newest crazes; birthday and holiday parties with and for pets. They include activities and goodies for both the pets and their humans. Pet ‘birthday’ parties top the list, especially for dogs and then cat parties rank as a distant second. They vary from a group of pet owners and their pets going to lunch or dinner at a pet friendly restaurant to parties at the park or backyard house events. Pet-care facilities (doggy daycare sites and pet hotels) are another option to consider if you don’t have room for a home party.

As with Halloween… with pet ‘dress-up events’ or just having your pet at a conventional gathering or party, there are lots of factors to consider. Will the pets on the guest list get along? Are your human guests pet focused enough and willing to keep an eye on their pet as well as maintain a pet positive environment at the party for everyone, while still having a good time themselves? And is your pet the type who likes being around other animals and groups of people, or is this party really for you?

There are many restaurants that are pet friendly these days so will cordon off an area, as they do for kiddy parties, for your pet event; some even supply decorations and goodies.

But if you prefer to do it yourself and go all out, here are a few suggestions:

Indoor Party Activities:

• Pick a fun theme. Party favors and decorations are now available for most types of pet parties.

• Have each doggy (kitty, bird, monkey, pot bellied pig, etc) guest come in costume and have a mini-fashion show or have your guests and their humans come in matching costumes! Give prizes for best costume(s), funniest, most original, etc.

• Bring Kong type toys, one for each doggy guest, filled with cheese or peanut butter; catnip or tuna for the kitties.

• Have plenty of training treats, snacks and biscuits on hand and hold contests for best sit, stay, shake, roll over… (perhaps for most finicky for the felines?).

• Bring a good supply of rope toys for a doggy tug of war! You’ll find that sometimes the humans will participate as well.

• Paw mural painting can be done inside or out as long as you cover the floor well.

Outdoor Party Activities:

• A silly pet trick contest is a great event, indoors and out, but outside parties lend themselves to a greater variety of tricks. Give a prize for 1st, 2nd and 3rd or just for first prize and then give a treat to the others for participation.

• If you have mostly the same types (or breeds) of pets or groups that are the same sizes, dog (or piggy and kitty… if you can motivate them) races can be fun. (Dachshund or Chihuahua races are always funny.)

• Bring enough balls so there is at least one ball or Frisbee per doggy guest and play free-for-all fetch or wands with fake birds, small balls or catnip toys tied at the end for the cats.

• Agility equipment events like a tunnel for the dogs to race through is a good addition; make sure you have lots of training bits or other treats to offer them when they run through successfully!

• Water activities like swimming events in the pool for certain dog breeds during the warm season are possible activities to consider, or bobbing for biscuits using a small tub or kiddie pool with water and then tossing in some biscuits. Whoever gets them out the quickest wins!

• Also, if at the park, make sure you consider safety issues like portable fencing or stakes to attach leashes, so the dogs and their humans can relax for awhile.

Food:

• Make sure there is plenty of water – Provide separate bowls for each pet guest (possibly personalized for them to take home) filled with mineral, filtered or even Smart™ water.

• Order goodies from the local or online doggy (pet) bakeries and party suppliers, or better yet bake them yourself.

• Have an outdoor bar-b-que and fix a special dinner for both the pet guests and their humans with their own grilled boneless steaks or chicken for the doggies or tuna and salmon for the kitties!

• And of course, you must have a birthday cake! You can make it yourself or order one from a local or online pet bakery. A small slice of carrot cake or really any other cake as long as it doesn’t contain chocolate could be served to most pets as well their humans at a special occasion, but in most cases you will probably want a special one for the pets and one for their humans.

• There are also many human goodies (candy and baked goods) shaped like pets, bones, or pet articles that can add fun to the party.

• A goodie bag to take home filled with unique biscuits, doggy ice cream, dehydrated meats (dehydrated fish, a catnip toy, cat grass or grass seeds and gourmet cat desserts for the kitties), and a small pet safe toy, along with their personalized water bowl is a nice touch.

Make sure you label the food appropriately, especially at a buffet-style meal, to ensure that no people accidentally bite into a dog or cat treat or that the pets don’t get too many human treats!

Regardless of the style of the party or the range of food served, you will need to consider both the fun of all the party guests as well as the safety of the food you choose for the people and the dogs (cats or birds, etc) at the event. You might want to skip serving chocolate and onions completely, keep alcohol to a minimum and have a special (pet free) smoking area to keep the guest of honor and friends from eating the butts. Discussing allergies and safety matters of the pets, children and adults at the party in advance will prevent any surprises for the day of the party, as well, perhaps as part of the invitation RSVP request.

Kids have will have fun participating in the games and giving out treats to the winners, so include them if you have any children on your guest list. But be sure to consider supervision, and I would recommend limiting the number of children present. If you do have children or grandchildren at home, include them in the preparation and give them jobs and responsibilities at the party.

And finally, make sure you have a way of capturing all this fun on film! A volunteer photographer or videographer is great for memories and someone taking Polaroid’s for the costume contest, to send home with guests, is always a great touch!

Future articles will include throwing a ‘fancy’ doggy party and ‘pet’ party recipes. But for now, for those of you baking and making the party food on your own, here is a fun recipe for your human guests (and a small sliver, minus the Tootsie Rolls, won’t hurt the pets either):

FAMOUS KITTY LITTER CAKE

(Several variations of this recipe can be found online)

INGREDIENTS:

1 spice or German chocolate cake mix 
1 white cake mix 
2 large packages vanilla instant pudding mix, prepared 
1 large package vanilla sandwich cookies 
green food coloring 
12 small Tootsie Rolls

1 new kitty litter pan 
1 new plastic kitty litter pan liner 
1 new pooper scooper

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare cake mixes (or scratch cake) and bake according to directions (any size pans). 
Prepare pudding mix and chill until ready to assemble. 
Crumble white sandwich cookies in small batches in food processor, scraping often. Set aside all but about 1/4 cup. To the 1/4 cup cookie crumbs, add a few drops green food coloring and mix until completely colored.

When cakes are cooled to room temperature, crumble into a large bowl. Toss with half the remaining white cookie crumbs and the chilled pudding. Important: mix in just enough of the pudding to moisten it. You don’t want it too soggy. Combine gently.

Line a new, clean kitty litter box. Put the cake/pudding/cookie mixture into the litter box. 
Put three unwrapped Tootsie rolls in a microwave safe dish and heat until soft and pliable. Shape ends so they are no longer blunt, curving slightly. Repeat with 3 more Tootsie rolls bury them in the mixture. Sprinkle the other half of cookie crumbs over top. Scatter the green cookie crumbs lightly on top of everything — this is supposed to look like the chlorophyll in kitty litter.

Heat 3 Tootsie Rolls in the microwave until almost melted. Scrape them on top of the cake; sprinkle with cookie crumbs. Spread remaining Tootsie Rolls over the top; take one and heat until pliable, hang it over the side of the kitty litter box, sprinkling it lightly with cookie crumbs. Place the box on a newspaper and sprinkle a few of the cookie crumbs around for a truly disgusting effect!

Have a great party!

By:  Marion Algier/Ask Marion – Just One More Pet

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