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It was recently reported that over 700,000 pets in the United States have had birthday parties thrown for them by their owners. This “pet party” trend has also taken off in other nations such as China, Japan and England. If you were thinking of throwing a party for your pet (specifically your dog), here is a list of party safety guidelines to ensure that all of the party animals in attendance have a fun and safe time. This list is by no means fully comprehensive, but it gives you a good starting point for your pet party safety. You should always use your best judgment to determine if something is appropriate for your pet, and the other pets in attendance at the party. Without further adieu, here are the dog party safety tips:

• All dogs attending the party should have at least one person who the dog feels comfortable around present at the party. If a guardian for the dog is not able to attend your party, the dog should not attend either. Unless you feel comfortable enough with watching the dog yourself, you do not one to be held liable if something happens to the dog.
• In case any of the dogs’ guardians do not bring waste bags for their dogs, make sure to have plenty on hand. This is especially true if the party is at a dog park or other public facility. Be sure to leave the location in the same condition that it was in prior to the party.
• To avoid any potential scuffles between the party animals, only invite dogs that your dog already knows and feels comfortable with. If your best friend’s dog is sweet, but just doesn’t get along with your dog for some reason, it may be best to leave them off of the guest list. If you want to invite a dog who your dog has never met, set up a meeting between your dog and the other dog so that they can become acquainted before the party. Definitely leave canine bullies off of the guest list.
• If you plan to have an outdoor party at a dog park or in your backyard, make sure that you have a contingency plan in the event of bad weather.
• In regards to the length of the party, you can plan the party for as long as you see fit, just keep in mind that dogs can become restless very easy. If you notice that many of the guests are getting cranky, don’t be afraid to end the party early.
• Wherever you choose to have the party, make sure that it is safely enclosed and that there are no “cracks” that any of the party guests may be able to slip through. This is especially true for the smaller guests at the party. If your Rottweiler has started digging a whole under your fence in the backyard, make sure that the hole isn’t big enough for your friend’s Shih Tzu to crawl through. If you think that the whole may become problematic, fill the whole before you host your party.
• At treat time, make sure that every puppy has his or her own treat. Also, allow each dog’s guardian to give the treat to their respective dog.
• If you invite dogs that have not yet been spayed or neutered, make sure that you alert the parents of the other dogs at the party. Also, if you think that it is necessary, make sure that the parents of these dogs keep an especially close eye on their pet.
• Make sure to only provide treats that are deemed safe for dogs. If you are unsure about the dog toxicity of any of the treats that you want to give out at your party, consult your veterinarian. Also, it is a good idea to talk with the owners of the dog party guests beforehand to check if their dog is allergic to a particular food or ingredient.

Dwayne Wright runs an online community site entitled Puppy Fiesta for those dog owners that love to throw parties for their pups. Visit his site today for more dog party news, ideas, and information. If you own a dog yourself, make sure to add your favorite photo of your dog to the Puppy Fiesta Birthday Parade so that the rest of the Puppy Fiesta community can join in on the celebration on your dog’s birthday.

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My wife and I have been married for 32 years. In that time our pets, more commonly known to us as dogs, have taken a large part of that shared life together. It is no secret that these sometimes small friends are able to take the sting out of loneliness, the hurt out of bad relationships, or in our case, add happiness to an already happy time.

The first dog we had was a mix of german shepherd and black lab. The dog was a female, with mostly black, and some brown. We called her “Berny”, after her long name of Bernecia Bernard the first. My wife had picked her up when we first decided to tie the knot. She showed me this small puppy when we met the next day after she received her. I was glad, for I did like dogs.

It wasn’t long before I moved to another city some twenty miles away and took the small dog with me. A short time later, we were married and started our new life together. It was sheer h___, the first six months of our marriage. Two strong personalities that had trouble getting along. But, eventually we learned as other couples do. That is,that those differences when you were first married , you know the ones. Those things in each other you simply could not put up with, well after time and years, along with age; you decide that those things were not as bad as you thought. You simply stop fighting and started enjoying each other.
It was during those times of the early years this german shepherd mix would be the friend to both of us. She was trained to go ask to go out, well trained to sit and stay, and a number of other commands. After awhile, it seemed the dog could just understand us as we spoke to her. We had her some 12 years, before she died. We missed her terribly. A good friend had left us. One we loved very much. A tear still fondly fills my eye as I recall this.

It was this shortage of dog power around, that led us to get our next dog. This one lasted fifteen years. A registered toy poodle named “Lady Cocoa Puff Bon Bon”. She was a fiesty chocolate color, with spit and vinegar in her spirit. We loved her from the start. She too became potty trained and with Berny, could almost seem to know what we wanted just by our talking to her. She, though, unlike our other dog, was stubborn at times. If she wanted to go with you and you left her home, be prepared to find her leaving a mess of torn up paper and anything else she could get ahold of. As she grew older, her sight went bad, she could not move well. In the end, she left us as well. I chuckle now, thinking of this small spitfire.
We have had two dogs, some 27 of the 32 years of marriage. We never got another dog, as of yet. We keep looking, but with already having two of the finest dogs ever put on Gods earth, it is hard to think we could find another one as loyal, loving, and of independent character as the two we have had.

In all, we decided to, if we get another, “lets do a poodle again”…

The above is a Modern Psalm, written by Dana G Smith. Mr Smith is an avid writer of Psalms, articles, news stories,and experience as a news stringer, and more. He maintains a mega web site at Wingswatchman.org and the Watchman Powerbase Resource archive as well as theWatchman Blog – Please stop by and visit us there.

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