PAWTY, PAWTY!

by Fran McCaskill

Doggie Birthday Parties are becoming the latest trend among pet owners. You, as a business owner, can capitalize on this trend as a way to engage your customers, build community, and oh yeah, to increase your sales!

Encourage your Customers to pamper their faithful companions by throwing a birthday pawty at your facility. Here are some profitable considerations and suggestions for a fabulous doggie party.

LOCATION: Although a backyard party at a home is an ideal location, many people don’t have this option. A boutique or doggie day care are ideal places to have a party. Consider making some space available primarily for social events. You could put together a ‘pawty pack’ with your facility available to rent for blocks of time, along with all of the other pawty accoutrement.

INVITATIONS: Sell doggie invites in your store. The invites could be breed specific to the birthday dog of honor. Check out Barktalk.com for some cute invites. You can also offer doggie "evites" with your store logo. But don’t get carried away! The Client should be advised to keep the attendee list to a reasonable number. Too many dogs canbe a recipe for a chaotic disaster!

DÉCOR: Keep an abundance of dog themed balloons, banners, tablecloths, plates, cups, napkins in stock, these add to the ambience and spirit of the occasion. Some fun items can be found at: www.funstufffordogs.com and GoodDogexpress.com

FOOD: Doggie Bakeries are key to a happy Birthday dog’s heart. No pawty would be complete without Treat Platter’s and Birthday Cakes. Three Dog Bakery creates scrumptious treats and cakes for such an occasion. Promote these items with sample "tastings". Dogs can choose what cake they are partial to prior to the event. Dogs are loyal customers, they never forget their first experience eating a slice of Birthday cake and will be drooling at the thought of one for years to come. Owners should be prepared for dogs enthusiastically diving head first into their cake. Keep wet wipes on hand, they come in useful to remove frosting smeared all over the face.

REFRESHMENTS: Make sure there are plenty of water bowls scattered around the location for the dogs and keep an eye on them that they are replenished. You can offer your client the option of having distilled water. Alcohol for people should be limited, no need for unruly adults setting a bad example at a dog party! Wait a minute, what am I thinking? With 50 dogs running around, alcohol will come in very handy for the human set

HAVE ON HAND:

• A potty station- check out petapotty
• poop bags (for those who miss the potty station)
• A bath replacement spray like Dry Dog Instant Clean . Dogs get very stinky when frolicking and you don’t want to send them home smelly!
• first aid kit
• wet-wipes
• If outdoors, a sunscreen & flea repellent such as Flea the Scene ” that will repel those pesky fleas & provide sunscreen.
• In addition you might find Dog Smog Remedy valuable (for bad breath and gas)for the odd dog that cannot contain his excitement for the occasion and comes down with a bad case of anti-social gas.

Etiquette: Invited dogs and their owners should possess good manners, have compatible personalities and be well socialized. A badly behaved aggressive dog is not worth the invite, nothing like a back yard brawl to bring the worst out in everybody and put an abrupt end to a good time. To avoid any misunderstanding the invites should point out that doggie drop off’s are not optional, each dog is to be accompanied and supervised by a responsible parent.

ENTERTAINMENT: Depending on your Client’s budget you can keep it simple or go all out and have a pawty that will be talked about in the dog park for years to come. Provide a games-coordinator to entertain the dogs, there are plenty of team-building activities to choose from that can get all participants interacting. Here are some suggestions:

Fancy Dress - Pick a theme or leave it open the imagination. Doggie guests should arrive in their attire.

Agility - Set up a small agility course to include a tunnel, a few jumps, weave poles and a low table.

Paddling Pool – For those dogs who just can’t resist splish splashing around!

Activity Corner – Set up a box of fun to include Frisbees, balls, stuffed kongs, tug of war ropes.

Contest – A judge to nominate the best candidate for the dogs performance in the following categories:

• Best Outfit
• Friendliest Dog
• Best Kisser
• Most Obedient
• Best Trick
• Most Vocal
• Don’t forget to provide prizes!

Organized Games – These can be a lot of fun:

• Hide & seek: The owner hides while the dog is being held with his back turned, once let off his leash he is rewarded upon locating his owner.

• Musical Mats – Owners walk their pets around in a circle to music, when the music is turned off both owner and pet need to locate the nearest mat & sit on it. The last dog to sit on a mat is eliminated. The last dog standing gets a prize!

• Simon Says – Dogs are given commands such as “Sit”, “Lie Down”, “Roll Over”, “Shake”, “Stay”. Last dog to obey is out.

TRAINER: Provide a trainer for the day to teach the doggie guests tricks.

SPA DAY: A day of relaxation. Provide a doggie masseuse, the dogs will think they’ve gone to doggie heaven and will thank you for it! To add to the relaxation process combine the massage with lavender-infused Calming Aromatherapy Spritzer . Followed the massage with a pawdicure using bowWOW Butter Balm - a treatment for dry cracked noses and paws!

GROUP PHOTO: Have a photographer on hand. Picture this, the Birthday hound surrounded by his buddies, always a crowd pleaser, don’t forget the party hats!

GOODIE BAGS: Every good dog deserves to be sent home with a goodie bag, in addition to some jaw-licking good treats you can include non-food items such as a bandanna to mark the occasion or some grooming products such as gift packs “Travel Dog Collection” or “Spa on the Go” . You can find some cute “It’s my Birthday” bandanna’s at: www.good-doggie.com

THANK YOU NOTES: A well mannered pooch knows the importance of social etiquette, thank you cards should be sent out for all those lovely gifs, stamped with a paw of approval of course. Suggest that the group photo is turned into a thank you card, not only does is provide a nice memory for the guest but it is another service your business can profit from.

Why not put together a "Pawty in a Box" to sell to your customers incorporating the items in this article-everything they’ll need to throw a canine birthday party. For wholesale items check out one of the online pet wholesale ordering sites like: PetManufacturers.com , WholesalePet.com and GoToRovers.com .

For other ideas for events to throw in your store click here.

Since four of us occupy the same bed (2 humans & 2 dogs) neither human sleeps as well as we used to (or does anything else as well in bed!)

The dogs crowd us in so it’s hard to turn over, not to mention the occasional jolt out of bed when the dogs start barking at some imaginary sound! I didn’t even think that my tiredness could be due to the dogs until I read an article from the Mayo Clinic about how pets do, in fact, interrupt your sleep.

We started giving our Maltese, RiQui, an all-natural herbal remedy called Sleepytime Tonic to help calm her down. She used to get up every night for a ‘walk about’ and to have a pee, bark at birds, bugs and shadows. While our sleep still isn’t 100%, RiQui isn’t as excitable and does tend to have a more restful sleep when we give her Sleepytime Tonic . Both humans are very happy for more reasons than one!

(By the way, that really is a photo of my husband, and one of our dogs…not staged!)

Here is the article from the Mayo Clinic:

Dog Tired? It Could Be Your Pooch

ScienceDaily (Feb. 15, 2002) — ROCHESTER, MINN. — You’ve heard that your spouse’s snoring can cause you to lose sleep, but what about your pet’s? John Shepard, M.D., medical director of the Mayo Clinic Sleep Disorders Center, recently asked that question to 300 patients who came to the center for a routine consultation. He found that many people with sleep problems were sharing their bedrooms with their cats and dogs.

“The results indicate that 22 percent of our patients are likely to have pets sleeping on the bed with them,” Dr. Shepard says. “That’s a significant number.”

Dr. Shepard notes that many common things in daily life affect sleep. The sleeping environment — especially sound, movement, light, temperature and humidity in the bedroom — plays a significant role in the quality of people’s sleep. Dr. Shepard became interested in how pets can disrupt people’s sleep after one patient reported that she frequently got up in the middle of the night to let the dog out and waited up to 15 minutes before returning to bed with her pet.

“After hearing that anecdote, I began to wonder how many of my patients were sleeping with pets and how much the pet interrupted sleep,” he says.

Between February and September 2001, Dr. Shepard surveyed 300 patients seen at the Mayo Clinic Sleep Disorders Center to determine the frequency and severity of sleep disruption that may result from family pets. He found the following:

* 157 of 300 patients (52 percent) had one or more pets, primarily cats and dogs.

* Nearly 60 percent of the patients with pets slept with their pets in the bedroom. When a dog was permitted to sleep in the bedroom, it had a 57 percent chance of being allowed to sleep on the bed.

* Of the pet owners, 53 percent considered their sleep to be disrupted to some extent every night, but only one percent felt that their sleep was disrupted for more than 20 minutes per night on average.

* Snoring was reported in 21 percent of dogs and seven percent of cats.

* Cats were more likely to be allowed in the bedroom and on the bed.

“I suspect that the degree of sleep disruption experienced may be significantly greater than the owners admit, but I have no objective data,” says Dr. Shepard. “Every patient has to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of sleeping with pets and make a personal decision about the sleeping arrangements in the household. Some people are very attached to their pets and will tolerate poorer sleep in order to be near them at night.”

June 2008 <http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2002/02/020215070932.htm>

With warm weather approaching, it’s the perfect time to host an event or two in your store to build community, entice people to shop in your store, and to just have a good time!

This is a list we compiled of different events around the country specifically designed for hounds and humans.

Mutt Mingle – Once a month event where people and their dogs are invited to come socialize at the store, snacks & drinks available.

Paws on the Patio – Pet Adoptions

Vet Days – The first Sat. of every month vets are available at the store to perform routine stuff such as shots, clip nails and more

The Anti Super bowl Party – Champagne & cupcakes served, 25% off all non sports related merchandise (which is basically the whole store).

Compliments of Pussy & Pooch in Los Angeles, CA

“Canines and Cocktails for a Cause ”

Loews Annapolis Hotel and Paws Pet Boutique host “Canines and Cocktails for a Cause,” a summer-long series of fund-raisers in Annapolis to benefit area animal shelters and other causes.

Each dog-friendly Friday night event will have its own theme (not to mention “cocktails, appetizers, mocktails and Snoopy snacks.”) and will run from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the hotel.

Some of the Themes include:

• “ Bark and rejoice.” Prizes will be given for unique barks. With nearly 60 beagles seeking homes, representatives will be on hand to answer questions about Westminster’s top dog. Proceeds go to Beagle Rescue of Southern Maryland .

• “Black is beautiful .” Black dogs are the focal point, but dogs of all colors are invited to attend. Pam Townsend, a board member of SPCA and Humane Society of Prince George’s County, has published Black is Beautiful: A Celebration of Dark Dogs , a book that touts the beauties and desirable traits of black dogs, which statistically tend to be the least likely to be adopted. Proceeds go to SPCA/Humane Society of Prince George’s County.

• “Wagging contest.” Dogs will partake in a tail-wagging contest. Prizes will be given and guests enter raffle drawings. Proceeds go to Fidos for Freedom , which provides companionship to residents of the Baltimore-Washington area through specially trained service, hearing or therapy dogs.

• “Ice cream social.” A doggie ice cream-eating contest will be part of this event, proceeds from which go to Mid-Atlantic Westie Rescue .

• “Fashion show.” Dogs will take to the catwalk to model the latest fall styles from Paws Pet Boutique. Donations will be made to Modest Needs

Compliments of Paws Pet Boutique which raised over $13,000 in 2007 for pet-related causes .

Health, Wellness & Spaw Day With Doga Yoga!
The event will feature valuable health and wellness advice from pet nutrition experts, pet massage therapy demonstrations, dog behavior and obedience advice, calming aromatherapy treatments for dogs and cats, free refreshments, tray-passed wholesome dog treats and giveaways. A portion of the day’s proceeds will be donated in-kind to local animal welfare organizations. Free pet massage therapy from 11-3PM. Massage is a powerful tool to improve the physical, emotional, and mental health of your dog. Dogs naturally seek, and readily accept, the power of touch for healing and comfort.

For the best spa products to use during your Spaw day try Happytails Canine Spa Line

Beagle Mingle & Howling Contest
Join us for a howling good time. Bring your beagles and join us for a howling contest. Prizes will be given for the longest howl, loudest howl and most entertaining!

Mutt Mingle
Would you like some fleas with your whine? Enjoy cheese and wine tastings for you while you pup enjoys Fido Friendly vino and treats. Oh what a night!

Herding Dog Day
Enjoy a fun appreciation day for border collies, aussies, heelers, Old English Sheepdogs, Shelties & Corgis. Learn more about your breed, current sports they excel at and where your dog came from and what they grew up herding. Plus, meet other herder parents like you, receive 10% off your purchase and mutts more.

Ain’t Nothin’ But A Hound Day
Grab your hound and come on down for a fun hound day. Enjoy free goodie bags for canines and light refreshments & snacks for humans as well as “Pup-paw-razzi” will be present. Plus, enter your hound in the howling contest at 2 pm.

These were compliments of Muttropolis in Solana Beach (San Diego) CA

WOOFSTOCK is an fundraising event we host every summer, on the coast of Maine. We team up with the Rotary Club for a day of pet-related seminars and demos, which in the past have included a pet communicator, agility demo, vet seminars, flyball demos and family fun pet show.

There are usually between 6-8 shelters/rescues in attendance, all of who host services/activities at their tables. We also have between 30-35 pet-related service and product vendors, as well as a Silent Auction with items donated from our vendors.

In the past 3 summers, we have donated over $15,000 to the shelters/rescues in attendance. Every cent from this event is donated to them. Our best table last year was “taste testing”. Evangers, one of our food companies, donated a case of food to the shelter of choice if an attendee was willing to eat half a can of dog food. We donated over 40 cases of food!

We have great turnout- last year we had over 500 people and their dogs in attendance, and it is a great way to give back to the community and get the word out about pet adoption. And…its FUN!!!

Compliments of Aubrey Martin of The Animal House

Battle of the Rescue Groups!

We’re hosting a big event in our parking lot - the 1st Annual South Austin Rescue Rescue! We’re having 7 rescues out for a “friendly competition” to see which rescue can pull in the most attendees and thus the most donations!

We have 3 live bands playing and our posters are more like concert posters than “rescue event” posters - they ROCK!

The rescues can sell merchandise, have kissing booths, whatever they want that they think will bring in the most donations. The “winning” rescue will receive 180 pounds of dog food from Nature’s Variety, vet service certificates, dog washes, training and daycare days for foster dogs, and more!

The remaining rescues will receive 10% of sales from us, the coffee shop next door, and 5% of sales from the bike shop next to us - it is going to be a great time! Our parking lot will be closed off and everyone is of course allowed to bring their dogs on leash to enjoy the music and the day! =)

Compliments of The Furr Factor

SHOP FOR A CAUSE

We are planning Shop-for-a-Cause Events. We will do this once a month and a portion of all proceeds will go to a non-profit, dog related organization. We will have reps from the organizations and dogs available for adoption on hand. We were also thinking about doing 2 Wild Card nights each year where the customer can pick the organization of their choice instead of a predetermined organization.

Compliments of Must Love Dogs Boutique & Spa

BEST IN SHOW

We are an in-home pet accessories party biz. We always donate a portion of our profits to animal welfare, but we are planning a special event “movie night” party when we will screen the all time favorite “Best in Show”. Our products will be set up thematically, (spa, toys, treats, etc.) to go along with the film. Popcorn, ice-cream, movie snacks served, and a follow up contest for a “Best in Show” photo of a dog using one of the purchases from the evening!

Compliments of Pawsh Parties

Other Themes

Yappy Hour

Maltese Meet Up

Pug Pick ups

Powder Puff Days

FUN DRINK IDEAS

• Key West-Highland Terrier,
• Bichon Bellini
• Wide Awake Whippet (with a kick of espresso).
• the Spaniel, a mixed drink with Grey Goose vodka, Lillet Blanc fortified wine and Plymouth gin
• Chocolate Labrador martini
• Poodle colada

The other day I found myself mesmerized by an article about a wedding ceremony recently performed in Florida. What made this ceremony so special were the participants;

"Tiffany is an 8-year-old standard poodle and Skipper is a 12-year-old beagle/jack russell mix. On Saturday they will take a break from their therapy dog roles and don a wedding dress and tux before some of their closest friends. Actual vows will be exchanged – doggie style – and a champagne reception complete with “people” and “doggie” wedding cakes and hors d’oeuvres will immediately follow".

But that wasn’t the interesting part, after all, I work in the pet industry so I see a lot of this kind of thing, the paragraph that got me thinking was:

“Skipper ditched his old wife for a younger one with Tiffany,” said Helen Savill, of the Treasure Coast Humane Society.
“The wedding is the second marriage for both.”

I have heard of quite a few dog weddings but this was the first time I’d heard of a doggie divorce. And this got me thinking; with the human divorce rate above 50% what do dogs know that we don’t (I should say in the interests of full disclosure that I am part of the divorced 50%)

Let’s crunch the numbers. Taking an admittedly small sample (me) I have heard of about two dozen doggie weddings over the last five years and in that same time this is the first divorce I’ve encountered. Given a sampling error rate of 5-10 % (I’m wrong about 10% of the time) that still leads us to the the conclusion that up to 90% of all doggie marriages are successful. That’s amazing!

So what can we learn from our canine compadres? I’ve drawn up a list of the ten things dogs can teach us about marriage.

1. Make sure your marriage is arranged, preferably by someone who feeds you regularly and is happy to pick up your poop. It’s a fact of life that anyone who picks up your poop must really have your best interests at heart. (let me also point out here that arranged marriages have been the norm rather than the exception for most of human history)

2. Your partner doesn’t always have to be of the opposite sex.
(Especially if you live in Massachusetts) Remarkable but true! I’ve heard of several same sex doggie weddings that are still going strong years later. Draw your own conclusions here

3. Leg humping is an art form, and like any art form, practice makes perfect.

4. There’s no reason why the wedding should be limited to only two parties. I have heard of several situations where three or more dogs have participated in the festivities (It also spices up the honeymoon no end) Of course these dogs all lived in Utah and are currently evading the law.

5. It’s not the size of the snozzage, it’s the tastiness of the treat…of course no matter how tasty the treat bad breath is inexcusable, especially on the wedding night! A few squirts of Dog Smog Remedy Breath Freshener will prevent this muttrimonial "faux paw"

6. Always dress up for your wedding. Tuxedos and wedding dresses, are a must, however it seems less important that the clothes actually stay on throughout the entire ceremony (I have to say however that for the majority of human weddings long term clothing retention is a definite plus…I for one prefer my relatives clothed) A little spritz of Shimmering Mist is an excellent way to class up even the most dog-eared wedding gown, spray a little on the bride’s "decolletage" for some doggie sparkle.

7. Be loyal

8. Be flexible on rule 7, especially if your being disloyal with someone who has great snacks

9. Don’t take it too seriously. In fact if you feel like going for a pee in the middle of the wedding vows go right ahead, of course your prospective mother in law may have a heart attack. and depending on your relationship with her this could be a good or bad thing.

10. …and please, be responsible, always have have your partner spayed or neutered! (Especially if you catch him with that bitch from down the street!)

These are only the ideas that sprang to my mind. Has your dog taught you any interesting lessons about marriage? Drop us a line and we’ll post the funniest, or most insightful.

Click here to read the press release

Jai Rodriguez, one of the stars of the Emmy-winning TV show, “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy has two Yorkies, Nemo and Dori.

In an article released today on MSNBC he said, “I never leave home without the Sparkle and Shine Shimmering Mist from Happytails Canine Spa line. The product has a hint of glitter and moisturizes fur with silk proteins that also help to repel dirt and prevent doggie odors. I use it to brush out their coats several times a week. I do love a fragrance — I love them to look like dogs but smell like people.”

The article is titled “Groovy spots for gooming Fido on the Road.” Click here to read the entire article.

Jai is now hosting a new doggie reality show called “Groomer Has It” premiering April 12 at 9.00 p.m. (ET/PT), on Animal Planet.