We Threw Our Dog a Birthday Party! (Yes, Really)

We did a very extra thing - we threw a dog birthday party for Sadie Belle!

Our sweet pup turned 1 this past week, and we couldn't not do anything about it, right? So, we did what any dog lover and The Office fanatic would do. We threw a Dwight Schrute-approved party!

I think we chose the Office theme because "IT IS YOUR BIRTHDAY." just seemed fitting for a dog's party. I mean, we wanted to acknowledge Sadie's special day, but the ridiculousness of a dog party wasn't completely lost on us.

Sadie is pretty popular in our neighborhood - well, at least she thinks she is! So we invited our neighbors and some friends, ate hot dogs (pun intended) and threw a little dog birthday party! It was the best way to indulge in a little birthday cake, celebrate and socialize.

 

This post contains affiliate links. Purchasing from these links doesn't cost you anything extra, but it does help me run my site and continue to provide free content. For more, read my Disclosure Policy.

How to Throw a Bark-Worthy Dog Birthday Party

Every good birthday party needs guests, decorations, snacks and cake! Check out how our Party Planning Committee (read: my husband and I) put together Sadie's birthday party. Then, gather your friends and let the fun begin!

 

The Food

Quite honestly, you can go as big or as simple as you want. In the spirit of this party, we kept it punny and basic - we grilled hot dogs!

Stock up on plenty of hot dogs and buns as they tend to go fast, even with a small group. It's best to assume at least two hot dogs per person. I think we grilled up a package of 24 hot dogs for a group of around 10 people, and it was the perfect amount.

Don't forget condiments! Again, we kept it simple with the standards - ketchup, mustard and relish. But you can get creative here! Try chili cheese dogs, or even Chicago-style dogs for a fun twist.

As for drinks, we chose the BYOB route. Again, we kept our pup's party as simple as we could, but if you want to serve drinks, go for it!

And of course, don't forget snacks! chips, fresh fruit or cold salads make great sides to go with your hot dogs.

 

 

The Cakes

I made two cakes - one for Sadie, and one for our guests. Make sure you're not feeding your dog lots of sugary cake, or you might end up with a sick pup!

Sadie's cake was made with very basic, whole ingredients that I had on hand at home. I used this dog cake recipe, which uses bananas and peanut butter as the main ingredients. Then I frosted it with a simple peanut butter cream cheese frosting. Be careful not to over-frost your cake! Dogs shouldn't have too much cream cheese at a time as it is quite rich and high in fat. Again, you don't want a sick pup on her birthday!

For the humans, I made a box-mix sheet cake and frosted it with a homemade buttercream frosting. Honestly, cake baking and decorating isn't my strong suit, but it still turned out delicious! (Hit me up with your cake tips in the comments - I want to improve!)

 

The Decorations

This was honestly the most fun part of planning Sadie's birthday party! Fans of The Office will immediately recognize the infamous gray balloons and birthday banner.

We used gray and gold balloons. (Believe it or not, we couldn't find brown balloons... shocker, right?) Blow up the balloons, tape a streamer to them and hang them up with more tape. It literally took us a matter of minutes - definitely Dwight Schrute-approved.

We found the classic "IT IS YOUR BIRTHDAY." banner for free here. You can print it from home and tape it together just like they did on the show.

 

Celebrating Your Pup

Sure, dogs don't know what birthdays are. To them, a birthday is just another day. Regardless, we wanted an reason to hang out with our friends and eat cake. And I suppose we tend to spoil our little Sadie Belle, too! She had so much fun playing with the neighbor kids, eating her special cake, and playing with her new toys!

Now, just wait for Ella's 1st birthday... I'm sure we will go all out!

Do you celebrate your dog's birthday? Let me know in the comments!

 

Here's to you, Sadie Belle!

 

 

 

 

 

Like this post? Make sure you share it with your friends on Facebook or Pinterest! Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for fitness inspiration, recipes, and all things lifestyle!