Hosting a dog party is a wonderful way to not only express your love for your pet, but to share your happiness with others. Like any party, parties for dogs require a lot of planning to go smoothly. Here are some tips for perfect party success:

The first step to party success is location. Finding the right location for the number of dogs and time of year, as well as for your party’s theme is imperative to hosting the perfect party. Consider the time of year, sizes and age of dogs you’re inviting, as well as potential safety concerns, and weather. Some great dog party locations include your own backyard, dog friendly swimming area such as a beach or lake, and doggy parks. Every location offers its own set of entertainment opportunities and challenges.

Now that you have your perfect location it’s time to send out invitations. Before you start inviting all your pup’s DoggySpace pals here are some things to consider:
Size: smaller dogs might not mix well with their bigger pals. For easy celebrations it may be a good idea to stick to doggy pals that are your pet’s size.
Personality: some dogs just aren’t party animals. Excluding dogs you know have social anxiety will save them from an uncomfortable situation.
Manageability: Even though the canine guests will have their own moms and dads there to watch them, as the host you are ultimately responsible for your guests. Don’t invite more dogs than you can handle keeping an eye on, and still have a good time. Between 3 and 8 guests should be plenty for dog-gone good fun.
Special needs: some dogs have special dietary needs or other concerns. Make sure to put a note in the invitation reminding the doggy parents to contact you if they have special dietary needs.

Finding the right doggy treats for your pup guest is easier than it might seem. From ice cream formulated for pets, often available through pet stores or local health food stores, to cookies and cakes baked just for them (available through local canine or pet bakeries) the options are endless. Make sure to order your cake or cookies at least a week beforehand to ensure timely delivery.

Other things you’ll want for your party include:
Plenty of water dishes and food bowls for your canine pets. They’ll get mighty thirsty and hungry with all that playing.
Goodie bags. These should include dog treats, a doggie toy, and baggies for cleaning up after the four legged guests.
Games to entertain your pets friends. Good games for canine parties will get the guests moving, but won’t cause arguments. Agility games are great, indoors or out. If you think your guest dogs can handle the challenge hide-and-seek treat games can also be a big hit. If you choose simpler games like fetch, make sure to provide enough discs or balls for every dog.
Decorations. Decorations can be found at pet supply stores, online, or even at party stores. The best decorations have a dog theme, like Scooby Doo or SuperDog, and are placed in areas where dogs can mouth or choke on them.

Before your party, make sure you remove any valuable items, or dangerous ones (like balloons that can be reached by a jumping dog). Close all gates and doors that might lead to trouble. When your guests arrive hand the mommies and daddies a goodie bag and make sure to point out that it includes clean-up bags as a subtle reminder that your guests need to clean up after themselves.

If you’ve decided you’re lonely dog needs a sitter, you may be wondering how and where to find one that’s worthy of watching your pet. While searching the newspapers or Craigslist for position wanted ads may turn up quite capable dog sitters, a better idea would be to check with the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters for members in your area.

Once you’ve narrowed your selection to a few sitters that offers the services you’re looking for, call them and ask detailed questions regarding their experience, certification, pricing, availability on short notice, and how they handle emergencies or pet health issues. Ask how many clients they currently serve, and if they are a storefront business ask how many employees they have and what their turn over rate is. This will help you know how satisfied your sitter may be with his or her employer, and how often you and your dog will have to experience a change of sitter.

Make sure to obtain at least three references from current and former clients. The more references you check, the better your ability gauge the quality of the services provided. By calling these references you’ll be able to feel out how well the job was performed, and if the sitter’s on the job performance meets up with your expectations.

Researching your sitter will help you to select a sitter that not only offers a wide range of services but that makes you and your dog to feel like star clients as well.

You’ve decided to put your dog in day care but, when you open the phone book, the number of care centers to choose from leaves you worrying about how to know which one’s best. Here are some tips to help you decipher which doggy day care center is worth investing in.
· Ask Questions
Even if you’ve seen their amazing web site or heard some positive word of mouth, before you settle on a care center it is important to call and ask some very specific questions. These should include:
What does my dog do all day? Obviously, the more they have planned, the better for your pup. Too much “free play” time means they aren’t actively trying to engage your dog. A good center should include some sort of agility or discipline training into their day.
How many employees do you have? This will help you to determine the dog-care giver ratio. The more humans there are, the better, as long as your pet will have a canine to play with as well.
How recently were the caregivers hired? This helps you determine ‘turn-over,’ or employee dissatisfaction. Having caregivers who come and go could have a negative impact on your pup emotionally and could cause undue stress or anxiety. Some employers may not willingly provide this information, either because they feel it is a violation of their employee’s privacy or because they know the answer could have a negative impact on your decision. If you can’t get a straight answer, whatever their reasoning, go elsewhere.
What is the maximum amount of dogs you can have per caregiver? This also helps to determine the dog-caregiver ratio. The maximum is probably not what they currently have, so also ask how many dogs they have enrolled, but asking for the maximum will give you a feeling for the company’s goals. If their business model aims at having 15 dogs to a caregiver, you may find yourself dissatisfied with their service in the long run.
· Get References
From your friends who have dogs or your pooches’ vet to customer references from the care center itself or local DoggySpace buddies, references are an invaluable tool in discerning which care center is right for you and your dog. A center may have the right ratios, employee longevity, and sound like it offers your dog everything you need but, if other clients are walking away unhappy or feeling devalued, your experience there may be doomed from the start. References are an invaluable way to ensure that reality meets with the business hype.
· Seeing Is Believing
Before you enroll your dog in any activity or center go it should be standard practice to visit the business, with your dog in tow, to check it out. Cleanliness, adequate space, employee personality and attentiveness should be on the forefront of your mind.

While choosing a good dog day care takes some investigation, your efforts will result a happy pup and the confidence of knowing that your dog is getting the love and attention he or she deserves.

If you’re thinking about taking your dog to the local dog park for the first time, you may be wondering what to expect. While dog parks may be a great place to socialize for pent up and lonely dogs they can also be a social challenge for both owners and pets alike. Knowing how to have your dog behave before you go can save you and your pet a lot of embarrassment.

The most important aspect of any social outing with your dog is respect. Make sure to follow the rules of the dog park, in particular being prepared to pick up after your pet when he or she potties and keeping a close eye on his or her behavior while playing. If your dog is new to socializing with others he or she may not be aware of the “rules.” By keeping a close eye on your pet you can redirect him or her before he or she gets out of hand.

If you see your dog approaching another pup that doesn’t seem to be interested in playing with the pack, or that is on his or her leash, rein your dog in. It’s likely that this pet is less comfortable with doggy social interaction. By keeping your pet away from the shy fellow you’ll be able to give the other dog time to warm up to the situation and handle the social interaction in a positive manner.

Leaving the dog park with your grace in tact may be the hardest challenge. Get your dog used to coming to your beck and call by interacting with him or her while he or she plays. Calling your pet back to you frequently during playtime, and rewarding your dog for its obedience, will help to make the transition away from the dog park easier.

If you’re taking your dog on a visit to family and friends knowing how to help your dog conduct his or her self will make a lasting impact. Dog guests and hosts alike often assume that a dog’s visitation will be easy and hassle free, but a smooth visit requires planning and communication.

Before you go to visit your friends and family, inform your host that you’ll be bringing your pet with you. If your dog has any special needs that might affect your visit, be it a food allergy, dietary restrictions, or needing to be curled up in their human’s bed to sleep at night, inform your hosts ahead of time. By being clear on your pet’s needs there will be less unpleasant surprises for your host and everyone will be happier. Also make sure to ask about the rules for pets in their house. You will likely find that many of your host’s pet rules are different than your own. Don’t try to change your host’s point of view, but instead make sure to apply rules that are different from your own while you’re in their house.

Make sure to take your own dog food, toys, bedding, bags to pick up your pooch’s poop, and a kennel. By being prepared you can ensure that your dog feels comfortable in a new environment. Even though you might think a kennel is unnecessary, after all you’ll be there all the time, you never know when your four legged pal may need a little alone time, and his or her kennel is the best place for them to feel at home.

When you get there, try restrict Fido’s access to the household pets until you have greeted your hosts, then make sure to do the pet introductions before you get engaged in visiting. Since we all love our pets dearly, making sure introductions to new animal buddies go smoothly will keep the peace between the humans as well.

At some point in the lives we share with our four legged companions we find that we must leave them alone. For most of us, this happens for short periods of time on a daily basis, for some it’s a once a year event that can span weeks. For both, deciding how and where to leave your dog can be a difficult decision.

No matter what the span of time you and your faithful friend have to be apart, the options abound. For some people, the answer is as simple as asking the next-door neighbor, or a friend or family member to fill in. If those options don’t leave you feeling thrilled, don’t despair. Relying on the charity and time of others is far from the end-all-be-all of dog care.

Kennels are probably one of the least expensive options for long-term away care. They can range from veterinary run businesses to a more classic ‘dog-run’ style kennel where your dog will be safely kept and cared for while you’re away. Dog kennels are best for dogs with social anxieties or aggression problems, or who need constant supervision while their owner is away.

Pet sitters and walkers are the next-most cost efficient for of day care. Sitters may not provide constant supervision for your dogs’ day, but they will allow your dog to remain in a setting that is familiar to him or her. They will also ensure that your dogs is exercised, fed, and walked on a regular schedule and may provide additional services for their vacationing employers, like collecting mail. Pet sitters are best for dogs who like a familiar environment, or whom get frightened or stressed easily.

Day care centers are probably the best mix of dog care ideals. While higher in price than other options they combine the constant supervision of a kennel with the freedom and more personal touch of the at-home experience. For social pups or dogs that get bored easily the day care center is often the best choice.