Is football season wrapping up already? That means we’re heading into the best time of year: the Puppy Bowl!
Let DOGTV be your guide to the ultimate puppy celebration: from picking a menu of “pawfect” treats to ensuring your gathering is pup-friendly, we’ll help you create an afternoon filled with fun! So grab your canine crew and get ready to go hound the competition — we’re going to teach you how to throw a Puppy Bowl party your guests won’t forget!
The first thing you’ll need is your guest list – if you are a pet parent yourself, keep your pup’s temperament in mind before you send out invitations. If your dog is nervous around new people, keep the party to a small group that your dog already knows and trusts. Similarly, consider your dog’s tolerance for noise and chaos.
Some dogs enjoy a festive environment, while others may get overwhelmed and anxious. Make sure your pup has a safe, quiet space they can get to if they start to get stressed.
How is your dog around children? Some dogs are great with kids, while others are a little skittish. It makes sense – these little humans can be unpredictable and don’t always know to be gentle with Fido.
If any of your guests have young kids, you must be mindful of this. Even the most gentle, loving dogs have limits, and as a pet parent, it’s your responsibility to keep your dog and your guests safe.
What about other dogs? Some guests may assume that their dog is invited too, but it may or may not make sense to include them in the festivities. So make that decision early, and then make it clear. If there will be kids present, the best advice is to make the guest list humans-only. Again, it’s your responsibility to keep everyone safe, and if you’re planning a Puppy Bowl party, it’s probably because you want to watch the Puppy Bowl – not because you want to keep tabs on your neighbor’s kid and your cousin’s dog all night.
Even if you are not planning on having young kids present at your party, that’s not necessarily a green light to have everyone bring their dogs. Before sending out invitations, you’ll need to be mindful of how your dog plays with others.
Only let your guests bring their pup if they’ve already met your dog and you know that they play together well. Even then, we’d recommend only having one or two extra dogs in attendance to ensure that you can keep an eye on all the dogs throughout the party.
Will that mean some guests are told their dog has to stay home? Probably. If you’re concerned about hurt feelings, it’s easier to make a blanket statement than to choose who gets to bring their pup as a +1 and who doesn’t: “Because we want to keep everyone safe, and let everyone have the opportunity to enjoy watching the game, this invitation is only for humans. Thanks for understanding.”
Now that you’ve got your guest list sorted out, on to the next step of planning your Puppy Bowl party: food! There’s a famous quote from Julia Child: “ A party without cake is just a meeting.” Cake isn’t necessarily what you think of when it comes to tailgating, but her point remains: a good party involves good food!
If you’ll have dogs in attendance at your Puppy Bowl party, make sure that what you’re serving is dog-safe, in case of drops or spills. You should also be mindful of any pups with a tendency to counter-surf.
I can think of more than one occasion when I thought my dinner was safely out of reach, but when I turned my back for a minute, I found myself outsmarted by a hungry hound.
If you are serving wings, and a sneaky pup manages to get ahold of some, you could find yourself at the emergency vet instead of at home watching the big game, so be thoughtful about your menu choices. We’ve got loads of dog-safe recipes on DOGTV. You can download a FREE recipe book from The Dog Chef here.
Another tip is to feed your dog before the party. That way he might be less likely to beg for food or try to sneak any food when you aren’t looking. You can also stuff a few Kongs before the party, so if you see your pup eyeing the buffet, you can give him a snack of his own to work on for a while.
If you won’t have dogs at your party (or if you are confident that you can keep your pups out of human food) you can go crazy with your food choices. There’s no shortage of game day recipes on the internet.
Don’t be afraid to have fun with your menu. Any Pinterest mom can tell you, that you can give almost any food a clever name, and all of a sudden it’s on the theme for the party.
Case in point: I once attended a camping-themed baby shower where the menu served pigs in blankets. Tasty, classic, but generally unremarkable, right? The only reason I remember what kind of food was served is because the hostess had them labeled as wiener dogs in sleeping bags. So serve up some crock pot mutt-balls, or rename your chips and queso to chips and “ok, so, who are we cheering for?” cheese dip and ta-da! Now you have an unforgettable menu. Good snacks, bad puns, can’t lose!
Now we are getting down to the nitty-gritty: decorations! Any big box store will have football themed party supplies, so it’s easy to go that route. But since you’re hosting a Puppy Bowl party, let’s take it up a notch!
Amazon has tons of cute dog-themed party supplies. Most of what you’ll find is intended for birthday parties, so a lot of the supplies may include dogs with party hats on. Dogs with party hats are adorable no matter what you’re celebrating, but the options we’ve rounded up below include some non-birthday options. And if you want to be festive with minimal effort, another easy option for decorations is to go with the classic blue and orange Puppy Bowl colors. Toss up some blue and orange streamers, and you’re good to go.
If you’ll have dogs at the party, even just your own, party favors are always a fun addition to a gathering. They may be considered a little extra, but if you are throwing a Puppy Bowl party you may as well go all in. Not only does this give pups at the party something to keep them occupied, but it’s also a fun reminder of your event after your guests go home.
Depending on how aggressive a dog’s chewing style is, you may want a soft plush or a more durable toy, but football toys are sure to be a hit with your guests, both canine and human. We found a lot of affordable options on Amazon and some of our favorites are linked below.
1. Gnawsome Squeaky Light-up Football 2. EASTBLUE Squeaky Football for Aggressive Chewers 3. Nylabone Power Play Football Gripz 4. Chiwava Squeaky Football
The Puppy Bowl airs on Super Bowl Sunday, February 12th on Animal Planet. If you’re not an Animal Planet subscriber, you can stream on Discovery+. We can’t wait to see the puppies in this epic battle of cuteness.
With these tips in your back pocket, you’re all set to have the best Puppy Bowl party ever. By following our guide, you’re well on your way to hosting a get-together that your guests will be woofing about for years to come.