As part of the family, our dogs are always by our side and we like to include them in all family celebrations, so why not include them in graduation, too? After all, who was steadily by the graduate’s side during midnight study sessions? As usual, the family dog!
Dress your dog up his own graduation cap and gown
Parties are all about good times and a lot of laughs. Dressing your dog up will not only recognize him for his efforts in being supportive to the graduate throughout the years, but will also make him look even cuter than he already is. Who can resist a dressed up dog? Not me!
Just be sure your dog is comfortable in his gown and he’s supervised while wearing. Remove the cap and gown at the first sign of stress or agitation.
Give your dog his very own diploma
Tying right in with having your dog wear a cap and gown, presenting him with a diploma will just add to the overall cuteness of the situation. But, hey – maybe your dog has just graduated obedience school or reached some other noteworthy milestone in his life besides “world’s best dog”. Not matter the reason, why not formalize his overall importance in the family, no?
Include your dog in the photos
No graduation party is complete without photos of the graduate. Why not include your dog in those photos that will be looked up on with some measure of happiness for years to come? Sadly, your dog won’t be around forever and chances are he’s been a very important part of the graduate’s life.
Raise the bar on party photos by setting up a graduation or summer themed photo booth. Props will be the hit of the party and well, your dog may already be dressed up in his cap and gown so he’s ready to head over the photo booth anyway. Just be prepared for him to steal the show!
Plan the party around your dog
Well, of course you need the graduate in mind, too. What I really mean to say is make the party pet friendly! A little planning ahead will reduce stress on your dog and make it a fun time for all! But first, consider how your dog ordinarily handles crowds. If he’s not too fond of a lot of commotion, leaving him out of the party when guests arrive, might just be the best thing you can do for him. Otherwise, let the planning begin!
Keep the menu pet friendly. Avoid foods that are highly toxic to dogs. Having a lot of foot traffic come through your home makes it difficult to maintain control of who drops what kind of food on the floor, so serving up foods that won’t kill your dog, or put him in the hospital, is a no-brainer, naturally.
Plan to keep party favors and decorations out of your dog’s reach. Again, monitoring your dog will be more difficult during the party as you try to attend to your guests. Your dog may perceive any sparkly, glittery or generally new items on the floor as his toys, so beware!
Designate someone in your family, other than the graduate, to be in charge of keeping an eye on your dog. This person’s job may even include walking and feeding him before, during, and after the guests arrive.
Hopefully these ideas will help you to include your dog in the graduation festivities this year. No matter what you decide, he’ll just be glad you’re including him at all. Let the party begin!
To learn how Animal Admiration can help your family and your pets, check out our Services page. To contact us directly, please check out this page, write us at info@animaladmiration.com or call us on (281) 391-1015.
Recent Comments