My little fur baby Schmidt turned six this week, and of course we had to celebrate in style! I threw him a dog birthday party and even made homemade pupcakes – and let me tell you, they were a hit with both the humans and the pups.
I have written so many blog posts about my dogs, and since I have had Schmidt longer, he has been a fixture on RTC since the very beginning.
(Also, I am about to get into Schmidt’s history, so if you just want the pupcake recipe, scroll down)
A true love story. How I met Schmidt.
Schmidt was born October 20, 2013 in a little town near the DFW area called Paradise. I was working as a real estate agent’s assistant at the time, and I was going through a rough time.
Similar to when I took a break from blogging, I was depressed and had gained quite a bit of weight. I wasn’t sleeping, and I genuinely spent my afternoons soaking in a bathtub watching Mad Men.
By this I mean I literally would drain the tub and fill it out back up with hot water when it would get cold. It was not a good time.
I wanted an Australian Shepherd so bad, and I would spend my bath time on my phone looking through Petfinder and Craigslist.
Finally one day, I saw some Australian Shepherd puppies that were in my college student price range. It was a liter of blue merle puppies with two black and whites that were DISCOUNTED.
Yes, you guys, my dog is a clearance pup. He was discounted because he wasn’t the colors that people look for in an Australian Shepherd.
I drove all the way to Paradise to meet the two clearance rack puppies, and one puppy ran to me the minute I walked up. He was literally months old, and he darted to me.
This was my dog. This was Schmidt (he was called Midnight at the time, but we don’t talk about that).
I was with my close friend Abbie when I met him, and we were talking about dog names on the way home. I have always named pets after people in movies, tv shows and books, so I was thinking about what characters were my favorite at the time.
We were watching New Girl, and we both would talk about how we have a weird thing for Nick. Abbie suggested Nick, but it just didn’t click for me.
Then she suggested Schmidt, and I knew that was it.
He came home to me a few months later, and the rest is history.
Schmidt has been there for me when I was in college in Denton, when I moved to my first big job in Montgomery and when I moved to Waco. And now, he is 6 years old!
So we did it big – we got him a hat and made him some pupcakes. We also went on his favorite trail.
And for this dog birthday party, we got him a life jacket.
How to even begin planning a dog birthday party…
Planning a dog birthday party may sound overwhelming, but with a little creativity and some helpful hacks, it’s actually a lot of fun. Here are my top tips for throwing the perfect party for your furry friend:
- Choose a Theme
Just like any other party, a dog birthday party is more fun with a theme. You could go with a classic dog theme like “paws and bones,” or get creative with something like “bark at the moon.” I went with a simple “Schmidt’s sixth birthday” theme, complete with decorations in his favorite color and a banner with his name.
- Make Dog-Friendly Treats
Sure, you could just buy some dog treats from the store, but making your own treats is much more fun – and healthier too! I whipped up some homemade pupcakes using a simple recipe I found online. They were made with dog-friendly ingredients like peanut butter, bananas, and whole wheat flour, and topped with a cream cheese frosting. The pups loved them, and the humans enjoyed them too!
- Have Activities for the Dogs
Just like kids at a birthday party, dogs need activities too. Set up a little obstacle course in the backyard or play a game of fetch. You could even have a “paw-ty favor” station with toys and treats for the pups to take home.
- Get Creative with Decorations
Decorations don’t have to be complicated or expensive. I used green streamers and balloons to create a festive atmosphere, and even made a photo booth area with a backdrop and props for the pups to pose with. It made for some adorable photos!
- Don’t Forget the Party Hats
No birthday party is complete without party hats – and that goes for dogs too! I found some cute party hats for the pups online, and they were a hit. They looked adorable in photos and added an extra level of fun to the party.
Throwing a dog birthday party may seem like a lot of work, but it’s worth it to see your furry friend happy and having fun. With a little planning and creativity, you can make it a memorable day for both you and your pup. And if you’re feeling really adventurous, you could even make it an annual tradition!
Here is the recipe for the pupcakes:
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup Peanut butter
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
2 mashed bananas
2 eggs
2 cups of almond flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
Shredded carrots
FROSTING
Milkbone biscuits
4 oz Cream cheese
1/2 cup of Peanut Butter
Milk
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat oven to 350 degrees and line a cupcake pan with liners
Mix together peanut butter, oil, bananas, eggs. Add the dry ingredients. Once it is well mixed, add a handful of shredded carrots.
Scoop batter into liners and bake for 20 minutes.
In another bowl, mix cream cheese and peanut butter. Add milk by the teaspoon until you like the consistency.
Once the pupcakes are cool, pipe the frosting onto them. Add a little biscuit on top and serve to your hungry pups!
What do you do for your pup on their birthday?
