Fido Invited Too?

I am hosting my kid’s birthday party this weekend and there will be 10 kids attending.  We have never had this many kids in the house before, and I am very concerned about our two dogs.  They are really friendly, but they can be a bit rowdy.  When they hear all of the kids, they are definitely going to want to be a part of the fun.  Should I let them be out among the kids, and, if not, what do I do with them while the party is going on?  I don’t want them barking the whole time while they are in another room as that will be difficult.

Yes, this is definitely an interesting scenario.  If you have pets, it is always a good idea NOT to extend them an invitation to your kid’s party.  This is for several reasons, including:

1. Some kids may be scared of animals or allergic to them.
2. The pets may be very excited with all of the guests and activity going on, and so they may cause more disruption to the party.
3. The guests may not know how to handle or interact with your pet, and a worst case scenario could ensue with a pet snapping or scratching the kid.

In order to avoid these potential hazards with pets at your next kid’s party, make provisions for your animals that will work for your party and for your pet.  Some suggestions include:

1. Have the pets be apart from the party.  If you are holding the party indoors, have the animals inside the house and vice versa.
2. If the party will be held in both spaces, place them in a garage or in a room in the house where no kids will be during the party.
3. If you are concerned that your pets will not settle while the party is going on, and they will be crying and barking, and ultimately disrupting your party, ask a neighbor if the dog can be at their home or backyard during the duration of the party.  Perhaps there is a kid pet-sitter in the neighborhood that would be glad to amuse your animal during the party.  This is a great solution because the pet is not at your home during the party.

If you must have your animals at your kid’s party, first, make sure to ask the guests’ parents if the kids have any animal allergies to be clear of this hazard.  If noone has allergies, and you want the animals to stay, be very careful to supervise the guests with your pets to make sure that both the kids and the animals play nicely together and that no problems arise.