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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

Do you celebrate your dogs birthday?

88 replies

saagaloha · 07/06/2018 10:54

One of my boys just had his birthday, he was given 5 new toys, a couple of chew treats and went to his favorite park. Also, his dinner was a roast chicken (with 2 candles for photos). Would've made a doggy cake but he is a fussy eater, so the humans enjoyed normal cake on his behalf. Oh and we also donated to a dog charity in his name. May sound a tiny bit OTT but we love him dearly and he's such a good boy! What do you do?

OP posts:

Maelstrop · 08/06/2018 06:49

Bluebell walk in the woods, liver cake and duck legs for tea. Most years we don’t remember!

GinGeum · 08/06/2018 06:52

I don’t think those saying ‘it’s just a dog’ are horrible owners. In our household, DP and I see the dogs differently, but they are treated the same by both of us. For a long time we didn’t think we could have children, so our dogs (and cat) are very much my equivalent. They go everywhere with us, are up on the sofa in the evenings etc. DP takes a much more pragmatic view of all animals. He’s a farmer, and he has to have that line or he’d spend every day crying over animals dying. He still cuddles them, and tells them he loves them (when he thinks I’m not listening) but when a pet passes away, he is much more able to deal with it rationally while I crumble.

The dogs have a huge amount of respect for him, and probably less respect for me because they know I’m weak! They know where they stand with him and they like that.

Our rescue animals have a lovely life now, they don’t need endless treats all on one day to feel loved. We don’t really celebrate our own birthdays, and I still feel very loved by DP!

ChardonnaysPrettySister · 08/06/2018 06:56

We do, dogs get extra treats and we get champagne.

It feels wrong not to.

BeyondThePage · 08/06/2018 07:13

I'm an "it's just a dog" owner. I find it quite insulting to read some of the comments. I take care of him, love him - but no, he is not one of the family he is our pet. To me family comes first - always, so no, he could not be one of the family.

If it was a choice between saving a child (ANY child, not just my child) or my dog the child would win EVERY time, or an adult for that matter. If the dog were to be "not just a dog", then who would make the other choice?

CakeUpWall · 08/06/2018 07:26

Lovely thread, and I'm so relieved it's not just us. Cakedog loves presents, and is so polite and patiently waits until he's allowed to open them. At Xmas he stuns us by knowing which of the pressies under the tree are his. We've always written his name in big letters on them in marker pen - maybe he goes by the scent? Anyway, visitors are always mightily impressed that he picks out the ones with his name on!

adaline · 08/06/2018 07:40

He might be "just a dog" but spoiling him is fun on occasion. He has no concept of birthdays so to him it's just a day where he gets his favourite dinner and a nice treat to chew on!

phlewf · 08/06/2018 08:04

Beyond that’s massively insulting to suggest is put the life of my dog before a human life. No one has said anything to suggest that. It’s a bit of fun, I don’t think a dog getting a bit of extra food and a new toy constitutes treating them better than a person. I don’t want to darken a light thread but you don’t know who you are insulting. Would it change if you knew our dog was a guide dog. Often he is looking after the life of one of my family members. We are extremely privileged and grateful to have him. The wistful part of me says he jump in front of a car to save a stranger but the real part knows I’d let him get his by a car if it was that or a person.

BiteyShark · 08/06/2018 08:11

BeyondThePage you could just have said you don't but your dog is still loved and doesn't miss out. I can only assume the bit about saving a child over a dog was just to try and start a bun fight.

AbsolutelyBeginning · 08/06/2018 08:19

You bet I celebrate it!

It's his third birthday this year and there will be wrapped presents, a walk to a new place (maybe a day out depending on weather), a cake for us, special food for him. We video him opening his presents for posterity.

His birthday isn't for a while yet though.

Between now and his next birthday, I need to think about what he's getting his dad for Father's Day. He wants a frame for a nice photo I took of them together earlier this year.

Gotthetshirt23 · 08/06/2018 08:22

Ours gets two ! The date on his passport which is a guess anyway (rescue) and the date we got him !

cropcirclesinthefields · 08/06/2018 08:30

We celebrate his Gotcha Day, he gets treats, new toy and trip out if we can. He'll be 8 this August

Summerisdone · 08/06/2018 08:36

I do, I get him some new toys and he has a special tea of roast chicken, whilst I use it as an excuse for cake for me and DS. This year a friend from work (who makes dog treats to sell where we work) has offered to make my dog a large peanut butter, dog friendly biscuit also, so he will love that.

Tbh I only started it because my dog's 1st birthday was when DS was about 20 months, so old enough to be excited by birthdays and I did it more for him than the dog, and now coming up to dog's 3rd birthday this month, DS gets just as excited over bday celebrations as ever.

Devonishome1 · 08/06/2018 08:40

Ours always has a piece of steak on his birthday. He doesn’t play with toys so the way to his heart his definitely food.

spiderlight · 08/06/2018 08:45

Of course! Ours is a rescue but we celebrate his Gotcha Day (literally in his case because he was a stray who took ten days to catch) with presents and special treats.

WhatATimeToBeAlive · 08/06/2018 08:48

I lost my beauty 2 years ago today, but yes I always used to celebrate her birthday with a card, a new toy, some favourite treats and a "meatier" dinner!

nannybeach · 08/06/2018 09:04

I remember their birthdays, usually before their birthdays, had the DGKs staying said it was his/her birthday. They get (yes thank you pigsDOfly) special doggy treats daily, daily good run in bluebell woods, (they dont care about the bluebells, ) on the beach, in the forest, they are with us when we are indoors, outside, sleep on the bed, are part of the family and loved, they dont get birthday presents, cakes, seems to me reading this dogs are being gien food that is completely unsuitable for them, yes, they would eat it, my dogs would eat a fruit cake, or bar of cocolate if you could. I have a friend who gives his dog a birthday party, big fancy "do", yet doesnt take the poor thing out much, left to bark in the garden, so the party is for him to show off.

pigsDOfly · 08/06/2018 09:18

If I were to give my dog a special dinner of something like steak or treats on her birthday she'd probably end up being admitted to the vets that night and be there for the next week on a drip.

If some people don't go overboard about their dog's birthdays it doesn't mean they love their dogs any less than people who make a massive fuss.

The fuss is for the owner, the dog has no concept of birthdays. They just want to know they are treated well with loving kindness, and that they live a good contented life doing good things every day.

I'm sure we've all seen pictures of dogs on the internet wearing a party hat, sitting in front of a cake with a candle. Is that really what dogs want on their birthdays?

amusedbush · 08/06/2018 09:20

My boy will be 5 on the 10th August and I always celebrate it! He gets a new toy, a "pupcake" and a special dinner. I've tried to get a photo of him in a party hat but he ate it

WizardOfToss · 08/06/2018 09:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

namechange4now · 08/06/2018 10:24

No, she gets mards and treats everyday, goes on holidays with us. She has never had toys and isn't interested when she has been given presents from my in laws (who do pressies for their pets on birthdays and christmas).

She is loved to bits by us and all who visit and I think that's all she needs really, but then I don't care if I receive presents or cards so that may have something to do with the decision .

amusedbush · 08/06/2018 10:38

she has been given presents from my in laws (who do pressies for their pets on birthdays and christmas)

My mum calls mine her "granddog" and buys him more presents than she buys me - she wraps them up and everything

SpanielsAreNuts · 08/06/2018 12:20

Don't most people take their dogs out and make a fuss of them on a regular basis?

What a silly thing to say. Of course my dogs get nice walks and lots of fuss normally.

Their standard (from home) walk is over 95% off lead through fields, past lakes, pools and streams and through beautiful woodland - I'm fortunate to live on the edge of a protected nature reserve that covers all of that).

Both dogs go on the steam train every few months, we go for picnics, to animal farms, etc with them.

However I'm a very long way from a beach, so my eldest dog (2year old) has only been to the beach twice (the first time was on his first birthday). My second dog has never been to the beach (it's his first birthday next week and I expect the DC will choose beach to celebrate).

It's not really for the dog, it's more for the DC and is just a set day out that they can choose to go to with the dogs. It definitely doesn't mean the dogs don't get to do lots of fun days out with us, or that they don't get walked or made a fuss the rest of the year.

pigsDOfly · 08/06/2018 13:26

Why is that a silly thing to say SpanielsAreNuts.

A poster said that on the dog's birthday she takes it out and makes a fuss of it. I just assumed that hopefully, that's not something most people reserve just for the dog's birthday.

Having said that, there are plenty of people who keep dogs and never walk them.

AbsolutelyBeginning · 08/06/2018 17:07

Don't most people take their dogs out and make a fuss of them on a regular basis?

We both work from home and our dog is walked miles every day. We stop work regularly to play games with him. He is spoiled rotten everyday really, but obviously we go that extra mile for birthdays and Christmas.

SpanielsAreNuts · 08/06/2018 17:44

Pigs it's a silly thing to say on a thread like this because it's basically trying to implying that people who celebrate their dogs birthday don't usually meet their dogs needs.

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