Plan a Red, White & Blue Barkday Party for Your Patriotic Pup!

In the next few months, we will celebrate two important patriotic holidays – Memorial Day and the 4th of July, so if your pup has a special birthday coming soon, why not plan a Red, White & Blue Barkday Party?  Stars and stripes will be the theme – and your Dog will be the Star of the Party!

Of course, dogs who like to dress up can get decked out in Red, White & Blue.  But if your pup is one who prefers to stay flag-free, consider keeping the decorations for the party and not on your dog.

Party Decorations 

A Red, White & Blue Party requires lots of decorations that involve the Stars and Stripes – and not only as pet accessories on your Pup!  If you want to make it easy, then check out these decorations from Big Dot of Happiness, a company with unique themed party decorations.  Just click on the picture!

Schedule your party to avoid fireworks

Fireworks have become an essential element of every patriotic party – and sometimes nearly every party these days.  You can make sure they are not included in your party, and I would suggest you schedule your Barkday Party on days when people are less likely to be setting fireworks off in the neighborhood.  Of course, you should be prepared for them at holiday celebrations in your town.  It is important to make sure your pup is safe, and fireworks, crowds, and loud noises can be frightening.

Before the fireworks in town start, here are some tips on what you should do with your pup:

  • Keep your pets secured inside your house.
  • Give your pets a safe space, such as a crate or a room, and make sure the space is equipped with bedding, favorite toys, and treats.
  • Turn on a TV or radio to help drown out the noise of the fireworks.
  • Make sure your pets have updated ID on them in case they escape.

The Red, White & Blue Swag Bag

We always send our Guests home with a fabulous Swag Bag and some tangible memories of our party fun.  Here are some fun ideas for your Red, White & Blue Swag Bag.

The Classic Cocktail – Red and White Sangria

At Properly Posh Pets, one of our signature Party Elements is the Classic Cocktail, so here is the perfect idea for your Patriotic Party – Red & White Sangria.

Red Sangria

Ingredients

  • 1 bottle dry red wine
  • ½ cup brandy
  • ½ cup lemon juice
  • ½ cup orange juice
  • ½ cup Cointreau or triple sec
  • 1 lemon, sliced into rounds
  • 1 orange, sliced into rounds
  • 1 lime, sliced into rounds
  • ¼ cup sugar

Directions 

  • Mix all ingredients in a large pitcher or bowl.
  • Refrigerate overnight for best flavor.

White Sangria

Ingredients 

  • 1 bottle dry white wine, chilled
  • 1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
  • 2 cups fresh blueberries
  • 1 cup fresh raspberries
  • ½ cup orange liqueur (such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau)
  • 1 bottle sparkling white wine, chilled (such as prosecco or champagne)
  • Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries for garnish
  • Ice

Directions 

  • Stir together white wine, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and orange liqueur in a large pitcher.
  • Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours so that the flavors can meld. For a whiter sangria, you should opt for a shorter chilling time.
  • Once you’re ready to serve the sangria, stir in the sparkling wine, and a handful of ice.
  • Garnish with strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries.

 

Red, White & Blue Barkday Party Food 

CupCakes and Pupcakes 

If your Red, White & Blue Barkday Party is a birthday party, then there must be a Birthday Cake!    

I love coordinating the cake decorations with the party theme, but really don’t like the royal cake frosting that is used to make themed decorations.  It just doesn’t taste as good as our buttercream frosting – so we found the perfect solution.  We use cake toppers and stickers that match our theme for the party, but are easy to remove when it is time to eat the cupcake!  You can use the same stickers to decorate your dog’s PupCake and remove them before serving your Pup.

You can find our easy, dog-safe recipe for a Barkday PupCake in our Baseball Barkday Party Blog and decorate the bone-shaped PupCake with fun patriotic decorations.

 

Our PeopleGuests need cake too, so we picked our favorite cupcake recipe with buttercream frosting and decorated the cupcakes with flag cake toppers and our Red, White & Blue cake confetti.

Your PupGuests will love staying cool with our easy, dog-friendly Red, White & Blue Pupsicle recipe.

Red, White & Blue Pupsicles

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole blueberries
  • ½ cup chopped strawberries.  Note that strawberries are high in sugar, so use small amounts if your dog is diabetic.
  • 1 cup plain yogurt. Do not use yogurt containing xylitol and do not give to dogs who are lactose intolerant.

Directions

  • Gently mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
  • Pour mixture into ice cube tray. A fun way to treat your Pup, the Star of the Barkday Party, is to use a star-shaped ice cube tray.
  • Freeze for at least 4 to 5 hours. 

 

CELEBRATING WHAT IS IMPORTANT IN YOUR LIFE IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA

Parties mark the passage of time, and celebrating patriotic holidays is an important way to celebrate our country.  Parties make you take the time to stop for just a moment and reflect on what is important in your life – and WHO is important in your life.  If you have a dog, then you understand that your dog is essential to your daily routine – and essential to your happiness. 

However you celebrate the patriotic summer holidays, remember how lucky we are to live in America and to have the freedom to gather with friends and family – and our precious pups – to enjoy laughter, friendship, and love – and fun cocktails and party food!