Our Goldendoodle puppy, Kai, just had his first birthday, so I found some easy dog birthday ideas to celebrate our “baby’s” special day. Here’s what we did for Kai’s first dog birthday party. It was a simple puppy party, yet special. Hopefully, these simple dog birthday ideas will inspire you to create your own dog birthday celebration. In honor of Kai’s first birthday, I created this little video review of Kai’s first year.

Homemade Dog Cookies

My first discovery when searching for easy dog birthday ideas was this dog biscuit mix from Trader Joe’s. It was a quick way to bake homemade dog biscuits for Kai’s puppy birthday party. If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s near you, you can also find them on Amazon. It was quick and easy, but there are a few things to keep in mind to make sure they turn out well.

Here’s how it worked:

The first step in the directions is to combine the oil with the mix. It does say that the mixture will be crumbly at first, but I discovered that it would take more oil than the recipe called for. 

Mix the dough

The second step is to start mixing it together by hand so that it combines into a dough that you can roll out. I simply added more oil a little bit at a time until the mixture started sticking together. My dog birthday ideas began to take shape!

Without overdoing it, I eventually had enough oil mixed in to be able to form it into a ball. 

The directions say to roll the dough out on a floured surface, but I recommend using very little flour on this step. The flour tends to make the dough fall apart again. I learned this the hard way and had to add more oil, so I wouldn’t use flour the next time. Depending on your surface, you may not even need flour for rolling out the dough. 

Cut out the cookies 

Finally, cut out the biscuits in whatever shape you choose using a cookie cutter. I kept the dough thick to make it easier to cut them out. I found that the dough started to fall apart when it was any thinner than this.

Kai was ready to eat the biscuits before they were even baked!

Carefully transfer each biscuit onto a baking sheet and bake according to the instructions. I checked them regularly to make sure they didn’t burn.

When the dog biscuits are fully baked, they will be crisp and slightly browned.

Next, I transferred the baked cookies to a cooling rack. 

The package directions don’t include icing, but I decided it would be a little more festive to decorate the dog cookies with some colored dog-friendly frosting. I liked this recipe from the Cake Decorist because the frosting hardens which would be less messy for Kai when eating the dog cookies.

Dog-Friendly Icing Recipe

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons water
• 1 teaspoon honey
• food coloring (optional)
• large bowl and whisk

Mix together the water and cornstarch,  then add the honey. Using a whisk, combine the mixture and add more water if needed. The icing might seem thin at first, but it will eventually harden. If you choose to add food coloring, make sure it contains all-natural ingredients, like this one linked here.

Add a few drops of all-natural food coloring to the icing. If you want several colors, simply divide the icing into separate bowls for each color.

Drizzle the icing over the cookies. The icing should harden within just a few minutes

Transfer the dog cookies to a pretty serving plate

When gathering your dog birthday ideas, don’t forget some cookies for the humans! I added some colorful frosted store-bought cookies for our humans. 

Dog Birthday Party Accessories

Your list of dog birthday ideas is not complete without party hats, plates, napkins, and accessories. 

I spent quite a bit of time shopping to come up with dog birthday ideas for Kai’s special day. I found his birthday crown, birthday bandana, and matching toy cake at Target. They fit his personality perfectly! If you can’t find these accessories at Target. There are several alternatives on Amazon, such as this matching set for a boy, this set for a girl, or this set for a girl or boy pup.

Puppy’s Birthday Photo

When thinking of dog birthday ideas, don’t forget to capture your celebration with a photo. Once you have your puppy’s party ensemble put together, remember to take an official birthday photo to document this special day!!

You may want to add a special background to make it look professional. I love this milestone chalkboard or a letterboard to use as a background. 

Perfect Dog First Birthday Present

Dog presents are probably one of the most important items on the list of dog birthday ideas. After all, it wouldn’t be a birthday party without presents!

If your dog is turning one year old, it’s time to upgrade from all the new puppy supplies you first purchased to some grown-up dog supplies. I can’t believe it’s almost been a year since we brought Kai home. He’s outgrown so much of what we first bought for him in the beginning.

Grown-Up Dog Supplies

To make this list of dog birthday ideas complete, I’ve linked some gift ideas below. For pups who are turning one, this list is a good start in transitioning your one-year-old pup to some upgraded dog supplies:

Personalized dog blanket

Personalized dog bed

Quality leather dog leash

Elevated dog bowls

Silent silicone personalized dog tag

Stylish bandanas

I hope you have as much fun as I did celebrating your pup’s memorable day!