Mr Birthday dog toys in 2 sizes

Dog birthday parties are fun for dogs and people!  Seven years ago, when I invited dogs to Betsy and Norman’s 1^st birthday party…I think my friends thought I was nuts.  However, everyone left saying what a great time they had.

I have to admit I do not remember what I served the “humans”.  I do remember every detail about what I served the dogs and the party games.  It was a great success and was so easy.

First, I recommend that you invite a small number of dogs.  We invited 3 dogs, with Betsy & Norman that made 5 dogs.  Betsy and Norman knew two of the dogs.  Every dog knew at least one of the other dogs.  The group got along great and everyone used their dog party manners.

I will note here, that whenever dogs come to visit Betsy and Norman, we greet outside our fence.  We have all of the dogs on leashes, give a quick greet, walk them quickly into the fenced yard, and then release them.  This seems to be the best way to have a dog enter Betsy & Norman’s territory without a discussion.  Of course, they spend the first few minutes marking and marking over the marking.

Now that you have your dog happy birthday party guest list, you will need to send invitations.  I sent out eMails explaining the greeting procedure and asking if the dogs had any dietary restrictions.  We asked the guests to bring a dog food donation to the local food bank…Betsy and Norman, being canine dog toy storeowners, certainly did not need any dog toys for their birthday.

Bartolo knows how to open a doggie pinata

I went to the local party supply to find party hats, plates, and decorations.  It was at the party supply store that I got my best idea…a piñata.  I purchased a simple number “1″ shaped piñata.  The plan was to put dog treats inside and let the dogs rip it apart for the treats!  It was a great idea and it worked.  I will tell you that only one dog worked on ripping it apart.  When Bartolo Van Wie ripped it apart, we picked it up and shook out the treats.  We did make sure to spread them around so the dogs were not too close to each other while they were treat hunting.

Betsy "wearing" her party hat

While at the local party supply, I picked up some Clifford, the big red dog, plates and party hats.  I also purchased some red checked paper table clothes.  The children’s party hats worked for most of the dogs; however, Betsy preferred to carry hers in her mouth.  We now carry happy birthday party hats for dogs, I think they are more comfortable for dogs to wear.

Norman selects his piece of dog pizza.

For lunch, the dogs had a doggie pizza.  This dog pizza was in a big pizza box.  We spread out the red checked tablecloth, opened the pizza box, and put it in the middle of the tablecloth.  One by one, the dogs went and pick out a piece of pizza and then took it and ate it.  Yes, it really worked like that!  One dog did get a second piece; the rest just took one.  I wish we had video taped it!

Betsy, let's share this dog birthday cake bone with Norman

We let the dogs play and settle their lunch, and then it was time for dessert.  I had big dog birthday bone shaped cakes.  I was only planning to use one, but Betsy had a different idea.  First, when I called Norman he came and sat right beside me patiently waiting for the “cake”.  Betsy on the other hand wanted nothing to do with waiting or the singing.  When I got a second cake out, she came long enough to grab one and take it all for herself.  The resulting picture is one of my favorite pictures of all times…compliant Norman by my side and me pleading with independent minded Betsy.

I think I will take this one!

It is MY party and this is MY cake!

Everyone got a piece of Norman’s cake…and Betsy kept hers all to herself.

As you can tell, dog birthday parties can be fun but being vigilant and aware of all of the dog’s body language is so important.

There are many great dog games for birthday parties.  I think a treasure hunt would be great.  Give each human a hand full of treats, and then have them hide them as all of the dogs look for them.  If you want to get the humans involved…you can have them try to teach their dog a new trick, like catch a Frisbee or jump through a hoop.  What about a scavenger hunt?  Have clues that the humans have to follow…and place yummy treats at each place the clues led them.  There are so many games you can play at dog parties; we would love to hear your favorite dog party game.

Norman crunching his birthday dog bone

I almost forgot to mention setting up for the party.  Make sure you put out lots of water bowls.  All of the playing, running around, and treat eating is sure to make dogs thirsty, so have lots of water.

Air Kong Happy Birthday Squeaker Balls

When the party is over don’t forget give out the “thank you” goodie bags.  Of course, Betsy and Norman always send their guest home with dog toys.  Now we have several singing happy birthday dog toys that would remind their guest of the special day.  We just got in Air Kong Happy Birthday Squeaker tennis balls!  They would make a great addition to your goodie bag and they are only $4.69 for three imprinted balls.

Oh don’t forget the poop bags…you never know when there will be a party pooper!

Well, the cat is out of the bag…our mom found Motorized Dog Balls again!  Only this time they are being marketed as cat toys!  But we know the truth…there is a dog ball inside, instead of a cat.

Last Christmas many of our dog friends bought basketball and baseball motorized dog balls.  When mom went to order more, she found out the company discontinued these fun dog toys.  She looked all over Global Pet Expo, the biggest dog toy trade show of the year, and she could not find ANY battery operated dog balls.

However, my mom did NOT give up.  When she was meeting with Chala, our Multipet Sales Representative she was telling her how sad our dog friends were that they could not get their motorized balls.  Then Chala told mom that the very same ball was in the Cat In A Bag cat toy!  Mom ordered  them…and sure enough that very same ball is inside of a crinkle bag.

I tested the new cat/dog toy.  I really like the bag and the furry tail.  I like it better than the original toy.  However, right after dad took this video (see below), I ripped the bag.  Mom was sure that I would which is why she bought some paper lunch bags…now I can still play with my moving ball in a bag.

I know most of my friends will want to play with it out of the bag.  In or out of the bag, cat or dog, this pet toy is rated fun, fun, fun!!

I am dancing for joy because FINALLY we got a complete shipment of Kyjen dog toys.  For over a year the Kyjen Pet Company has been out of stock of many of our favorite dog toys.  Their factory in China closed and they had to find new factories and make sure they could make their quality dog toys and plush dog puzzles.  Finally, the wait is over and now we should have all of your favorite Kyjen puppy toys in stock.

Kyjen is the creator of the Hide A dog toy puzzles, such as: Hide-A-Squirrel, Hide-A-Bee, Hide-A-Bird, Snakes in the Grass, Magic Hat with Bunny Rabbits, Tough Turtle, and Timid Turtle.  The IQubes and Cagey I Cube are back. They also make Egg Babies, there are lots of fun animal shaped Egg Baby dog toys.  If you were waiting for the Jumbo Furry Spider, your wait is over…it is BACK!  Oh, I almost for got the replacement balls for the I-Qube are back as well as the replacement Egg Babies eggs.

We even got some new Kyjen toys!  But, I am not sure I am going to approve them because they are SUPER noisy.  Norman…please stop testing those squeakers.  Norman will let you know if he approves them, and when these new dog toys are posted.

Thanks for being so patient with our Kyjen inventory problems.

Big & Little Alfonzo Frog Dog Toy

Organic dog toys…Betsy and Norman just approved a new line of organic dog toys.  Flat Katz dog toys are manufactured by Loopies.  The fronts are made from organic cotton and the back side from soybean plush.  Plus the dyes are responsible safe dyes…good for the environment and safe for your dog.

Betsy is happy because now we have furry eco friendly dog toys…she loves furry toys.  Norman is wagging his tail because these natural dog toys are thin…all the better to reach the squeaker.  Both Betsy & Norman think these environmentally friendly dog toys will help the earth.

These Flat Katz designs are just so fun.  All of the names have the letter “z” in them: Rozcoe the Katz, Razzle the Puppy, Zsa Zsa the Cat, Spaz the Cat, Carl the bunny (woops…there is no “Z” in that name!), Zippy the Dog, Zigfried the Squirrel, and Alfonzo the Frog.  The are certainly a zany group.

Now even our little dog friends who love tiny dog toys can have organic dog toys too!  Because the Tiny Flat Katz are under 4 inches tall!  We think that these toys are going to be a big hit with all of our dog friends.

We have lots of natural dog toys for our earth loving dog friends.

Last night on It’s Me or The Dog, Victoria Stillwell gave Fiona’s grandma some dog toys for Fiona. Every time a dog training show uses dog toys we get questions on which toys they used! We happen to have both of these plush puzzle dog toys in stock.

The Snakes in the Grass is a fun Hide-a dog toy by Kyjen Pet Products. The outside container contains three little green snakes. You hide the snakes in the snake hill and solves the problem in how to get them out of the hill. Dog just love to use their problem solving skills.

The other toy with the Magic Hat with Rabbits. This toy is also by Kyjen. This toy has three little white rabbits that hide in the hat and your dog solves the puzzle on how to get them out of the hat.

Norman would like you to know that the snakes and the rabbits both have, Norman approved, big squeakers in them.

We love watching Victoria…don’t you?

We did not carry Buster Cubes for awhile because the center core did not come out so there was no way to clean them! They fixed it! The center of the Buster Cube now comes out; however, there are still some tricks to getting it out so made a video to show you how. In the video I use plastic coated pliers. However, I used scissors, partially opened, to open the large Buster Cube. Please let us know what you used to open your Buster Cube! Make sure you scroll down to see the still pictures too!

We promised that mom would shop for new food puzzles when we discontinued the Busy Buddy Premier Pet Products line. So far, we added three new treat dispensers…one of them is brand new and the other two are making come backs!

First the new one, the IQ Treat Ball. This is a tricky dog food puzzle with a Learning Level rating of Brilliant! It is a challenging dog toy; however, it is easy to load and clean. Mom loves that it is adjustable so that it will fit many size treats. This comes in two sizes, small & large, make sure you get one that is larger than your dog’s jaw.

The IMPROVED Buster Cube! Finally, the center core is removable again. It is not as easy to removed as mom thinks it should be but it is MUCH better. Mom even did a video on how to remove the core. The Buster Cube treat dispenser has been around forever. Many people say it was the original food puzzle. It is strong, but noisy on hard floors.

Last but not least…the Atomic Treat Dispenser. I have had one of these since I was a little puppy. The colors and name has changed, it used to be called the Molecule or Molecuballs, but it is still the same fun challenging dog toy. Just look at me aren’t I cute?

These treat dispenser are the perfect replacement for your Busy Buddy Twist n Treat, Kibble Nibble, and Tug a Jug. Plus, these dog toys do not support dog shock collars!

Happy puzzle solving!

The long wait is over…the Jolly Eggs, egg shaped dog balls arrived today!  I have been testing them ever since they arrived and they are super fun and were worth the wait!  Jolly Eggs come in two sizes 12 inch and 8 inch — so now our smaller friends can have an egg ball too.

The eGGe dog toy, previously the only egg dog toy ball on the block, now has two smaller eggs to compete with.  The eGGe is 14 inches and costs about $24.89.  The new Jolly Eggs are $15.39 and $8.99, the certainly add something new to the scramble!  The Jolly Eggs are made by Jolly Pet, you know the people who make Jolly Balls…and they are made in the USA.

Us herding breed dogs, just love egg shaped dog balls because they shoot and are erratic…just like unruly sheep.  Herding dog toys are fun. They are super tough too, because they are so hard to get a hold of and chew.  Made of hard plastic, they are build to be nearly an in-destructible dog toy.

If you have never seen me play with my eGGe, you just have to watch my video.  Watch for the Three-Egg-Ball video to be released soon.  Well, as soon as I slow down a little…my dad says if he shot the dog toy video right now…I would just be a blur!

The first day of spring and Norman is ready to go on a rabbit hunt!  He wore this rabbit ear hat when Betsy was not looking.  However, Gizmo the neighbor dog, came out and saw Norman with his spring dog hat on and told Betsy.  They decided that a good game of fence chase would be fun.  It was quite a sight to see Norman fence chasing with his ears on.  Then it looked like he and Betsy were bunny hunting…I wonder if they thought the rabbits would think Norman was one of them.

If you are looking for a bunny hat for your dog, you will love these soft flannel ears by Flytes of Fancy.  You will be amazed at the quality of this hat, but not surprise that they are made in the USA.  They stay on your dog’s head (yes…even after a rousing game of fence chasing) because of their great design.  They have a flat headpiece then a cord that goes through the headpiece and around each of your dog’s ears.  The ear piece is adjustable because not all dogs are alike.  See…I said that you would love this bunny dog costume!

We have many fun spring time dog toys for your dog’s Easter celebration.  Norman loves the Oo Ma Loo’s bunnies with screamer squeakers — they are super loud.  Plus, all Oo Ma Loo dog toys are hand crochet or knitted by women in Turkey.  Betsy loves the Mr Stretch Bunny because he is super floppy and she just loves her shaking dog toys!  Mr Stretch Bunny comes in a smaller size, Baby Stretch Bunny, too!  Want real springtime sounds?  Look Who’s Talking dog toys are classic voice chip real sound toys.  The bunny says “boing, boing, boing” when your dog bites it voice box.  The little chick chirps…and is so cuddly.  See all of our bunny, chick, & springtime dog toys.

Don’t let your dog miss the egg hunt.  We have six plush squeaky eggs for only $5.69.  Betsy and Norman love to play hide and seek with these eggs.  It is one of their favorite dog games until Norman starts squeeking their big squeakers.  (Betsy is NOT a noise loving dog!)

Enjoy the spring!

Some dogs think that plush dog toys are for destroying; however, there are many dogs that just love plush dog toys.  In fact, there are so many plush loving dogs that it has its own category at BestFriends General Store!

Dog plush toys are made from many types of plush.  Short napped plush is not as tough as longer higher quality plush.  There is also super long napped plush, Betsy calls it fake fur or faux fur…she just loves long fake fur.  Berber, faux lambs wool is another type of plush that dog toys are frequently made from — this type of plush proves to be extra strong for many dogs.  When we add plush dog toys to our store we look for high quality plush toys…we want your dog’s toys to last.

The is definitely a snuggle factor to dog plush toys.  Some are so soft, like the new microfiber plush that I want to cuddle up with them and take a nap!  Betsy, even though she is a tough dog, has been known to cuddle up with a plush dog toy.  Norman frequently uses large dog toys, like the Push Puppy Jumbo Spider, for a pillow.

We would love to know what your dog’s favorite plush dog toy is…if we do not have it in our store…it might be there soon.

High Quality Plush Puppy Dog Plush Toy

Berber Plush Dog Toy

Betsy With Her Baboon Head Long Fake Fur Dog Toy

Bear Square Microfiber Blanket Dog Toy

Jumbo Hedgehog Dog Toy Doubles As A Pillow