Kody Hodzic, age 11, of Tucson, Arizona, and his foster mom, Kara Myrick, take their dog, Bailey, to "Yappy Hour" the first Saturday of every month at the Humane Society of Southern Arizona.

They learned about the once-a-month Yappy Hours while attending basic obedience classes at the humane society. This supervised party time provides indoor and outdoor romping room for up to 50 dogs of all shapes and sizes. Separate tables sporting people food and doggone great canine treats are tall enough to be out of paw's reach.

"In training classes, you're not allowed to have your dog interact or socialize with other dogs," Myrick says. "We quickly learned that when Bailey is on leash, she is in training mode. Off leash, she is in play mode. We love going to Yappy Hour."

"I tell my friends that they should check it out," fifthgrader Hodzic says. "At Yappy Hour, you and your dog get to play games, eat great food, have lots of fun and get a chance to win cool prizes!"

For owning the dog with the longest and prettiest tail, Hodzic won first prize and received a bag of dog toys to give to Bailey, his energetic 1-year-old Border Collie/Australian Shepherd mix.

Annie Bathen, 7, loves Yappy Hour so much that she volunteers to help every time she comes with her aunt, Nancy Davis. Bathen keeps fresh water in the dog bowls, helps with "poop patrol" and assists in the games. Sometimes, owners ask her to keep a temporary eye on their dog — even if that means holding the leash of a 150-pound Great Dane named Sissy!

"When Sissy saw her owner, she trampled me, turned around realizing what she did and licked my face," Bathen laughs. "I wasn't hurt; she's just a big, goofy dog."

Bathen's volunteer responsibilities prevent her from bringing her own dog, Kirby, a toy Poodle nearing his second birthday.

Sing this to your dog on his special day: "Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. You look like a feline, and you smell like one, too!"

"We had a birthday party for Kirby when he turned 1 with just the family, no dogs," Bathen says. "We put a birthday hat on Kirby, but he just shook it off."

So, what does it take to host a great canine celebration?

Party Central
To select the best location, size up your choices: your basement, the backyard, a dog-friendly park, a dog-training center or a doggie bakery. The location depends on how many guests you want to invite, how much you are willing to spend and how soon you are able to host the party.

Make a List
As a general rule, don't invite more than five dogs if the party is inside your home; eight to 10 dogs are good numbers for a backyard bash. If you go all-out and party at an outdoor park or dog-training center, keep the guest list to less than 20.

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You're Invited!
Create invitations, or purchase them from a pet-supply store. Regardless, make sure to include the reason for the party (see "Excuses?" below for good reasons), your dog's name, your name, party location, your phone number, date and time of the party, a definite starting and ending time (less than two hours is recommended), party rules and a request to BYOPB (Bring Your Own Poop Bags).

Get the Party Started
When dogs and their people arrive, a lot of energy needs to be unleashed. One stress-relieving activity: Create a giant birthday card out of poster board.

Using nontoxic finger paint, invite guests to put their dogs' paw prints on the card and have their people sign their names. Keep a bucket of water and towels nearby to wash the paint off the dogs' paws.

Bring Out the Chow
Set a specific time during the party to treat dogs to canine cakes and other doggie delights. Our K9 Kitchen column provides ideas (see page 25 in this issue). Instruct all the people to keep their dogs on leash during this feast to prevent any food fights. Clean up before letting the dogs off leash.

Check ahead with owners to find out if their dogs are on food-restricted diets or are allergic to certain foods, such as wheat, and don't serve those foods.

Mind your manners. Somebody get this pooch a plate, and remove the candles first!

Be Game for Anything
It wouldn't be a party without some good games. Try the following to get the tails wagging.

Clothes Hound: Set a pile of old shirts, socks, shorts, scarves, boots, hats and plastic sunglasses in a corner. The goal: How many clothes and accessories can you get on your dog in 60 seconds? Make sure each contestant (i.e. dog) likes to be dressed up, before starting.

Kissy Kissy Contest: Ask a brave volunteer to be smooched by each doggie guest. The dog that delivers the wettest kiss wins!

Dunk for Hot Dogs: Fill a plastic child's pool or a five-gallon plastic bucket halfway with water. Cut up a hot dog into 10 bitesized pieces, and drop them in the water. Have each person bring his or her dog on leash one at a time to the pool/bucket. Once the dog approaches the hot dog-filled water, start your timer. The dog that eats the most pieces in the shortest amount of time wins.

Musical Mutts: Line up some chairs, spaced three feet apart. Start with one less chair than the number of participants. Play some dog-themed music (such as the Baha Men's "Who Let the Dogs Out") as your guests walk their dogs on leash around the chairs. When you stop the music, each guest must sit in a chair with their dog sitting on the ground next to them. Too slow — or too stubborn — dogs are eliminated. Continue until you have one dog and owner left standing (err, sitting!).

Thanks for Coming
As the party winds down, be prepared to let your guests know how much you appreciated their coming by giving them a "thank you" gift. Some ideas include colored tennis balls, gift certificates to a pet-supply store or local doggie bakery, collapsible water bowls for car trips and hikes, doggie picture frames or nonskid food bowls.

Above all, have a great time!

Arden Moore is the author of several pet books, including her latest, Dog Party: How to Party with your Pup (BowTie Press, 2004).