Your dog’s birthday is coming up, and you’re trying to think of ways to make it a big deal for them. Here are 10 ideas on how you can celebrate your furry friend’s special day in ways that you’ll both enjoy:

1. Buy your dog a delicious birthday cake from the experts at Howl About It Bakery in Howell or Bark+Bake through Betty’s Cakes in Plymouth.

2. Pick out a birthday-themed bandana for your dog to wear on their big day from Bubs’ & Betty’s.

3. Take them to their favorite local pet store and let them pick out a new toy (our dogs would likely pick a Benebone or another Chuck-It).

4. Host a party with their furry buddies at your local dog park. Better yet, ask everyone to donate $5 to attend and donate it to your local animal rescue!

5. Does your dog love the water? Stop by Bubble Puppy Pool House in Trenton for 30 minutes of fun in the pool.

6. Book a photo session with a pet photographer like me (insert casual plug for Christy Schulte Photography) and order beautiful wall art featuring you and your furry friend!

7. Treat your dog to some all natural doggy ice cream! PawTreats makes yummy all natural ice cream for our furry friends, and you can find their frozen treats at Bow Wow Baketique in Grosse Pointe, Cass Corridog in Detroit, Golden Cone in Royal Oak and Soldan’s Pet Supplies in the Lansing area.

8. Do your dog’s FAVORITE activity. Every dog is different so it’s up to you to know which activity makes sense. One dog may want to go run with you, hike with you, play fetch with you, chew a new bone on the floor next to you or cuddle with you by the fireplace.

9. Have to work on their birthday? Make sure you have a dog sitter stop by to give them a walk outside or play fetch if they’re ball-motivated like my German Shepherd!

10. Do a “Paint Your Pet” prior to their birthday and surprise them with a painting of their likeness