How to Host a Yappy Hour

No—I haven't been saucing it up—I meant to say "yappy." A yappy hour is basically a happy hour that doesn't discriminate against canines. Yappy hours are a new trend that is becoming increasingly popular—it's a chance for dogs and their humans to schmooze/sniff, indulge in some hors d'oeuvres/treats, lap up some libations/H2o and kick back/kick up some dirt. Hotel lounges, dog parks, clubs, restaurants, pet supply stores and coffee houses are some of the many places you can hit a good yappy hour—or you can even host one in your very own home or backyard. Here are some ideas.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Compile your guest list. Invite any dog owners/lovers that you know who are of drinking age—and of course, their dogs.
2. Create dog-themed Evites or invitations to send in the mail, or you can create an invitation on PETA's website (see Resources below). If it's an Evite you can have logos of a dog and a martini—or if it's a printed invitation it can be shaped like a dog bone or dog house. Include the details such as date, time, place and the rules: only well-behaved, people-friendly, dog-friendly pooches that are spayed/neutered (just in case there's a love connection) are welcome. Also be sure to inform them that before you break out the shots—the dogs must be current on theirs.
3. Choose the booze. There are several dog-themed wineries that support animal charities. Dog Lovers Wine Club, a California boutique winery, supports the Humane Society of the United States and offers dog-themed labels, as well as allows you to customize your own labels. Dog House Wines donates a percentage of each sale to Guide Dogs for the Blind. Mutt Lynch Winery's labels, including "Merlot Over and Play Dead," support a variety of animal charities and causes. And then there's Cru Vin Dogs which offers wines from small vintages around the world and donates a percentage of the sales to animal organizations and causes, including the “Cure Canine Cancer" campaign. There are also various other wineries that allow you to create your own dog labels.
   
   Or how about serving up some cocktails in the name of some of the guests of honor?—Greyhound, Salty Dog—or bump it up a notch with the Key West-Highland Terrier or the Wide Awake Whippet (with a kick of espresso)—made famous at a chic hotel yappy hour in Dallas.
   
   And of course you don't need alcohol to have a good time. Have plenty of refreshing beverages on hand for those guests who don't want to partake—or you can even make it a virgin yappy hour.
   
   And for the dogs: It's got to be Bark Vineyards canine wine; a gravy and meat juice combo (or vegetarian). It's bottled in green glass to resemble wine—and the best part is the dogs won't get drunk (you might want to skip the wine glasses and pour it over kibble in big communal bowls to let them sample it). There's even Bowser Beer, a non-alcoholic beer for dogs (see links below). And of course you can't be without the canine beverage of choice: fresh water. If you like, you can get more elaborate and dispense it from a bubbling rock fountain.
4. Plan the menu. You can't miss with finger foods for the humans such as cocktail weiners (get it?) and cookies shaped like dog biscuits. And for the pooches: their own biscuits (just be sure to mark which is which—dogs don't do well with sugar and humans may not dig liver-flavored cookies). Pupcorn is a sure canine party pleaser—they're cheese-flavored puffed corn snacks shaped like dogs.
5. Pick out the tunes. Why not compile a dog-themed CD? Look for songs that mention the names of dogs at the party or songs about dogs. Pink Floyd's "Animals," for instance, features barking dogs and is cool for both peeps and pooches.
6. Make it more than just yappy hour and get yappy for a cause. Pick your favorite animal charity or local animal shelter and ask guests to bring donations to drop in the donation box. Dog food, supplies, money—anything that would benefit an animal organization or shelter. You could also raise some money by raffling off fun dog products or have a doggie fashion show (just skip the catwalk).

Tips & Warnings

• Enlist a couple of teenagers who are experienced with dogs or even a professional dog walker to play bouncer and ensure that the shindig runs smoothly, while allowing you more time to play host.
• You can sign up to host a Yappy Hour Wine tasting on the Dog Lovers Wine Club website and receive discounts on limited-production wines while supporting the dog charity of your choice (see link below).
• Meetup.com is a good site for finding pet owner Meetup groups and yappy hours (see link below).
• If you belong to a Meetup group of dog owners of a specific breed or know a lot of people with the same breed of dog—you might want to host a breed-specific yappy hour, for instance, "Pug Night."
• Arrange rides for any guests who've indulged in alcohol. If necessary, there are dog-friendly taxi services you can call. It may be a good idea to have a couple of numbers on hand.
• If you see any white powder floating around—make sure it's flea preventative.