You’ve heard of Friendsgiving, but how about Dogsgiving? What I’m most thankful for this year are my dogs and dog mom friends. That’s why I hosted a celebration for a few of our besties!

What happens at a Dogsgiving celebration? I think there should be plenty of wagging tails and drooling tongues, and not too many rules! A good Dogsgiving also has treats for the people and the dogs. Keep reading this post to see how I hosted a socially distanced Dogsgiving with our furiends!

What is Dogsgiving?

For me, Dogsgiving is a way to show how thankful I am for the joy that my dogs bring to every day of my life. I also wanted to use Dogsgiving to bring together a few dog mom friends who have been there for us all year, going on socially distanced walks and keeping in touch on our dog’s Instagram accounts.

Urban Dictionary defines Dogsgiving like this: noun– when a family’s Thanksgiving dinner is comprised of worrying about what the dogs are doing. Example 1: Mom: “Where’s the dog? Is she being good? I should go get her!” Example 2: Person: “I wish she could just sit and eat, this is turning into a real Dogsgiving!”

Basically, Dogsgiving is like friendsgiving for dogs and pet parent friends. There’s food, drinks and most importantly, lots of dogs!

How To Host a Thanksgiving for Dogs

First off, put together your guest list! We have a close group of dog friends who have been going on walks together this year so I knew they’d be up for a small outdoor pawty. As you’re figuring out who to invite to your own dogsgiving, keep in mind what dogs get along with others. Invite a mix of people and dogs who can have fun without stressing!

To make it even less stressful, I held our celebration outdoors in my backyard. That way the dogs had plenty of room to play around. If they bumped into anyone’s drink and spilled, it wasn’t a big deal. You know that’s going to happen with all these wagging tails around!

Once you have the guest list and the location, it’s time to think about your menu!

At Dogsgiving, you should have treats for people and dogs! We had a beautiful cheese box and pumpkin pie for the people and I made homemade mini apple pies for the dogs. As for drinks, I put out at least 3 water bowls for the dogs and made a delicious Fall Sangria using Barefoot on Tap for the people.

Thanksgiving Inspired Recipes for Dogs + Dog Moms

The best part of Friendsgiving and Thanksgiving is the FOOD!! Dogsgiving is no different! I made one tasty treat for the dogs moms and one for the dogs. Our friends brought along pumpkin pie and the gorgeous cheese box. If you’re in the Pittsburgh area and looking to get a beautiful charcuterie box or platter, check out Ali Marie Charcuterie (the box she made for us was gorgeous and delicious!!).

First up, I made the most delicious Fall Sangria for the dog moms. Saying I “made” it is a bit of a stretch because it’s so easy! All you need is Barefoot on Tap Red Sangria, one apple and a few cinnamon sticks. Just place a few slices of apple and 1 cinnamon stick in a wine glass and top with the ready-made red sangria from Barefoot. It’s so delicious, this will be your new favorite fall beverage!

For the dogs, I made mini apple pup pies! I got this recipe from our friends at Snort and Snarfle. The only ingredients in these dog friendly Thanksgiving-inspired treats are coconut flour, cinnamon, coconut oil, an egg, and an apple. It’s that simple! You can get the full recipe on the Snort and Snarfle blog.

Thanksgiving Safety for Dogs

As with any holiday, there are a few safety concerns to look out for with your dog. While turkey meat is OK to share with your dog, you should make sure they don’t get a hold of any of these foods that can be dangerous:

• Onions and garlic
• Raisins and grapes
• Chocolate and sugar
• Butter, gravy and other sources of fat
• Bones

You can get more information on these harmful ingredients as well as find a few dog-safe Thanksgiving recipes in this post written by Rändi Fay, DVM.

Connect with us on Instagram

Want to connect with the dogs and brands that were a part of our Dogsgiving celebration? Come find everyone on Instagram:

Tori, Lucy and Burt:@tmistick
The “other” Chocolate Lab Lucy: @ohthatlucylab
Our Black Lab friend:@laylaofpgh
Burt’s Doodle Crush: @kalietails
Apple Pie for Dogs Recipe Creator: @snortandsnarfle
Our Beautiful Cheese Box:@alimariecharcuterie
Red Sangria: @BarefootWine

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