Baking for the barkers
A group of Christchurch people have got together to throw a party — for their dogs.
%26quot;People enjoy parties for different reasons,%26quot; said Kathleen Crisley, organiser and owner of eight-year-old birthday bitch Daisy.
%26quot;If you enjoy your dog and you enjoy a party then you will enjoy this. You don%26#39;t have to dress the dog up in clothes or carry them around in a box or anything like that.%26quot;
However, the party at the Christchurch Dog Training Club did serve a specially baked birthday cake, as well as laying on party games.
Crisley — director of company Canine Catering, which bakes food especially for dogs — said the concept of dog birthday parties was becoming more common.
%26quot;It is a nice way for people to incorporate their dogs into their social lives.%26quot;
With all that canine energy and cake around there was always the potential for the party to turn sour.
%26quot;You get used to fact that some of them might get into a scrap,%26quot; said Crisley.
%26quot;If they do that%26#39;s where the naughty dogs have a little time out and have to go and sit in the car for a while.%26quot;
Among the 16 human guests and 11 dogs who attended the party were English pointer Daisy%26#39;s father Shakka, 10, and his owner John Hamilton.
%26quot;This kind of thing is getting more and more common,%26quot; said Hamilton, who breeds English pointers with his wife Jenny, in Belfast.
%26quot;People treat their dogs as more than just pets these days. We live for our dogs.%26quot;
