This is the title of my boss, Ingrid Newkirk's newest book, hot off the presses. When I first heard the title, I thought, "Oh, no—how could she write such a silly book?" I had visions of dogs dressed in elaborate costumes and their people trying to make them play ridiculous games.

Boy, was I wrong! This book is packed with information that benefits dogs, but it's presented in a lighthearted and fun manner. It's all about discovering what your dogs need and want and enjoy and finding ways to give it to them. The "party" aspect is just a way of celebrating our dogs with our dogs in a joyful, carefree manner.

It all started when Ingrid was staying at a hotel in England and discovered that the hotel owners had two very neglected dogs who barely ever got to have any fun. As she stayed in this hotel frequently, she made a point of attending to the dogs whenever she was there, taking them for walks in the neighborhood. Then one day, she asked if she could take the dogs up to her hotel room—and that's where she had her first dog party. It consisted of playing, eating, barking, and snuggling—all that's really required to make a dog happy.

Our dogs are so easily pleased and yet so often they don't even get their basic needs fulfilled. They give us unconditional love, and we are too lazy or too busy to prioritize a nice long walk for them every day. This book reminds us how special our dogs are and why they deserve all the love and fun we can give them.

Here's an excerpt:

Don’t leave off your guest list anyone, canine or not, whom your dog might still miss since they moved away or changed dog parks some time back. Dogs have long memories. It is extra sad for them to suddenly not see a friend, given that we are ignorant of their language and cannot tell them why we divorced, that Rita moved to Oklahoma, or that that nice guy Sam went off to college. Sometimes a dog party invitation can provide just the perfect prod to bring old pals back together in a joyous reunion of wagging tails.

Are there any siblings you can reunite your dog with, or old dog pals who have gone elsewhere? For instance, dog expert Jayn Meinhardt reports that her neighbor had a large, quiet 3-year-old dog named Callie. Says Jayn, “Callie was a very sedate dog, which is why I was so surprised when I looked out the window one day and there was Callie bounding and leaping with another dog. She was running and jumping and nipping and carrying on. I couldn’t imagine what she was doing; it was so out of character for this dog.

"When I saw the neighbor a few days later, I asked her about Callie's odd behavior. She explained that her brother had adopted Callie's sibling and moved away. The two dogs had not seen each other in three years, since they were 2 months old, yet they immediately reverted to the way they had played with each other all those years ago."

This book is full of lovely, poignant, insightful, and hilarious anecdotes about dogs, as well as oodles of resources for dog fun, such as The Wolves of Bay Mountain, a CD of recorded wolf howls to be used at a howl-a-thon party; doggie life jackets for a boating or kayaking party; and dog-friendly films, such as The Movie for Dogs, for a canine movie party.

There are recipes and quotes and poems and instructions―this book just doesn’t quit. And every single page is devoted to giving dogs the love and attention and good times that they so richly deserve but rarely get to experience.

You can purchase a copy from PETA’s Catalog or from your local bookstore. Enjoy!