How to Throw a Breed Reveal Party
We are excited to share with you a post from guest blogger Melissa Toohey, a contributing writer at LA-based LaLaScoop who handles all their pet-related content for the Doggy Doo section. Like many pet owners, Melissa and her family recently decided to buy a dog DNA test in order to obtain more information about their two rescue pups, Brezel and Schnitzel. They decided to have some fun with the answers and host a “breed reveal” party as a fundraiser for Westside German Shepherd Rescue of Los Angeles, the rescue group they adopted their dogs from. (Full disclosure: our very own “Dribble” is also a Westside alum). When I learned of Melissa’s party - and all the thought she put into it - I thought it was a really fun and entertaining way to raise money for a great cause. And, it just might inspire some of our readers to do the same!
The health screening was incredibly useful. While Brezel has no mutations in her genes, we discovered Schnitzel had a gene mutation that made potentially sensitive to certain anesthetics. This was a relief to find out, and we took comfort in knowing we could let our Vet know so they could be careful with his medical care.
With all the hype around gender reveal parties, and the continued discussion around why they are problematic, I decided to take the idea, apply it to my two fur babies, adjust it so that it went towards a good cause. Brezel and Schnitzel were rescued from Westside German Shepherd Rescue of Los Angeles and any information about their previous lives was limited. My husband, Scott, and I decided to host a “Breed Reveal” party in honor of them, and collect donations for Westside German Shepherd Rescue of Los Angeles. Our attendees had lots of fun, and the results were a shock, to say the least! Here are some tips to host a successful Breed Reveal Party:
Prior to the party, we purchased Embark Dog DNA Test. While there are a variety of tests on the market, we felt this was the best for our dogs. Since they were fully grown at the time of rescue, the health screening aspect of Embark’s product made it the best choice for us. We swabbed the dog’s cheeks and sent the samples in. Within weeks, we received an alert the results were ready. Since Scott and I wanted to take part in the guessing fun, we decided to not look at the breed results. We asked our trusted friend, Alexandra, to hold the results and help us organize the logistics for the guessing portion of the party.
We opened our party by playing a fun game. Inspired by The Office. I created dog-themed stickers; players were randomly given a sticker on their back, and were not able to look at it. Their objective was to be the first player to figure out what person/place/thing was on their sticker. They could ask three “yes” or “no” questions to each person they spoke to. The winner won a special prize.
To help attendees guess, we created a slideshow with different traits of the dogs that we thought might hint to their breeds. Some additional details of our party included Scott and I wearing custom made shirts with Brezel’s and Schnitzel’s faces on them, giving attendees “Team Brezel” and “Team Schnitzel” stickers to wear, and serving dog themed food (hot dogs, puppy chow, etc!).
We needed an easy way to have people submit their guesses. We decided to use a Google Form so that even those that could not attend the party could participate. We encouraged participation by announcing a prize - winners would be hosted to all-expenses paid brunch with Brezel and Schnitzel.
“We recognized that we would not have the love of our two dogs without the tremendous efforts of the rescue and raised over $450 in donations for Westside German Shepherd Rescue.”
