Throw a Winning Puppy Bowl Party

Every year, millions of Americans gather on Super Bowl Sunday for football, food, fun and epic commercials. Even if you’re not fired up about the NFL championship game itself, Super Bowl parties are a great excuse to gather with your favorite people, and in the case of Puppy Bowl celebrations, your favorite dogs too!

On February 13, 2022, Puppy Bowl XVII will air at 3 PM ET on Animal Planet. The annual Discovery Channel event features more than 70 adoptable puppies from rescue organizations across the nation who play their own game on the gridiron – running, tumbling, and rushing with toys for touchdowns. The production involves filming more than 50 hours of video ahead of time, which is edited and then broadcast on Super Bowl Sunday as a precursor to the big game.

It’s not too early to plan your own watch party.

You’ll want to start with the invitations, of course. Whether you choose to go with a paper or digital version, be specific about who is invited so that guests know they are welcome to bring their sociable dogs. If you’d like to encourage costumes, suggest that your two and four-legged party animals wear matching team jerseys or colored bandanas to add to the fun.

Adding a few activities will keep the party going strong. You could design a photo booth, set up a jersey-decorating station or other craft, and if the weather allows, hold your own puppy bowl game in your backyard. When the show starts, gather around to cheer on your favorite Puppy Bowl team – the Ruffs or the Fluffs.

Snacks can be as simple or complicated as you like. For safety, it’s best not to serve anything that would be considered harmful to dogs, such as chocolate. You can use new, clean dog bowls for a cute display, but be sure to label each item and put the dog treats on a separate table from the human food so that no one gets confused.

Since 2005 the Puppy Bowl has delighted millions with the antics of its adorable athletes while raising awareness for animal shelters and adoption efforts nationwide. So whether you decide to host your own Super Bowl bash or bring your pups to spend the day with us while you party with your people, we hope you have a ball on Super Bowl weekend!