Dear Frankie,

My birthday is in October. I’m going to be five and want to do something special to celebrate the big day. My parents said I could invite 10 friends and suggested I write to you for ideas for a special canine celebration.

Sincerely,

Cody

Dear Cody,

If you invite a mixed crowd, how about going to a haunted house and then to a place like Chuck E. Cheese for lunch? You could also go to a cornfield maze and later have a picnic. Then, there is always the trip to a pumpkin patch, followed by pumpkin carving, cake, and ice cream.

If your friends are up for it, you could go to one of those paintball places where you could divide your guests into two teams and then play a round of paintball. A friend of mine went to a boys-only birthday party in a field by a river. He said, “When the dogs arrived, they were told they could dig as many holes as they wanted. When their holes filled up with water, they could also roll in the mud and splash one another. The party ended with a swim in the river, followed by dried chicken strips and ice water.” He said he couldn’t remember going to a better party.

Best,

Frankie