Hot days equals hot dogs. Now that we have a pool, we are spending a lot more time in the yard, and although we have lots of shade and multiple water bowls for Basil, we want her to have an opportunity to indulge in something cool to take the edge off the heat.

I have made dog popsicles in the past, but they weren’t great. They were a bit of broth with some sort of hard dental stick or other treat that didn’t disintegrate in the broth while freezing. I also tried some with blueberries and carrots, but they were really just a fancy ice-cube.

So I did some reading to see what others do and came up with a few combinations that Basil enjoys.

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 cup watermelon – cubed small

Directions

1. Mix the water and yogurt together
2. In the popsicle tray (I use 1 cup silicone trays), pour half a cup of the yogurt & water mixture into each of the 4 spaces
3. Add blueberries to each pupsicle
4. Add watermelon cubes to each pupsicle
5. Freeze until solid
6. Pop out of silicone tray and either put it in a bowl for your pup or take it outside for them to enjoy in the grass

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 cup water
• 4 bananas
• 1 cup peanut butter

Directions

1. Mix the water and yogurt together
2. In a separate bowl mash the bananas
3. Add the peanut butter to the mashed bananas until mixed
4. In the popsicle tray (I use 1 cup silicone trays), pour half a cup of the yogurt & water mixture into each of the 4 spaces
5. Add even amounts of the peanut butter and banana mixture to each of the 4 squares
6. Stir slightly to get the peanut butter & banana mixture to settle into the yogurt water
7. Freeze until solid
8. Pop out of silicone tray and either put it in a bowl for your pup or take it outside for them to enjoy in the grass

Photos

Chit Chat Bit

Basil has been hanging out with us by the pool and although she has nice fresh, cool water and lots of shade, it didn’t seem right that we had some cool snacks and the opportunity to cool off while she just hung out with us.

So to make her summer a little more special, and not allow her to pack on too many pounds, I wanted to find a better alternative to the pupsicles I had made in the past so that she could have a nice chill treat in the shade by the pool.

The two favourites so far are the blueberry watermelon and the peanut butter banana. Both have the same base of plain yogurt with water.

I have noticed that the blueberry watermelon one lasted longer, partly because she licked until she could pop one of the pieces of fruit out. The peanut butter banana one she picked up and proceeded to bite to get little chunks off, so it didn’t last quite as long.

When I make the peanut butter banana one again, I will leave the banana in chunks rather than mashing it with the peanut butter. Likewise, I may pre-freeze little peanut butter balls so that it is similar in structure to the blueberry watermelon one.

Basil also loves carrots, so I may make one that is broth based again, with some carrots and peas. Doesn’t seem quite right to have a savory pupsicle, but I am sure she would enjoy it.