Words by Sassafras Lowrey, CTDI
🐾🐾🐾🐾ADVANCED DIFFICULTY
Words by Sassafras Lowrey, CTDI
Our little furry pals soak up the sun as much as we do, but sadly they heat up fast. Why not cool them off with some dead-simple DIY frozen bites? Your pup will adore you a million times over once he gets his paws on these tasty little numbers. Whip 'em up in minutes. It doesn't get any easier!
Frozen snacks are perfect for keeping dogs cool in summer, and they can soothe teething pain in puppies.
Blitz all the ingredients into a purée in a food processor. Pour into 4 oz/115 g plastic cups. Freeze till firm. Pop the treat out of the cup and watch your dog dig in!
Dogs adore the crunch of ice cubes, and here the payoff is healthy and yummy. Spot-on for a scorching summer day.
Blend the fruit juice with the mashed banana and stir in the yogurt. Pour into ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen, pop out and serve one at a time (the pops keep up to 1 month in the freezer).
Why They're Great: A fun, healthy treat, great for hot days and teething pups. Also freezable inside stuffable chew toys (seal the tip with a dab of peanut butter first).
Mash the tuna in your bowl or whizz in a blender/food processor. Don't drain the tuna water—it helps the freeze. Add roughly half a cup of water. Blend or mash till smooth and pourable.
Fill a Ziploc bag with the mix and snip a small hole in one corner (saves you a giant mess while filling the trays!). Fill your trays and freeze a couple hours. Let the dogs lick the bowl. Once nicely frozen, pop 'em out and let your pups have a taste!
I'd serve these on a tile floor or a plate—pretty sure you don't want tuna crumbs all over the house. Stash them in a plastic bag in your freezer up to six months, so make a batch and you'll have some ready for hot days!
Rinse the cantaloupe under cold running water. Halve it, then scoop out and toss all the seeds with a big spoon. Place the halves flat-side down on a board and slice thin, peeling off all skin. Add melon and coconut milk to the blender and purée till smooth. Pour into ice cube trays and freeze at least 4 hours or till solid. Once frozen, pop out and keep in labeled Ziploc bags in the freezer.
Why They're Great: Loaded with Vitamin A and beta carotene, the antioxidants in cantaloupe help fend off cell damage in dogs and fight early aging and inflammation. For extra flavour, fold in some diced strawberries. (Handy tip—make two batches, sweetening one with agave or honey before freezing in a popsicle mold for your own treat while you're at it! Sweet one for you, unsweetened for your dog!)
Illustration by Michelle Simpson / Bigstock
Used properly and only now and then, crates keep dogs safe while healing from injury or surgery, and with young puppies. They also help at mealtimes in multi-dog homes, heading off resource guarding. The goal of crate training is always to build positive associations—keep sessions short and pair crate time with treat-stuffed toys. Even if you don’t crate at home, crating is a skill every dog should have. Helen notes the Canadian Association of Professional Dog Trainers says it’s “in the dog’s best interest to be taught how to handle being crated.” Crate training is simply part of modern life—dogs may be crated at a show, vet, groomer, or boarding kennel. Zazie adds that even if you don’t crate regularly, in a wildfire, quake, or hurricane, evacuated dogs may need a crate at a shelter. You don’t want that to be his first crate experience. “Better to make the first one a positive lesson taught at home,” Helen agrees. Even in Sweden, where crates are rare, Eva says all dogs should have the skill. “Since the dog will likely need crating sometime—car rides, competitions, vet rehab—I suggest preparatory training so he’s comfortable entering and staying in a crate or small space,” she says.
Stir together equal parts cottage cheese, a splash of water, and—if you're going savoury, some peanut butter or leftover chicken, beef or fish. In a sweet mood? Blend in blueberries, strawberries or watermelon.
Alternatives exist, they just take more effort. “Before the crate laws, I’d sometimes recommend a crate as a temporary aid—if owners wanted to confine the dog but keep him close (at meals, or in the bedroom), if gates failed because he climbed or jumped, and if people risked getting irritated or angry at him,” says Eva. Now I have to lean harder on antecedent arrangements—setting dogs and guardians up for success: enrichment toys, reinforcing settle behaviours, teaching comfort behind a closed door.
Blend some canned, unsweetened pumpkin with plain, low-fat yogurt and a bit of water, then freeze for a cool, low-cal dog treat.
Decades ago, coercion or pain in training was common. Now almost every trainer knows kinder, better ways for dogs to learn. For those of us living more intentionally and compassionately with our dogs, our understanding should keep evolving—including how we use crates. “All in all, there’s so much we can and should do for our dogs to keep them and us safe and comfortable, with or without crates. Hopefully that can be our main focus,” says Eva.
Hold one treat at your dog's nose level and let the smell do the talking.
Say the cue once, clearly, in a happy voice - then wait.
The instant the wanted behavior happens, mark it with a cheerful Yes!
Reward within one second so the win is impossible to miss.
Add one small distraction at a time, and reward the brave choices.
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