Ice Cream Dog Treats — Life & Kitchen

It seems to be summer! Or at least that's why my un-air conditioned built-in-1880 house is telling me. I'm melting. There are only a couple of days each year that really make me wish we had AC, but just as hard are those first days of summer when your body still thinks that it should be 20 degrees outside and snowing. The sudden emergence of sun and heat is a lot to handle!

Black-coated Buster gets especially hot. Which is why he completely deserves the kiddie pool and ice cream treats that Jake and I spoil him with. Had he been a yellow lab he probably would be getting no love from us at all. Right. But we'll use the black coat excuse for now. It also helps that our back yard, which he would live the rest of his life in if would let him, has a big tree to block the afternoon light. And there is a mysterious rodent living under the deck to keep him constantly entertained. It seems to be Buster's mission to get to whatever is under there, but I'm fairly certain that if he ever did find it he would be too shocked and frightened to actually kill the thing. Which is nice for the animal lovers in all of us.

There isn't really a "recipe" for dog ice cream, or for any dog treats for that matter, because dogs will eat pretty much anything without complaint. As long as you put foods in there that won't hurt them they seem to enjoy whatever is thrown their way. It's the temperature factor that makes this treat a summer hit. Most dogs will eat ice cubes and be perfectly happy, but Buster isn't most dogs and ice cubes are scary. Very very scary. They make a loud clinking noise when they hit the ground, and no one really knows what kind of evil things they are capable of. Creamy yogurt and peanut butter? Less scary and more delicious.

"Don't mind if I do..."

Is it possible to get drunk off of ice cream treats? Evidently, it is!

He is licking the deck just in case there are any morsels that he missed. Watch out for splinters, buddy!

"Can I pleeeease have more? I promise I won't jump up on your white sheets with muddy paws for at least 3 days! Or until the next rain storm. Whichever comes first."

Ice Cream Dogs Treats (but remember that this is flexible):

1 individual container of plain yogurt 2-3 Tbsp peanut butter 3/4 cup uncooked oatmeal 2-3 tsp of honey

Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Transfer to any ice cube tray. I use the silicone ones that are easy to pop out and that have a flat top so that I can dump the whole mixture on top and then push the mixture around into the separate compartments. But really any tray will do. Freeze the tray. Feed to Fido (but not all at once, obviously)!