Dog Freezer Toys: Keep Your Pup Cool and Entertained This Summer!
My Adventure into Dog Freezer Toys
Alright, let me tell you what I got up to the other day. The weather started heating up, you know? And my dog, bless his furry heart, was just panting away, looking bored stiff. I remembered reading somewhere about freezer toys, thought it sounded like a decent way to cool him down and give him something to do besides staring at me.
So, I decided to give it a whirl. Didn't want to buy anything fancy, just used what I had lying around. First things first, I dug out his old Kong toy – you know, the rubbery thing you stuff treats in? Perfect. I also found some old silicone ice cube trays shaped like hearts, figured why not make some smaller frozen bites too.
Gathering the Goodies
Next up, the fillings. I rummaged through the fridge and pantry. Found some plain, unsweetened yogurt – gotta be careful with the sugary stuff. Had a banana that was looking a bit sad, perfect for mashing up. Also grabbed a jar of peanut butter, the natural kind, make sure it doesn't have xylitol, that's super important, really bad for dogs. And I had some low-sodium chicken broth leftover from dinner. Oh, and a handful of his regular small training treats.
- Plain yogurt
- One ripe banana
- Natural peanut butter (xylitol-free!)
- Low-sodium chicken broth
- A few small dog treats
Making the Mix (and the Mess)
Okay, this part was kinda fun, felt like making mud pies as a kid. I mashed the banana in a bowl until it was mushy. Then I plopped in a big dollop of yogurt and a spoonful of peanut butter. Mixed it all together. Looked a bit gross, honestly, but I figured the dog wouldn't mind.
For the Kong, I wanted layers. So, I put a blob of the yogurt-banana-peanut butter mix in the bottom. Then I dropped in a couple of his little treats. Added more mix. Then, to make it interesting, I poured a tiny bit of the chicken broth in. I plugged the small hole at the bottom of the Kong with a bigger chunk of peanut butter first, hoping it wouldn't leak everywhere in the freezer. Fingers crossed.
For the heart-shaped ice cube trays, I just spooned the main mixture into some of them. In others, I just poured in some chicken broth straight up, maybe dropped a single treat into the middle. Variety, right?
The Freezing Wait
Then came the slightly tricky part – getting them into the freezer without spilling. I put the Kong upright in an old mug to keep it steady. The ice cube tray was easier, just slid it onto a flat shelf. And then, the waiting game began. I left them in there overnight, just to be sure they were frozen solid.
The Big Reveal and Doggo Verdict
The next afternoon, when it was peak heat, I pulled out the Kong. It worked! The peanut butter plug held, mostly. Gave it to Max. Oh boy. His eyes lit up. He took it straight to his favourite spot on the cool tiles and went to town.
He spent a good 30 minutes licking and chewing, trying to get all the frozen goodness out. It definitely cooled him down, less panting for sure. And it kept him super occupied. Success! Later, I popped out one of the little broth hearts. He crunched it down in about 10 seconds flat, but seemed to enjoy the cool treat.
Honestly, it was so easy and cheap. Way better than buying expensive chew things that he ignores after five minutes. I just used leftovers mostly. Definitely going to keep doing this, especially during the summer. Might try mixing in some pumpkin puree or maybe some blended berries next time. It’s a simple thing, but seeing him happy and occupied? Totally worth the little bit of effort and mess.
