As a mother of the cutest little fur baby in the whole wide world, I have decided to spend this V-Day spoiling my dog mercilessly. Half the fun in the holiday is getting to pamper someone else, so does it really matter whether it’s a boyfriend or a dog? I don’t think so! Below are some fun ways to spoil your pup, and the best part is that some of them are human friendly as well!
Pupcakes
Human food is definitely my dog’s favorite, but I hate giving him anything that might not be too great for the little guy. So, here is an easy recipe for pancakes that are puppy friendly and still taste delicious for humans too!
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4 eggs
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¼ cup milk (I used almond milk!)
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3 tablespoons coconut oil (melted and slightly cooled)
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¼ cup coconut flour
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¼ teaspoon baking powder
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¼ teaspoon sea salt
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1 tablespoon honey
Combine ingredients and mix well until no longer lumpy. I prefer my mix nice and runny, since then the pupcakes are not quite so dense, but add more flour or milk until you reach your desired consistency! This mix works great for pancakes, but also is perfect to put in a waffle iron. Top with honey, bananas, or any of your pup’s favorite fruits or treats. I serve these to my dog with some scrambled eggs (make sure not to add any garlic powder or other strong seasonings; keep it nice and simple!)
Ice Cream
Dogs deserve a nice bowl of ice cream occasionally too, right? This recipe is so simple, and there are only 3 ingredients!
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1 quart plain greek yogurt (aka 4 cups)
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2 bananas (the softer the better!)
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½ cup peanut butter
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2 tablespoons liquid coconut oil (optional)
Combine ingredients in a medium tupperware container, and blend using a hand mixer. Put a lid on, and throw that bad boy into the freezer. It takes a couple hours to fully harden, but then you can just scoop it like normal ice cream and eat away! An alternative option is to pour the room temperature mixture into individual Dixie cups and then freeze, making easy servings that are perfect for your dog. This is a fun time to get a little creative, and maybe top the cups off with a slice of banana, a Milkbone, or any other sort of treat that your fur baby might enjoy.
Easy Water Bottle Dog Toy
This takes maybe five minutes to make, and your dog will absolutely love it!
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Old sock (the longer the sock is, the easier it is to make)
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Plastic water bottle
All you have to do is put the water bottle inside of the sock, tie off the end, and voila! You have a cheap and entertaining treat for your pup. If you have a dog that is way too good at chewing through things, you can always double up on the socks. In addition, the water bottle is an easy place to put dog treats inside if you want your dog to be even more enticed by the toy!
Heart Shaped Mint Treats
This is one of the only recipes here that is not quite human-friendly (I won’t judge if you do want to eat them, however) but my picky pup absolutely loves these!
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3 Cups whole wheat flour
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½ Cup powdered milk
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1 Cup chicken broth (Preferably low sodium)
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1 Large egg
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1 Teaspoon peppermint oil
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Red food coloring (optional)
Whisk together egg, broth and peppermint, then slowly add the dry ingredients. Knead dough for a few minutes; at this point, you can separate the dough into two sections and add food coloring if desired, then place in refrigerator for about 1 hour. Take 2 small balls of dough and roll them into snake-like shapes, (about 5 inches long) twist the two together, then bend the end to make it look like a cane. With two of the now-made canes, pinch the ends together so that they look like a heart.
Bake for 10-13 minutes at 350 degrees on a greased cookie sheet. Every oven is different, and mine has a tendency to burn the tops of basically everything I cook. To be safe, an egg wash on top of the treats will make it a little harder for them to burn.
Coconut Oil Dots
This is the easiest thing ever to make, and it is a great treat for your dog or something to add to their food on a regular basis! Coconut oil has some amazing health benefits for our dogs, and treating it almost like a regular supplement will help your dog have a shinier coat, better breath and many other great benefits.
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½ Cup coconut oil
All you need to do for this is place the coconut oil into a sandwich bag, and warm it up slightly with your hands. Place parchment paper over a cookie sheet. After cutting a small hole into the corner of the bag, squeeze the oil out into little drops about the size of a penny onto the cookie sheet. Place the sheet into the fridge or freezer for 10 minutes or so, then pop the dots off and store them in a mason jar or tupperware. Because coconut oil has such a low melting point, it is important that you store these in either the freezer or the fridge.
Homemade Kong
Kongs are some of the best toys, since they entertain for such a lengthy amount of time. Not everyone has them, however, so this is an easy way to make your own make-shift cong!
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1 Large apple
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Filling of your choice
All you have to do for this recipe is wash and core the apple. So simple! Make sure that all seeds are removed, and all you have to do is fill the core of the apple with whatever you have on hand. Some great ideas are Easy Cheese, applesauce (make sure there is no added sugar), peanut butter and banana concoction, mashed potatoes, greek yogurt or even pumpkin puree. Place the apple in the freezer, and do not serve to your dog until it is frozen solid. This is not absolutely required, but it is the only way it will entertain your dog for a long period of time.