You may have noticed that holiday drinks are back on the menu across Kansas City. From festive pop-up bars at Boulevard Brewing and Kingdoms Greetings at GEHA Field to drink menus that include Peppermint Mochas at Starbucks, Holiday Punch at 7 Brew, and Holiday Cookie Freeze at Dutch Bros. But unfortunately, many of these drinks are not dog-friendly. So, how do we include our dog in the holiday cheer? In this blog, we have created some holiday-themed dog-friendly drinks to find an ideal recipe that your dog loves. From our experience, we have not seen a dog that isn’t excited about the combo of pumpkin puree and peanut butter. We have kept this recipe simple because you don’t want to upset a dog’s stomach with holiday spices.
Pumpkin and Peanut Butter Brew
Most dogs love peanut butter and pumpkin puree, so you can remove one of these flavors to suit your dog’s preferred tastes.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of milk
- 2-3 tablespoons of pumpkin puree and/or peanut butter
- Whipped cream for the topping
Instructions:
- Blend the milk, pumpkin puree, and peanut butter until it is smooth
- Pour the mixture into a dog bowl
- Top it off with some whipped cream and show off your barista skills
Milkshake version
You can turn this brew into a peanut butter milkshake by removing the pumpkin puree and replacing the milk with Ben and Jerry’s Pontch’s mix, Pooch Creamery Vanilla Ice Cream, or another dog-friendly ice cream.
Frozen Kong version
Instead of freezing the mixture into an ice mold, pour it into a Kong or dog bone with some kibble.
Place the Kong into the freezer and wait 3-4 hours until it is frozen. Because it will take a while for a dog to get the frozen treat out of the Kong, it’s a great enrichment activity to keep them stimulated. It’s a particularly useful way to relieve boredom for your puppy if they need to be in the dog crate for a while.
Ice block version
Instead of serving as a drink, pour the mixture into some cute holiday-themed ice molds. You can freeze for 3-4 hours, then serve. This can also be an enrichment activity as your puppy can have fun chewing and chasing the ice blocks.
We’re here to help
Do you have any questions on obedience, manners, or behavioral modification training? Such as teaching your puppy not to jump on guests when they visit, or to help your puppy be comfortable greeting strangers when out exploring Kansas City? You can schedule a free consultation with our Pet Behavior Team to receive some personalized guidance.
