How to cool down your pooch in hot weather

Imagine wearing a fur coat all year long. Especially in extreme heat....Phew! That's enough to make anyone cranky. Here are some cooling tips for your fur babies:

1. Take a bowl and fill it with water. Then add treats such as dog biscuits, strawberries, blueberries, melon, etc. You could even add a small toy depending on how big the bowl is. Then take the bowl and put it in the freezer and freeze overnight. Next day take the bowl out and it is hours of fun for your pup!

   1. Make Pupsicles. How fun of an idea is this?! There are so many kinds out there but one of my dog's favorite is the Blueberry Banana Popsicles. Here is the recipe:

      Blueberry Banana Popsicles

      1. In a blender, combine 1 cup water, ½ cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 ripe banana, and 1 cup frozen blueberries. Blend until smooth.

      2. Pour into 4-5 popsicle molds.

      3. Add 3-5 Soft Puppy Bites to each popsicle.

      4. Freeze overnight until completely frozen.

   Blueberries are very health for dogs. They’re a good source of dietary fiber, manganese, and an excellent source of Vitamin K. They’re also packed with antioxidants, which help fight inflammation.

   
   

   I have attached a couple more recipies for you:

   
   

   Frozen Watermelon Bites

   1. Blend 2 cups of fresh watermelon until completely liquidy.

   2. Pour into a reusable ice cube tray.

   3. Break up Soft Puppy Bites into smaller pieces and add 1-2 pieces to each ice cube.

   4. Freeze overnight until completely frozen.

   5. Remove 1-2 at a time, and serve right away.

   Green Mango Popsicles

   1. In a blender, combine 1 cup water, ½ cup plain Greek yogurt, 2 handfuls of baby spinach, and 1 cup frozen spinach. 

   2. Blend until completely smooth.

   3. Pour into 4-5 popsicle molds.

   4. Add 3-5 Soft Puppy Bites to each popsicle.

   5. Freeze overnight until completely frozen. 

My dogs get fresh fruit and veggies daily. I have 6 dogs in total and there are a couple that are pretty fussy. They do LOVE mini carrots and they get those as a daily treat. They will eat bananas, cucumbers (all but one of the dogs will eat them), strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, peppers, pumpkin, sweet potato, and much more.

I had seen on another site about Fruit Infused Waters for your dog. You can also enjoy this yourself. I have never heard of fruit infused water for dogs before so I thought I would try it. Most of my dogs drank it (especially my Jack Russel.....but he eats anything and everything. Plus he was introduced to fruits and veggies at an early age. Some still prefer to drink from the toilet instead of having nice fresh water to drink...... *ugh.

I thought I would share one of the recipies I found:

Blueberry + Strawberry Fruit-Infused Water Recipe

• Fill your pitcher with filtered water

• Add a handful of washed organic blueberries

• Add a handful of washed organic strawberry halves (stems & leaves removed)

• Let set for about an hour in order to let the fruit infuse its goodness into your water.

• When serving to your dog, fill their water bowl with just the infused water. We don’t want them to choke while drinking. If you would like to share a little bit of fruit, make sure to place the fruit in a separate bowl. Just enough to feel refreshed.

• When serving yourself, feel free to get your fruit on!