Our hounds enjoy ice cream when the weather gets hot! Our ice cream started to melt as soon as we got outside to enjoy it but the dogs finished their bowls in about 2-minutes.

These snacks didn't cause any upset to the dog's stomachs and we now have a summer solstice tradition. They were clearly happy to have an afternoon snack! Always pick a recipe or treat you know your dog will not have any issues with, so we're trying out this recipe using pumpkin and bananas.

This recipe was created by HGTV.

DIY Doggie Ice Cream for Hot Summer Days

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Happy National Spoil Your Dog Day! 🐶 Here are a few ways that you can spoil them in ways that you normally wouldn't: 1️⃣ Bake your dog yummy treats Homemade goodies are always the best, especially when they are yummy treats! Spend some time baking these and your dog will definitely appreciate this one. Just make sure that you check if your dog has any dietary requirements and always use only dog-safe ingredients! 2️⃣ Give your dog a massage Not a wizard in the kitchen? Not a problem - dogs will appreciate any effort you put into them. Including giving a massage, whether it be a full doggy day spa or a simple massage. Be gentle with them and they will be very grateful for it. 3️⃣ Give your dog a new comfy bed Nothing says "I love you" than ensuring that your dog is as comfortable as they can be. Calming Pet Beds are super popular for this reason. They not only provide a comfortable place for your dogs to sleep, they also help reduce anxiety (which is more common than you think!) 4️⃣ Take your dog out for a walk Nothing beats a good walk. The biggest benefit of walks is it provides exercise and releases the pent up energy from being kept at home. Most dogs would have collars and that's perfectly fine. For those of us who struggle to control high energy dogs, harnesses are the way to go. They give walkers better control of dogs and prevents dogs from choking while pulling on their leash. 5️⃣ Give your dog a belly rub Sometimes the simplest things in life are the best. We haven't seen a dog that doesn't appreciate a belly rub. In fact, dogs who are more submissive than others will roll on their back so you can rub their belly. How are you planning to spoil your pup today? . . . . . #spoilyourdog #dogicecream #dogseating #dogeating #dogtreatsfordays #tongueouteveryday #blackpugsrule #blackpuggle #blackpugstagram #blackpugpuppy #blackpugoftheday #blackpugsmatter #dogdayafternoon #dogdaysofinstagram #dogdaysareover #dogdaysofwinter #dogdayz #dogdaysofquarantine #smallbusinessau #smallbizau #supportingsmallbusiness #dogthings #buysmallbusiness #canberrasmallbusiness #dogtongue #dogtreat #blackpugs #blackpugsofinstagram #yorkshireterrierpuppy #thehappycerberus

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Here is how you make 'DIY Doggie Ice Cream'.

Ingredients:

• 32 oz. plain kefir or any plain lactose-free yogurt (dairy in traditional yogurts can cause upset tummies in our furry BFFs)
• 2 ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree (alt: cooked sweet potatoes or natural peanut butter, or 2 Tbsp of honey)
• 9" x 9" baking dish
• freezer paper

Directions:

• Mix the yogurt, one banana, and the pumpkin puree together in a large bowl. You can mix by hand or in a blender, but don't worry about getting the banana perfectly smooth. Dogs won't care, we promise.
• Line baking dish with freezer paper, and organize slices from the other banana along the bottom.
• Pour the blended kefir/pumpkin/banana into the muffin tin atop the banana slices. Fill it on up, and note, if any of the mixture is left over, store it in the fridge until you're ready to freeze it.
• Freeze the tray until the treat is solid. Once it hardens, lift the block of ice cream out of the tray by pulling the edges of the freezer paper, flip it upside down, and the paper will peel off of the food effortlessly. Use a sharp knife to chop the block into squares.

TIP: There are a lot of benefits to using pumpkin!

While it sounds paradoxical, adding pumpkin to the diet can both clean up excessive digestive issues as well as help move food along. Pumpkin has just the right amounts of fiber and water to defeat GI upset. It also is loaded with nutritional benefits!

Changing Up Your Dog's Treats

There are plenty of store-bought treats available, and your dog may already love Greenies, Purina, Milk-Bone, Blue Buffalo, Merrick, Pill Pockets, or anyone of the many other commercially available treats. When you make your own dog treats, though, you have the chance to customize the treats with fun shapes to suit your needs.

We also use an ice cube tray to freeze fruit like blueberries for the dogs as a summer snack. You can freeze canned pumpkin, too!

Homemade dog ice cream is one of our fave recipes to make during the summer for our two best friends. Always check and make sure the ingredients don't include artificial sweeteners like Xylitol as that's often found in human foods and even in some yogurts.

Try to make sure all the ingredients you use in dog ice cream recipes are low-fat like plain yogurt or Greek yogurt vs. vanilla-flavored yogurt. Try to also pick a few easy recipes so you're not in the kitchen when the weather is super nice out. Check the prep time and total time before you begin. You also don't 'need' a food processor for most dog treat recipes. Frozen treats are by far the easiest to make.

We also love banana ice cream, peanut butter dog ice cream, popsicles, and watermelon for the hounds.

Have you tried any of these DIY pet treat ideas? Let us know in the comments.

Source: https://www.hgtv.com/lifestyle/entertaining/diy-dog-ice-cream/

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