Homemade Dog Popsicles: Summer Fun for Your Furry Friend

DIY Frozen Dog Treats

There is no better time to start using pet enrichment to help keep your pup cool and comfortable than during the heat of the summer. Though pools and water games and toys are great, making frozen treats for dogs is one of the easiest ways to make sure they are hydrated and entertained! Keep these homemade dog popsicles in the freezer for extra hot days, special occasions, or just for fun!

How to Make Frozen Treats for Dogs

I love making my own DIY frozen dog treats because it is so unbelievably easy and versatile. I’ve broken down the process into 6 easy and basic steps that anyone can do and that leaves plenty of room to put your own unique and loving touch into it.

From changing the shape and size to mixing up the flavors and adding surprise toys or treats inside, there is no end to the creative options you will have to make a dog popsicle that your pup will love.

If you love spoiling your dog with special treats like doggie ice cream, or dog sushi, check out our guide to food enrichment for dogs.

Step 1: Decide the Goal of Your Homemade Dog Popsicles

Before you get started creating your icy masterpieces, you will want to decide what type and size of frozen dog treats you want to make. Once you figure out what the goal of your dog popsicles will be, it will be easier to select the ingredients and containers you will need to create them.

Now, I know it may seem weird to set a goal for a treat, so here’s a couple of questions to help you out:

• Did you want this frozen dog treat to keep your pup occupied for a while?
• Are you using these dog popsicles to help keep your dog cool and hydrated?
• Are you making these cold ice treats for a special occasion?

After you decide your primary goals for your frozen food enrichment, it’s time to make a list of everything you will need to make the treats. You’ll need to decide what containers or forms to use, the main ‘flavor base’ of your popsicle, as well as any special additions you may want to add. This could be toys, treats, layers, or even colors.

Step 2: Choosing Containers for Your Frozen Dog Treats

One of the most important steps in making frozen treats for your pup is picking the right container. The first thing you’ll need to do before you get started is to find out how much freezer space you have available. You can’t make frozen treats if you can’t freeze them!

As long as you have enough freezer space, you can move on to selecting the best container or mold to make your dog’s popsicles. Use any food-safe container to make your ice treats in. This could be ice cube trays and molds, Tupperware, kongs, or even leftover yogurt and ice cream containers.

Whatever container you end up using, just make sure the top of it is either the same size or bigger than the bottom. This is crucial so you will be able to remove the ice treat once you are ready to use it.

The size and even shape of the containers you choose will also depend on what you’ve decided your main goals for this food enrichment will be. If the ice treats are for a special occasion, have fun and pick a mold shape that matches the theme.

As zookeepers, we would make popsicle cakes for animals on their birthdays and holidays. When we make them for our pups now, we use large old yogurt or ice cream containers to make sure that they are big enough to put larger treats and toys in them.

Larger-sized containers and molds typically work better if you want to hide ‘surprises’ inside your pup’s popsicle. They also will keep your dog occupied for longer than a smaller ice treat would.

When picking your containers, you should also take into consideration the size and personality of your dog. Frozen treats can potentially be choking hazards so you will want to make sure you select the proper size for your pup.

Step 3: Pick the Main Flavor Base for Your DIY Frozen Dog Treats

The main flavor base is what most of your dog’s ice treat will be made of. You can use plain water, fruit puree, watered-down broth, or coconut oil for extra flavor. Just make sure that any broth you choose is either low-sodium or sodium-free as too much salt isn’t good for dogs. High amounts of sodium could cause vomiting, nausea, or diarrhea. It can also worsen their conditions if they have any type of liver, kidney, or heart disease.  

Feel free to get creative with your flavor base! Not only can you mix them together and play with the ratios, but you can also layer them throughout your ice treats. Alternate the layers with different flavored broths or switch back and forth between fruit puree.

The trick to layering different flavors is to make sure the layers are completely frozen before adding the next one. This is especially important if you are adding food coloring to each layer to make it more festive or want to space out any special treats throughout the ice treat. Switching up the flavors throughout your dog’s popsicle can help keep them engaged with it for longer.

You can also create an ice treat that is more similar to doggy ice cream by using yogurt as the main flavor base or even filling a bone or Kong-type toy with yogurt filling and freezing it.  

Step 4: Select Any Special Toys or Treats for Your Dog’s Frozen Ice Treats

It’s time to decide if you want to put anything extra inside your dog’s popsicle! This step is optional since even just a simple ‘plain’ ice treat is enriching and will do the trick. If you do decide that you want to put a few surprises in their popsicles you can use a variety of toys, treats, and chews.

Anything that you choose should be able to be safely frozen and thawed. This is important because the freezing process could affect the durability and texture of certain toys and chews. It will also change the texture of any food you use.

You can select simple items to use like balls or get toys that are specifically designed to be frozen. As for food, there’s no end to what you can use in frozen dog treats. Pull out their favorite biscuit or experiment with dog-safe fruits and vegetables. We recently bought a juicer and have discovered that the leftover ‘guts’ work great in our dogs’ frozen treats! You could even use small amounts of things like bacon bits, peanut butter, or canned pumpkin.

No matter what type of food you pick, you will want to double-check that it’s ok to feed your pup. Check the ingredients for hidden dangers like xylitol (found in many sugar-free items) and that they aren’t too high in things like sodium and salt.

One thing to keep in mind when you are adding treats and toys to your homemade dog popsicles is that a lot of these items might float. This means that if you want them frozen throughout the treat or completely submerged, you will have to freeze them in layers. This will give you greater control over the placement of the extra surprises you use.

Step 5: Creating Your Homemade Dog Popsicles

Now that you’ve picked out your containers, flavor bases, and any special treats or toys to create the perfect frozen dog treat to meet your goals, it’s finally time to make it. This step may be super quick if you’ve decided to make a simple one-layer ice treat, or it may take several days if you are freezing a larger dog popsicle with multiple layers.

No matter what you end up choosing, I recommend making multiple kinds of frozen dog treats at once. This will not only help save you time, but it will also cut down on waste. We typically end our frozen treat sessions by finishing up with a few ‘trash’ dog popsicles. These are ice treats that are made from the leftovers we have so nothing goes to waste.

Making multiple types of frozen dog treats will also allow you to have more options to choose from so your dog doesn’t get bored getting the same one every time. There is also a chance that they may not like a particular flavor or texture so having a variety ready to go will help you learn what your dog does and doesn’t like in their popsicles.

Step 6: Freeze and Store Your Frozen Dog Treats

The last step in creating homemade dog popsicles is the final freeze and storing them safely until you are ready to hand them out. You can tell when your dog popsicles are fully frozen when there are no more moving bubbles inside. This won’t be as important to watch for during the layering process, but it is crucial when you take out the popsicles to store or use.

If you try to take the frozen dog treats out before they are fully frozen it can make quite a mess spilling ice-cold liquid all over you and the floor. And yes, I’ve done this several times and it’s NEVER fun.

Since it’s easiest to make a lot of dog ice treats at once, you will want to make sure you store them properly. Make sure you store them in bags or containers that won’t let the air in causing freezer burn. This is why I love using old yogurt and sour cream containers- they all come with lids!

Frozen Dog Treat Safety

I love creating homemade popsicles for my dogs, but like most things, there are several things to be aware of so they can enjoy these treats safely. Most of these items are mentioned in the sections above, but to make it easier- here’s a quick list of things to keep in mind:

• Double-check that all foods and ingredients are safe for dogs.
• Take into consideration the calorie count of the treats for your pup especially if you are concerned with their weight. You may need to adjust their normal diet on the days they get homemade popsicles.
• Make sure all toys, chews, and treats will be safe during and after the freezing process.
• Monitor your dog with the ice treats. As they consume the treat, watch for choking hazards and sharp edges. If you see something that makes you concerned, take the popsicle away from them until you have fixed the problem.
• Make sure they aren’t biting the treat excessively. This could lead to cracked or broken teeth. If this becomes an issue, you should re-think the size or shape of the dog popsicles or you can give them to your pup after they have thawed out and softened a bit.

As you and your pup experiment with all the different types of frozen dog treats, take note of how much (or little) they liked the different popsicles. Don’t be discouraged if they don’t like something. There are tons of things to try until you find out what they prefer.

Get Started Making Your Own Frozen Dog Treats!

Fill your freezer with bark-a-licious homemade dog popsicles and say goodbye to hot, bored, and grumpy pups this summer! Making your own dog treats is a great way to save money and still spoil your furry friends. The best part is that you can easily customize your pup’s frozen treats with all their favorites and really get their tail wagging on holidays or special occasions. Dog popsicles are my go-to food enrichment when my dogs are playing outside on nice, sunny days- will they be yours too?

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