Something Else Saturday - Cheap Canine Thrills

It's summer, which means everybody's a little more active including Ginger and Gideon, our family's golden retriever and chocolate lab, respectively. These "pets" are as much of our family as the humans in some ways. That's why when the temperatures reached record highs and sent the heat index soaring to 100+ we knew we had to find a way to keep them entertained without subjecting them to the possibility of heat exhaustion.

Entertaining big dogs in a small house can be catastrophic - not to the humans or dogs, but to the stuff in your house. My ottoman has no fabric covering. Stuffing is poking out the sides of our family's favorite overstuffed chair. There are gnaw marks on the leg of at least one piece of wooden furniture. And that's just from everyday use! Clearly entertaining the dogs with something new would have to not only be creative enough to hold their attention but also something that wouldn't cause them to be more active than usual.

After some careful internet research, and taking into account the activities our dogs currently enjoy, we came up with some creative solutions for both snack and playtime. Here are some things the dogs really enjoyed:

HOMEMADE TUG-O-JUG ROPE BOTTLE

These range anywhere from $8 - $14 in retail pet stores. We'd recently bought a case of water that came in 1 liter plastic bottles. Upon finishing one I noticed that the dogs, who'd untied all but one of their knotted fleece rope toys, seemed to enjoy the sound when the empty bottle fell onto the hardwood floor.

Before I go any further with this, I'd like to suggest a short note of caution. Don't leave dogs unattended with homemade toys, or really any toys. Dogs are not much different than young children and a lot of the same common sense rules apply. Besides, no toy is truly dog-proof and it's better to assume that all toys present a potential choking hazard than to take the risk.

Cutting a small hole in the bottom of the jar, we pulled the fleece through the opening and made a slightly bigger knot on either side near the end of the rope. The knots allowed the bottle to move slightly while creating a new sensory element during tug-of-war. Now if one dog dropped the toy on the floor, it made a hollow, clanking sound that they seemed to love. They've been playing with this thing nonstop for days and it didn't cost us anything!

HOMEMADE FROSTY CANINE SNACKS

Mmm, mmm! Who doesn't like a frozen treat on a hot day? Your dog even loves them, so much that Frosty Paws frozen canine treats have been available for at least 15 years, if not longer. We make our own and the dogs really enjoy it.

After a summer evening walk or just on days when it's miserably hot outside and the dogs are bored from sitting around in the house, our version of the frozen canine snacks are healthier and also safe for human consumption. (Although honesty, I prefer my Ben & Jerry's!) It also saves on our dog food / treat budget, which was getting more than a little out of hand.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

• Water
• Small, empty plastic container or an ice cube tray
• Dog-safe foods, like the ones listed here:- White rice, cooked- Broccoli (If you only like the florets, this is the perfect for using up the stems.)- Carrots- Chicken, cooked - NO BONES!- Bananas- Peanut butter- Salmon- Green beans- Apples- Oatmeal (Plain, unflavored)

Directions:

1. Fill 1/3 of the container with any combination of the above ingredients, or any others your vet has deemed safe for your dog's diet. Don't worry if the thought of oatmeal, broccoli, chicken, and bananas served together turns your stomach. Your dog will think it's delicious!
2. Cover the container with water and fill until container is 2/3 filled with the combination of water and ingredients. Don't fill it to full because ice expands as it freezes and would then overflow your container and make a huge mess. You can substitute plain water for a mixture of 1/2 broth and 1/2 water, but we usually just use plain water for Ginger and Gideon.
3. Put the container in the freezer and let it freeze for several hours. It's better if you make these up the day before and let them freeze overnight. Any plastic container will work. We like the cream cheese ones because they're a nice complement to the size of each dog's food and water dish.
4. Once they're frozen, give them to your dog!

Here's another tip. During the week we put extra foods that are dog-safe in a gallon-sized freezer bag. None of the food should have seasonings, so this shouldn't include table scraps. Getting into the habit makes it that much easier to make entire batches of treats up ahead of time. If you make treats regularly using an ice cube tray, you can keep the finished ones in a different freezer bag which means you'll always have extras on hand.

BLOW BUBBLES FOR YOUR DOG

My kids are teenagers and blowing bubbles has become a lost art for them. Fortunately the dogs appreciate my efforts, and when the teenagers see how amusing it is they're often lured back into the fun. Blowing bubbles is inexpensive. Use bubbles labeled non-toxic just in case your dog should lap up the lather of a spilled bottle. We do this quite frequently with our dogs, both outside when the weather cooperates, and in the living room on sweltering days.

If you're blowing bubbles inside your house, save your breath by employing use of a personal fan to keep a steady stream of suds floating through the air. The best part about blowing bubbles inside the home comes after we're finished. Taking a damp mop over the floor at the end of playtime not only wipes up the residual solution from the popped bubbles but also picks up other dirt and grime as well.

If you like this post and want to read more like it, become a follower! And if you have any comments or tips of your own to share I'd sure love to hear them. Thanks for stopping by, and check back in a few days for a Tastefully Tuesday recipe that's guaranteed not to require the use of a fire extinguisher.