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I Know What You’re Thinking
“Kol, you’re not really going to ruin a perfectly good Tasty Tuesday post by blogging about vegetables, ARE YOU?!” Well…yeah. I mean, this post is about veggies, but I am telling you – by the end of this post, you’ll be begging your Kitchen Slave to whip up a veggie tray. I’m not ruining Tasty Tuesday, so don’t get your tail in a twist, alright? I’m just asking for a little trust here…You dawgs trust me, right?!
Veggies Make the Best Treats
Half my readers just closed the window, didn’t they? For realz. We prefer a nice veggie stick to any of those doggie cookies that you can find at the pet store. Corn Gluten? Poultry by-product Meal? SALT? OK pups, let’s be honest here, that gunk has no place in my snack. This doesn’t even sound tasty. On the other hand a nice crunchy carrot, a sweet and delicious chunk of red pepper or yummy snap pea is totally delicious and super amazing.
I know. I know. I know.
I have heard what you have all been telling me. ” But Kol, my dog doesn’t *like* vegetables!” Ok, we hear ya! Not all dogs are like me and Fe. Not all dogs look at a vegetable and come at it like a Spider Monkey.
Think of it this way. If your dog is used to getting cookies and other commercial dog treats, they may not be able to tell right off the bat that vegetables are totally delicious. Imagine you have been eating bacon cheeseyburgers every day for your whole life. If someone handed you a salad you would be like What. the Bark?! Just like when your human does on a diet and they have to teach their body not to crave sweets, us pups need to teach our bodies not to crave commercial treats.
The pet companies spend a lot of time, energy and money making sure your dog’s treats smell tantalizing. Did you know some kibbles and treats are sprayed with “Flavour Enhancing Spray”? Vegetables haven’t been coated with goo to make them smell terrible, so most dogs need a little encouragement in order to start enjoying them. Once they’ve caught on to veggies, hopefully, you’ll have a lifelong VeggieDog! So how do you make veggies super delicious for the reluctant Rover?
Everydoggy Loves a DipStick
What do you use to entice the humans to eat their veggies? Dip. What do you use to entice dogs to eat their veggies? Meat Dip.
This super easy recipe only takes 15 minutes to prepare and it is a great way to make veggies taste great.
2 cups diced lean mean
We used turkey breast, but you can use any lean meat that excites your pup. We love whitefish, chicken breast, even buffalo! Actually, buffalo is our favourite, but the butcher was fresh out this afternoon.
3/4 – 1 cup low fat, low sodium chicken stock
optional: yummy spices like a 1/2 tsp garlic powder, a tbsp dried parsley and a tbsp of dried dill (It makes it smell like ranch!)
Yup, we are totally aware of the controversary surrounding garlic for dogs. Some people believe that as it is from the same family an onions, it should be avoided like onions. I say, don’t judge me by my family! Other people believe that in small doses in seasoning or therapeutic doses that garlic can actually be healthy for your pet. We encourage all owners to do their research and make their own choice!
Step by Step:
Chop the meat into small chunks to reduce cooking time. In a pan over medium-high heat, cook meat until it is lightly browned and cooked all the way through. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
While the meat is cooling, chop up dog-friendly vegetables like carrots, snap peas, sweet peppers, broccoli zucchini or cauliflower.
Once the meat is cool to the touch, place the meat into a food processor, blender or (my fav!) the Magic Bullet .* Add 1/2 the chicken stock and if desired, the spices. Blend until smooth, adding more stock as needed to form a thin dip-like paste.
Spoon into a dipping bowl and serve.
Our chicken dip isn’t just great for enticing your dog to try veggies! It’s good for so much more. Use it to stuff a Kong, pop it into molds and freeze it for a fun popsicle!
My Dip Brings All the Dogs to the Yard and They’re Like, It’s Better Than Yours!
This dip drove Felix and I absolutely crazy. We already adore veggies, adding a meaty and delicious dip only increased my veggie lovin’. Check it out:
