Y’all ready for this? For Christmas, I mean?
The next 3 or 4 days are going to be a train wreck of social activity, family togetherness and fun. If your friends and family are anything like mine, they are so good to my dogs at the Holidays. There will be dog gifts under the tree. People will save their turkey necks. The dogs will be welcome to visit the Holiday parties.
And there will be snack. Oh yes, there will be snacks.
What is it about dogs that makes everyone want to give them a treat?! Do you think it has anything to do with THIS FACE?
So, I guess I get it. Living with them day in and day out has hardened me to their “puppy dog eyes”, but I can see how weaker humans might cave and sneak them snack after snack after snack under the table.
Dietary indiscretion can be dangerous for your dog.
Even though everyone has the best of intentions, all these secret snacks can be dangerous. Worst case, your dog is given something toxic like onions or chocolate. Maybe, they get too many rich, fatty treats and get pancreatitis? Even if your pet doesn’t get seriously ill, after a day of snacking, most dogs will have one heck of an upset tummy.
My solution? Create a “safe snacking bowl” and encourage your friends and family to treat your dog to as many snacks from the bowl as they like.
I swear, this works!
It’s so simple! Just grab a bowl that is clearly a dog bowl. After all, you don’t want people mistaking the dog bowl for a bowl of people snacks.
Fill your dog bowl with approved snacks. Ours is usually a mix of:
- Grain free kibble
- Carrot chunks
- Sweet pepper pieces
- White meat turkey pieces
- Sweet potato or squash cubes
- Small pieces of Jerky Treats, like Natural Value Duck Meat Sticks
They key is to create a mix that is mostly foods your pet is used to eat, with just a few “treats” tossed in. People can give your dog a treat, you can feel good knowing your pet isn’t getting anything they shouldn’t and everyone can have a holly jolly Christmas.
To make sure everybody knows what’s up, we’ve created a couple printable signs to go with your safe snacking dog bowl. (One sweet & one a little sassy.) Simply print and pop into a 4 x 6 picture frame (or you can tape it up on the wall by the bowl).
They’re kinda cute, right?
Malka Essock
23 December, 2014 at 2:25 AMFOOD!
joann stancer
23 December, 2014 at 4:30 AMVenison, the dogs love venison.
Scoutpants
23 December, 2014 at 5:11 AMEither small pieces of bacon, cubes of cheese, or a peanut butter flavored treat.
Sharon Gilbert
23 December, 2014 at 6:17 AMProtein of some kind….beef, cheese, chicken and beef heart.
ellie
23 December, 2014 at 6:24 AMchicken!
Flea
23 December, 2014 at 6:42 AMBeef liver taffy!!!
Danielle E
23 December, 2014 at 8:12 AMWe use low salt rice cakes. Some homemade oatmeal dog cookies.
Maggie
23 December, 2014 at 8:28 AMPeanut butter! 😀
Christine Aiello
23 December, 2014 at 8:35 AMVenison! My dog has severe allergies so that is the only thing she can eat.
VladBarklyDee
23 December, 2014 at 9:54 AMThe grain-free corned beef and cabbage treats I just took out of the dehydrator.
Rachel Davis
23 December, 2014 at 10:10 AMveggies!
KateV
23 December, 2014 at 11:37 AMProbably Wager’s food, as both dogs can eat it. Shiloh has a pretty hardy stomach, but Wager’s is sensitive and I have to watch what he gets. Zuke’s treats, maybe some chicken.
TXpups
23 December, 2014 at 12:16 PMWhat an adorable bowl! We’d stash some Milkbones in there, or if we were really getting festive, some doggie “cookie” treats!
S. Berry
23 December, 2014 at 12:33 PMBeef or chicken jerky treats! I have one dog who is allergic to lamb and fish (and possibly a few more things that we haven’t pinned down yet.) We allow guests to slip them cheese or crackers, but anything else is a no-go.
Aaron
23 December, 2014 at 1:12 PMThe main ingredient would be… love <3
Linda Szymoniak
23 December, 2014 at 1:45 PMMy dogslove sweet potatoes, so I like to use them in their treats.
Jason Diehl
23 December, 2014 at 1:52 PMdehydrated sweet potato chips
Sandy Van Nostrand
23 December, 2014 at 4:48 PMSweet potatoes and turkey
Lisa J
23 December, 2014 at 5:47 PMWe would have grain free food 🙂
Abby C
23 December, 2014 at 6:14 PMBeef since a lot of other proteins make Jada itchy
Daniel Scott
23 December, 2014 at 8:07 PMFree range chicken eggs from my friend’s farm.
Leslie S.
23 December, 2014 at 9:23 PMOur main treat for our dog’s goodie bowl would be pieces of dehydrated sweet potato. Our dogs love them 🙂
Cecilia Andes
23 December, 2014 at 10:15 PMfreeze dried turkey
Lara Elizabeth
24 December, 2014 at 9:16 AMChopped carrots & kibble!
Marnie Ward
24 December, 2014 at 3:37 PMThe main ingredient in my dogs safe snacking dog bowl would be small pieces of Jerky Treats.
Jennifer A.
24 December, 2014 at 10:03 PMchicken!
Marci Wright
25 December, 2014 at 11:28 AMProbably chicken! My dogs love anything with chicken.
Heather in VA
25 December, 2014 at 4:39 PMHomemade peanut butter and pumpkin dog treats. My daughter’s girl scout troop made them to race money for shelter dogs.
Jessica Shipman | Beagles and Bargains
25 December, 2014 at 6:00 PMCarrots and home made treats made of peanut butter or pumpkin
Lori
26 December, 2014 at 7:19 PMjerky
Kelley
27 December, 2014 at 6:01 AMJedi loves dried sweet potatoes, and begs for ice cubes. And Roxy will do anything for fresh pear. I know, my dogs are weird.
sandy weinstein
27 December, 2014 at 11:55 AMfor dog food- i use raw human grade venison, holistic select kibble, cooked baby peas and carrots, no salt chicken broth, plain greek yogurt, and their suppliments which they get abt 7. for snacking the girls love anything but the oldest loves her beef taffy, salmon skins, lambs ears
Ruth Epstein
27 December, 2014 at 2:16 PMBeef and Beef Liver which Layla loves
Eleanor
27 December, 2014 at 3:51 PMMy dogs will do anything for cheese! )
Carolsue
27 December, 2014 at 6:58 PMChicken livers would be in it
Joy
27 December, 2014 at 8:47 PMI would use chicken jerky or dehydrated duck.
Susan Christy
27 December, 2014 at 10:26 PMChicken. My dogs take treats nicely except when it comes to chicken, then they almost take my fingers too!
Jillian Chance
28 December, 2014 at 9:56 AMTheir USA-made treats, cucumber, and small pieces of apple/banana/oranges.
Erin
28 December, 2014 at 1:03 PMAn agility trial the weekend after Christmas is a new tradition for us, so we’re extra careful about holiday treats. Kibble from his dinner would be in our bowl. (No worries, though, he LOVES his kibble and would gladly take anything as a treat.)
Angie Bailey
29 December, 2014 at 3:42 AMOur main ingredient would be beef. 🙂
Lisa F.
29 December, 2014 at 6:57 PMLight/low fat/low calorie dog treats would be in their bowl. Otherwise, a carrot or two would be okay.
Timothy
30 December, 2014 at 12:54 PMI would probably put apple chunks or baby carrots.
Tenacious Little Terrier
30 December, 2014 at 2:00 PMMeat!
Stephanie Jones
30 December, 2014 at 7:07 PMThe main ingredient in my safe snacking bowl would be dehydrated sweet potatoes. My dogs love them and I do not mind the extra calories as they can eat however many they want to get from anyone.
Heather Martin
30 December, 2014 at 7:26 PMLeonard’s kibble and baby carrots
Wendy R.
30 December, 2014 at 7:42 PMWe would have bananas and chicken chunks.
Linda Kish
30 December, 2014 at 8:57 PMsweet potato pieces and lamb treats
Scott
31 December, 2014 at 12:23 AMI don’t give my dog treats but I do like Carna4 dog food.
darby
31 December, 2014 at 5:38 AMchicken!
Wehaf
31 December, 2014 at 11:04 AMI’d fill this with dried sweet potato treats and low-calorie biscuits.