Frozen Dog Treats for a South African Summer

A frozen treat on a 34-degree afternoon does two jobs: it cools the dog and it occupies them. The trick is layering, because a plain ice block is gone in a minute and a solid block of frozen broth takes an hour, which is exactly what you want on a hot day.

The basic method

Take a rubber stuffable toy or a plastic tub. Plug the small hole with a smear of nut butter or a lump of banana. Fill with your mixture, then freeze upright overnight. Serve outside.

Four mixtures that work

• Plain yoghurt and banana. Mash one banana into two tablespoons of plain unsweetened yoghurt. Most dogs love it and it freezes soft enough for older dogs.
• Broth blocks. Low-sodium chicken or beef stock, made up weak, frozen in an ice tray. Check the stock has no onion or garlic — most standard cubes do, so use a plain unsalted homemade broth or a specific pet stock.
• Watermelon slush. Deseeded watermelon flesh blended and frozen. Very high water content, very low calorie, ideal for dogs on a diet.
• Layered kibble block. A third of the dog's normal kibble, a splash of water, a spoon of wet food, frozen. It is a whole meal that takes forty minutes to eat.

What to leave out

No xylitol or "sugar-free" anything — check peanut butter labels specifically, since some brands contain it and it is lethal to dogs. No grapes, raisins, onion, garlic, chocolate or macadamia. Go easy on dairy for dogs that get loose stools. Avoid honey and added sugar; they add nothing but calories.

Portion sense

Treats should stay under about ten percent of daily calories. If you are giving a filled toy most days, take that out of the dinner bowl rather than adding it on top. Peanut butter especially is very calorie-dense — a tablespoon is a lot for a small dog.

The one for teething puppies

Soak a clean facecloth, wring it out, twist it into a rope and freeze it. Puppies chew it, it soothes gums, and it costs nothing. Supervise, and bin it once it starts shedding threads.