Healthy, Homemade Dog Treats in Three Easy Steps

Back in November, I made my first attempt at turning a real pumpkin into an edible pumpkin pie. As I worked, my two dogs relentlessly begged for a bite of the pumpkin I had just roasted. With a little research, I discovered that plain, cooked pumpkin (fresh or from a can) is actually a very healthy item to feed your dog (in moderation; too much can cause either constipation or diarrhea). Typically, my dogs don't like anything that's good for them unless it's well disguised in wet food, but I figured I'd give it a try, and gave each of them a small chunk of cooled, plain, roasted pumpkin. They LOVED it.

Since then, my sister-in-law, who is a veterinarian, has shared with me several variations of a pumpkin-based treat. My favorite (in large part because of its simplicity) is featured below.

These Frozen Pumpkin Treats (as they are known in my household) are great for so many reasons!

1. They are SUPER easy to make.
2. They are far less expensive than the Frosty Paws I used to regularly purchase.
3. They are good for your dog!
4. They tend to take my dogs anywhere from 10-20 minutes to consume, so it occupies them for quite a while.
5. When summer rolls back around, these treats can help cool your dog down.
 
You will need:
1 can of plain pumpkin
1 1/2 cups of plain, nonfat yogurt
8 small, freezable, plastic cups OR a popsicle tray

These healthy treats for your dog require just two ingredients: canned pumpkin (or fresh, cooked pumpkin) and plain, nonfat yogurt.

Process
1. Stir pumpkin and yogurt together until well blended. 
2. Spoon into popsicle tray or individual cups.
3. Freeze.

After stirring together the pumpkin and plain yogurt, simply spoon the resulting goo into small, freezable containers or popsicle trays; apply lids; and freeze. (Following that, I let my dogs lick off the spoon and lick out the bowl--just like kids helping me bake!)

Want to spice it up a bit? Here are some items you can add:

Chicken broth
Whipped peanut butter
Fresh green beans
Butternut squash
Blueberries

Shown here is the finished product. When you are ready to serve one of these frozen treats, just pop the lid off (carefully or it may crack) and let your dog enjoy! *Note: If you use containers like the ones shown above, monitor your dog while he or she enjoys this treat to make sure he or she does not destroy the reusable plastic container. For safety, monitor your dog when he or she enjoys any treat.