Thanksgiving is just around the corner and families are making plans to share their favorite dishes with loved ones. This year consider including your dog in the festivities so your best friend can enjoy the holiday, too. We’re sharing a few ideas here to inspire you to find new foods for your dog to try. Maybe you’ll even find your dog’s new favorite food. Before choosing foods to share, be sure they are safe for your dog to eat. Check with your veterinarian or use the ASPCA’s Poison Control website: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/people-foods-avoid-feeding-your-pets.

When shopping, have fun and be creative looking for new foods your dog has never had before. Choose items with new flavors and textures and served in new and interesting ways. Use a different dish from your cupboard or a commercially made enrichment toy like a LickiMat with a new texture or a West Paw Toppl food puzzle. You could even prepare LickiMat Slodog Feeder as a charcuterie tray with different ingredients in different sections with all the goodness. Here are some tips on food to try:

 Tip 1: Consider new foods that your dog has never eaten

• Yogurt

• Pumpkin

• Cream cheese

Tip 2: Consider adding herbs

• Parsley

• Mint

• Basil

Tips 3: Consider a new protein

• Braunschweiger

• Cheese

• Hard boiled egg

Tip 4: Consider a new vegetable

• Carrots

• Bell pepper

• Broccoli

Tip 5: Consider a fruit

• Blueberries

• Dehydrated pear

• Banana

For additional creative ideas check out West Paw’s The Toy of Cooking: https://www.westpaw.com/pages/toy-of-cooking.

Thanksgiving is a time to pause and think about all the blessings we have. Here at The Dogs’ Spot, we’re thankful for all the great dogs and their families we’ve had the privilege to work with over the last 18 years. We’ve made a lot of friends, human and canine, and our lives are much richer for it. Thank you for being part of our community.

© Laura Hills 2023 www.thedogsspot.com