Dog Days of Summer Treats: Freeze-Dried, No Cooler

The best dog days of summer treats are the ones that do not melt, smear or need a cooler, and for us that means freeze-dried. "Dog days" just means the hottest stretch of summer, and the name has hung around long enough that nobody argues with it.

We freeze-dry our treats in small batches in Malvern, Pennsylvania, so everything below is dry and crunchy instead of soft. Here is how we pack for a hot week, sorted by where the dog and the treat end up.

Dog days of summer treats by situation

Four situations come up again and again in July and August: the car console, the backyard, the lick mat and the weekend quail egg. The next four sections take them in that order, and the last two cover amounts and storage.

The treat pouch in the car console

Three of our single-ingredient treats earn the console spot, and each one behaves differently when you pull it out.

• Freeze-dried beef liver is the lightweight, non-greasy one. The pieces are bite-sized and break easily, and the bags come in 1.5, 3 and 6 ounces.
• Freeze-dried beef heart is firm and snaps into small pieces. Our listing calls it milder than liver, if liver has been your only organ-meat treat.
• Freeze-dried cheddar is crunchy and non-greasy rather than soft. No refrigeration is needed once it is dried, so it travels clean in a treat pouch or a car. It contains dairy, so it is not suited to dogs with dairy sensitivities.

One rule about the car, and it is not ours. The ASPCA writes: "Never leave your animals alone in a parked vehicle." The pouch goes with you to the rest stop, the trailhead and the picnic table. The dog goes with you too.

The backyard ice cream that skips the freezer

Pup-Ornaut is our freeze-dried dog ice cream, inspired by astronaut ice cream. Banana Peanut Butter is made from nonfat Greek yogurt, banana, and peanut butter (dry roasted peanuts and sea salt). The pieces are light and crunchy, freeze-dried rather than frozen, so they will not melt in your hand or on the patio.

It is not a single-ingredient treat. Banana Peanut Butter contains peanuts and dairy, and every Pup-Ornaut flavor contains dairy. The label asks you to break it into smaller pieces for small dogs and to supervise while the dog snacks.

Pup-Ornaut is a year round item in the shop, not a summer special. Our dog ice cream guide covers every flavor, and the Pup-Ornaut collection lines them up in one place.

The frozen lick mat

A lick mat is the simplest frozen dog treat holder we know of. Our frozen lick mat guide walks through the whole method, so this is only the short version.

Break a few pieces of plain freeze-dried liver or heart into small bits and press them onto the mat. Keep the filling plain: one ingredient, no sauce, nothing sticky from the kitchen. Then follow the guide for the freezing step. The same small, plain pieces fit whatever other frozen dog treat toys you already own.

Stay with the dog while the mat is out, as our labels ask for any treat.

A quail egg for the weekend

If the weekend plan includes a long afternoon in the yard, a quail egg is a small, odd thing to hand over. Our freeze-dried raw quail eggs are exactly that: raw, whole quail eggs with the yolk, white and shell, and nothing else.

The shell is brittle and easy to crunch. Cracked pieces and shell dust in the bag are normal, because the eggs are fragile. The eggs come in counts of 9, 18, 72 and 288, and we list them for adult dogs. The count of 9 is the one to start with.

They are freeze-dried raw, so wash your hands after you handle them. If your dog has never had raw food or follows a special diet, ask your veterinarian before you hand one over.

How much when it is hot

We do not have a heat formula, and we are not going to invent one. What we can give you is treat terms. Our labels say to feed these as a treat or reward, not a complete diet, and to provide fresh water at all times. In practice that means smaller pieces, a few at a time, and a water bowl within reach of wherever the treats come out.

The ASPCA puts the water part this way: "Give pets plenty of fresh, clean water when it's hot or humid outdoors as pets can get dehydrated quickly." A treat pouch should never stand in for a water bowl.

Pup-Ornaut's label asks for smaller pieces for small dogs. Cheddar bites are already small, and heart and liver pieces snap down further if you need them smaller.

Keeping the bag in good shape

Every treat above carries the same storage line: reseal after opening and keep it cool and dry. A bag baking on the dashboard is not cool. Refill a small pouch from the main bag and bring the main bag inside with you.

Summer treat questions

What treats do not melt in the summer?

Ours are dry and crunchy, so there is nothing soft to smear. Pup-Ornaut is the one that looks like ice cream, and it is freeze-dried rather than frozen, so it will not melt.

Do freeze-dried treats need a cooler?

Not the cheddar, which needs no refrigeration once dried. For the rest of what we make, the bag line is to reseal after opening and store cool and dry, so keep the bag inside the house and carry a small pouch.

Does Pup-Ornaut contain dairy or peanuts?

Every Pup-Ornaut flavor contains dairy. Banana Peanut Butter also contains peanuts, so read the flavor you are buying before you open it.

How many treats can I give on a hot day?

We treat it the same as any day: small pieces, a few at a time, treat or reward only, fresh water nearby. Smaller dogs get smaller bits.

What can I put on a frozen lick mat?

Small broken pieces of plain freeze-dried liver or heart fit, since they are one ingredient with nothing sticky added. The lick mat guide has the full method.

Are the quail eggs raw?

Yes. They are freeze-dried raw, whole quail eggs with the shell on, and the shell is brittle and easy to crunch. Wash your hands after handling them.