Thanksgiving Dog Treats: Turkey Heart, Beef Heart, No Scraps
Our freeze-dried treats do not need a special occasion, but Thanksgiving hands them one anyway. Turkey heart and beef heart are the whole ingredient list, freeze-dried in small batches, and they are what goes in Ella's bowl the week the rest of us argue about who is bringing the stuffing. This is the short list of thanksgiving dog treats we actually keep in the house through November.
The Turkey Run
We call it the Turkey Run because it is the one drive every year that has an actual deadline attached to it. Someone always wants the turkey in the oven by a certain hour, which means the car leaves earlier than anyone wants to admit, treats already portioned into the pouch the night before.
Ella knows the drive by now. She knows the exit, the gas station where we always stop, and the sound the gravel makes under the tires once we turn onto the last road. By the time the house comes into view she is sitting up, ears forward, waiting on the door to open.
The house full of relatives
Every year it is the same driveway, the same wreath on the door, and a dozen people who all have an opinion about the gravy. Ella rides in the back with a pouch clipped to the seat so she has something to do besides working the table for scraps. By the time we park, she already knows the route, the porch light, and which cousin sneaks her the most attention.
The other dogs show up around the same time we do. There is usually a slow lap around the yard before anyone goes inside, treats in a coat pocket, everyone sniffing everyone. It is the closest thing our family has to a tradition that starts before the food does. Somebody's uncle always asks what she is eating, and the answer is always the same bag.
What goes in the pouch
We keep this simple. A few pieces before we leave the house, a few more once we get there, nothing that came off anyone's plate.
- Freeze-Dried Turkey Heart, one ingredient, the one that disappears first.
- Freeze-Dried Beef Heart, the backup bag for when the turkey heart runs out.
- Cheddar Cheese Bites, small enough to hand out one at a time during the group photo.
The full lineup is in our Thanksgiving treats collection if you want to build your own pouch before the drive. We tend to pack more than we think we need, because a house full of relatives means a house full of hands willing to share one more piece.
From the shop
- Freeze-Dried Turkey Heart
- Freeze-Dried Beef Heart
- Cheddar Cheese Bites
- Beef Trio, Liver, Tripe and Heart
- Feeding more than one dog at the table this year, see our bundles.
Where to go
If you want an excuse to point the Camaro somewhere before the big meal, a few things are on the calendar this year, closest to Malvern first.
- Apple Festival at Peddler's Village, November 7-8, 2026, New Hope, PA: cider and apples and enough foot traffic that Ella never runs out of people to greet.
- First Sunday Arts Festival, November 1, 2026, Annapolis, MD: a downtown market on a Sunday, good for a slow walk before the drive home.
- Waterfowl Festival, November 13 to 15, 2026, Easton, MD: a weekend of art and decoys on the Eastern Shore in late fall.
More dates are on our dog-friendly car events board, and if the trip to dinner is part of a longer drive, our trail and travel page has the rest of what we bring along.
Questions
Do turkey heart and beef heart come from the same batch as your other treats?
They are freeze-dried the same way as everything else in our kitchen in Malvern, Pennsylvania, one ingredient per bag, nothing added. We do not mix batches or flavors, so what is in the turkey heart bag is turkey heart, start to finish.
Can I bring the pouch inside someone else's house?
We do. A clipped pouch stays on Ella at the table and travels with her from the car to the porch to wherever she ends up sitting once the meal starts. It is easier than carrying a bag from room to room, and it means the treats stay with her instead of on a counter someone else forgets about.
What should I leave off the table for the dog?
We are not going to make that call for you here. Our guide to holiday foods and dogs covers what to skip, and it is worth reading before the plates come out, especially in a house where more than one person is likely to slip something under the table.
For more of the drives, the dinners, and the treats in between, see Explore.
