Cool Down Your Dog with Frozen Enrichment Treats
Summer in Wisconsin is something special. The lakes are calling, the trails are waiting, and your dog is ready for all of it. But even the most adventure-ready dog needs a way to decompress and cool down when the heat of the day sets in. That’s where frozen enrichment treats come in, and once you add them to your summer routine, you’ll wonder how you ever got through a hot afternoon without them.
The best part? These treats do more than just cool your dog down physically. They tap into something deeper in how your dog is wired, and the results go well beyond a few minutes of distraction.
The Science Behind Why This Works So Well
Here’s something that surprises a lot of dog owners. Licking is one of the most naturally calming behaviors a dog can engage in. It’s not just about getting to the food. The act of licking itself triggers the release of feel-good hormones that lower arousal, reduce stress, and help a dog settle into a genuinely calm state.
This is why a dog who has spent twenty minutes working through a frozen lick mat often seems more relaxed afterward than one who just finished a play session in the yard. Physical activity burns energy. Focused licking satisfies the nervous system in a different and often more settling way.
When you freeze that licking challenge, you extend the time your dog spends engaged, add a physical cooling element, and give their brain a focused task to work through. It’s a simple concept with a surprisingly powerful payoff, and it’s one of the easiest enrichment tools you can add to your dog’s day.
The Tools You Need
The good news about frozen enrichment is that you’re not locked into one product or one brand. The same recipes work beautifully across a whole range of stuffable toys, lick mats, and slow-feeder bowls. The key is finding the right tool for your dog and the recipe you’re making.
Stuffable toys:
The KONG Classic, the West Paw Toppl, and SodaPup’s line of stuffable treat dispensers are designed to be filled, frozen, and worked through from the inside out. The KONG and Soda Pup cans both have narrow openings that slow things down significantly, making them ideal for dogs who tend to rush through everything. The Toppl’s wider opening is more accessible and works better for chunkier or layered mixtures. SodaPup’s stuffable dispensers come in a variety of fun shapes and sizes and are a great option for keeping things novel and interesting as you rotate through them.
Lick Mats:
Lick mats are flat, textured surfaces designed to hold spreadable mixtures in their grooves and channels. Brands like West Paw, SodaPup, and LickiMat all make excellent options across a range of sizes and textures. SodaPup in particular offers a wide variety of lick mats alongside stuffable toys, slow feeder bowls, and other enrichment tools, all proudly made in the USA. Freeze your lick mat flat with any spreadable recipe and your dog gets a sustained, calming licking session that works just as well on a busy Tuesday as it does on a lazy summer afternoon.
Slow-Feeder Bowls:
Slow-feeder bowls are an easy way to add frozen enrichment to mealtime. Fill with a blended mixture, freeze, and serve in place of a regular bowl. It slows eating, engages the brain, and turns an ordinary moment into a meaningful enrichment opportunity.
These recipes were developed by KONG and West Paw, but every one of them works beautifully in any stuffable toy, lick mat, or slow feeder bowl you have on hand. Use what your dog loves most.
Three Recipes to Try This Summer
Always check that any ingredient you use is appropriate for your individual dog, and introduce new foods gradually if your dog has a sensitive stomach. Supervision while your dog is enjoying their treat is also recommended.
Simple, nutritious, and genuinely delicious for dogs. The combination of fresh berries, yogurt, and peanut butter blends into a smooth mixture that freezes beautifully in any toy or mat.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup strawberries, chopped
- ½ cup blueberries
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- Xylitol-free peanut butter, for plugging and topping
Instructions: Blend the strawberries, blueberries, and yogurt together until smooth. Use a small amount of peanut butter to plug the bottom opening of your toy of choice. Pour or spoon the blended mixture in through the top. Freeze overnight or for at least four hours before serving.
A smooth, blended recipe that works especially well in wide-opening toys and lick mats. Finished with a peanut butter drizzle and optional chia seeds, this one is almost too good-looking to give away.
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup blueberries
- ¼ cup strawberries
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 tbsp xylitol-free peanut butter, for drizzle
- Chia seeds, optional
Instructions: Blend the blueberries, strawberries, coconut oil, and yogurt until smooth. Fill your toy or lick mat of choice and place in the freezer until solid. Once frozen, drizzle with peanut butter and sprinkle with chia seeds before serving.
Bonus tip: any leftover mixture poured into silicone molds makes excellent pupsicles for the rest of the week.
A more textural recipe with layers of pureed fruit, fresh diced apple, and a banana oat mixture. It works beautifully spread across a lick mat or spooned into a wide-opening toy and delivers a more complex, multi-layered experience than a blended recipe.
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup pureed blueberries
- ¼ cup pureed strawberries
- ¼ cup pureed raspberries
- ½ apple, diced
- 1 ripe banana, mashed
- ½ cup rolled oats
Instructions: Mix the mashed banana and rolled oats in a small bowl until combined. Layer the pureed blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries into the grooves of your lick mat or the base of your toy until filled. Scatter the diced apple across the top. Spoon the banana oat mixture into any remaining open areas. Serve fresh or freeze for a longer-lasting challenge
Take It Outside: The Frozen Enrichment Ice Block
For high-energy dogs who power through a stuffed toy in minutes and always want more, a frozen ice block is the ultimate summer backyard activity. Freeze treats, kibble, dog-safe fruit, and small rubber toys inside a large block of ice using a bundt pan, silicone baking mold, or large freezer-safe bowl. Add low-sodium broth or plain water as your base, freeze overnight, and bring it outside for a fun, cooling enrichment session. Set it on the grass or in a shallow baby pool to manage the melt and let your dog lick, dig, and work their way through as the ice releases its treasures.
The block changes constantly as it melts, which keeps engagement high from start to finish. It’s wonderfully messy, genuinely entertaining, and on a hot Wisconsin afternoon, it can be a fun way to keep your dog busy and cool outside. A few things to keep in mind: use jerky-style treats rather than crunchy biscuits, which go soggy when frozen. Avoid anything containing xylitol, onion, grapes, or raisins. And always supervise your dog while they enjoy it.
When You Want Someone Else to Handle the Enrichment
Frozen treats are a wonderful tool for the time you spend at home with your dog. But on the days when your schedule is full, and your dog needs more than you can offer, that’s exactly what we’re here for. At Fun Fur Pets, our team understands that a well-stimulated dog is a calmer, happier dog at the end of the day. Whether your pup is joining us for daycare or boarding, we make sure they’re engaged, comfortable, and genuinely cared for while you’re away.
Summer days are long, and your dog deserves to enjoy every single one of them. When you need a cool, comfortable place for your pup to spend the day, we’ve got them covered. Book a stay at Fun Fur Pets today.