Happy March! Did you know that March is National Peanut Butter Lover’s month? And who loves peanut butter more than your pup?! Because dogs just can’t seem to get enough peanut butter, it’s an excellent tool to use in training and also to provide mental stimulation for your pups! Here are a few fun and innovative ways to use peanut butter to make your pup’s life more fun (and yours a bit easier.)

  1. The Classic Kong – if you have a PB lovin’ pup, and you don’t already own a Kong, GET ONE NOW. Kongs are a miraculous invention that distract and occupy dogs. Licking peanut butter (or cheese, coconut oil, treats, wet dog food- but this post is about PB) out of a Kong is not only an excellent way to keep your dog busy, it’s a fantastic mode of stimulating their brain. The more dogs have to work for food, the more they activate their “hunting” instincts – and a dog who works for his food is a very tired dog indeed. Personally, when my dog hurt her leg and couldn’t go to the park for 6 months, I had NO idea how we were going to survive… but she got a Kong a day, and it kept the zoomies away!  ***If you want to get really crazy, try freezing the stuffed kong***
  2. Pupsicles – Don’t feel like stuffing a kong full of PB? No worries, there’s an easy solution! Take an ice tray, fill the holes with peanut butter, and freeze. You now have super tasty PB ice cubes to occupy your pup and activate their brain. This is a really great thing to do in the summertime, and all your dog neighbors will be super jealous!
  3. Bath Time – raise your hand if your dog hates bath time (I’m currently raising my hand)! A super fun trick is to smear peanut butter on the shower wall to distract your pup while you’re scrub-a-dub-dubbin away. An added bonus is that you’re actually using positive reinforcement by pairing something positive (PB) with something terrifying (bath). Before you know it, your pup may even look forward to bath time!
  4. Giving Meds – if your dog is a champ about taking meds, you’ve won the jackpot! There are so many dogs out there who are giant babies when it comes to taking medications; and let’s be honest, if a dog needs meds, it’s for a reason. Introducing….the peanut butter medicine ball! Simply roll your pup’s pills in a little ball of peanut butter, and tadah medicine time just turned into a super fun and tasty experience!
  5. Spice up mealtime – Even though “picky eater” and “dog” aren’t words usually heard together, there are definitely dogs out there who are not super enthused about mealtimes. While this could be for a number of reasons (and please consult your vet if your dog has inappetence), peanut butter is a great way to get them pumped for food! I recommend smearing PB on the bottom of the bowl, and putting kibble on top of it. This way, your dog has to eat through the kibble to get to the good part! Sometimes just adding a new tasty treat is enough to make mealtimes fun again.

I hope these tips add some fun things to yours and your pup’s lives! Give some a try this month, and let us know how they go (and treat yourself to some human peanut butter snacks as well!)