5 creative ways to make dog birthday treats last

For human beings it’s traditional to mark the occasion of a birthday, but sometimes it is nice to keep things understated. After all, who really wants to celebrate being another year older? For our beloved pets though, a birthday or gotcha day is a great excuse to pamper our pooches and celebrate everything they bring to our lives. When you consider that every dog’s birthday is seven years in human terms, that’s a lot of celebrating to pack into one day, which is why we’ve got some creative ways to make your dog birthday treats last.

1.Use a chew ball or Kong

If you find that your dog scoffs their treats in seconds, sometimes without even chewing them, then it’s time to get creative and make them work a little harder to get their rewards. Using a chew ball or Kong means your dog will have to work out how to get the treats out. Look out for Kongs or chew balls that are made from durable natural rubber as they will withstand even the most ferocious of appetites and gnashers.

Top tip - choose treats to go inside your chew ball that are not too small that they fall out of the hole easily, but not too large that you struggle to squeeze them inside, as otherwise you’ll probably find your pooch comes to ask you for help!

We recommend our Duck Jerky treats as they can be cut to size to fit into your chosen treat ball and make the perfect birthday treat!

2.Take the treats outside

If you are celebrating your dog’s birthday or gotcha day in the summer, then it’s the perfect excuse to take the treats outside. A handful of small treats scattered around the lawn should keep them busy for a few minutes or possibly seconds depending on the breed! You could even try taking some treats to your local park or out on one of your dog’s favourite walks and hide them as you go, just be careful you don’t end up feeding the entire neighbourhood pack!

Top tip - choose small treats that are easy to scatter and won’t eat too much into your dog’s daily dietary allowance.

We recommend our Tasty Mini Sushi Chicken Rolls which are also a great training treat.

3.Play hide and seek with your dog birthday treats

It isn’t just a crowd pleaser at children’s parties, hide and seek is also a great way to make your dog’s birthday treats last. All you need is some tennis balls (that you don’t need to play tennis or fetch with any longer) and a muffin tray. Cut the tennis balls in half so you have enough to cover every hole in the muffin tray. Take some delicious treats and hide them under just a couple of the tennis balls, so your dog will have to use their nose and intuition to uncover the balls that are hiding a tasty treat.

Top tip - use stronger smelling treats if your dog isn’t great at this game, or the subtlest, smallest ones for scent hounds.

We recommend our Sushi Rolls - available in delicious chicken, beef, salmon or duck, so you can pick your pooch’s favourite.

4.Turn everyday rubbish into a rewarding game

Don’t throw away those empty egg boxes or scraps of paper as you can turn them into a fun game to play with your dog on their birthday, or at any time.  Simply cut the lid off the egg box and take some small treats to fill a couple of the egg cup sections, leaving some empty. Use screwed up paper (or something your dog won’t be tempted to eat) to cover up all of the cups and then see how long it takes your dog to find the treats.

Top tip - choose treats that can be easily cut to size to fit in the egg box.

We recommend our beef, salmon or chicken strips as they can easily be cut to size, making one packet go a long way!

5.Buy a dog birthday treat box

If you want to pull out all the stops and spoil your pooch then our Nibble & Nosh Birthday Luxury Dog Treat Box is the perfect present. Designed to make your dog birthday treats last and the celebrations continue, our birthday treat collection box features a selection of our gourmet dog treats, which are made with 100% natural ingredients, are low calorie and ideal for sensitive tummies. Our birthday box also includes a dog toy, poo bag dispenser, treat bag clip and a birthday card where you can even add your own personalised message.

Click here to view our dog birthday box and see what our customers and their pooches have to say about our products.