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" Creativity truly is the mother of invention. With a little help from my friend Jojo Pera of Atlanta, I offer 13 dog treats that beat the heat. Pera and I volunteer together, and she is my go-to friend for all things pet-related. As the owner of five dogs and three cats, she always provides great tips on how to keep pets busy and distracted while she&amp;#039;s away at work. Since the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention estimates that more than half the dogs in this country are obese or overweight, use moderation when adding these or any treats to your pet&amp;#039;s diet. If your pet is as finicky as mine, trial and error may be part of the process as well. Without further ado, here are 13 cures for the common kibble.  1. Grab a bowl, fill it three-quarters of the way full with water and place it in the freezer overnight. As the ice melts, your dog will have a second bowl of water during the day.  2. Pour chicken or beef broth into ice cube trays. When frozen, place a few of these yummy pooch ice pops in the food bowl with your dog&amp;#039;s kibble, or simply add to the water bowl for a flavored beverage.  3. Pera relies on super tough Kong toys to keep her crowd occupied. Kongs feature hollowed centers that can be filled with anything yummy. &amp;quot;I fill them, freeze them and then pull them out when I leave,&amp;quot; she says. Seal the small hole of a Kong with peanut butter then add chicken broth and a stick of beef jerky. Freeze for a yummy yet messy outdoor treat.  4. Add water or broth to your dog&amp;#039;s kibble then place the moistened mixture inside the hollow portion of a Kong or other hollow chew toy. Freeze overnight.  5.Chill a carrot in the fridge and give it to your pooch. It&amp;#039;s a super-inexpensive chew toy that works best with indiscriminate puppies. Spoiled pooches like my Lulu are a little more finicky. 6. Mash a ripe banana and mix with one tablespoon of all-natural peanut butter. Stuff the mixture into a Kong and freeze or simply place in ice cube trays and offer one treat a day. &amp;quot;Give this to your dog and you&amp;#039;ve hit the puppy distraction lotto!&amp;quot; Pera says.   7. Stir a tablespoon of plain low-fat Greek yogurt into your dog&amp;#039;s kibble. Do not use flavored yogurt, which contains added sugar. 8. Mash two ripe bananas and mix with four tablespoons of low-fat Greek yogurt and a few sprigs of chopped parsley or peppermint to aid digestion and promote fresh breath. Freeze and scoop out when your pooch is particularly good.   9. Buy frozen green beans and use as treats, particularly for portly pooches who need a little calorie reduction. &amp;quot;They have to be frozen,&amp;quot; Pera warns. &amp;quot;Once they thaw, my dog Shock won&amp;#039;t eat them and gives me a look that says, &amp;#039;What&amp;#039;s that slimy green thing on my food?&amp;#039;&amp;quot;  10.Create your own cheese doodles. (Small doses of junk food can be OK in moderation.) Squeeze a little Cheez Whiz onto a cookie sheet and freeze into mini treats. &amp;quot;If you have more than one dog, you are in trouble,&amp;quot; Pera says. &amp;quot;Cheez Whiz is expensive unless you buy in bulk!&amp;quot; 11.Low-fat cream cheese is your friend, she says. Add a bit to your dog&amp;#039;s favorite hollow toy and freeze overnight.   12. Get bone marrow bones from the butcher and freeze them. &amp;quot;One packet of bone marrow bones costs less than an actual Kong toy,&amp;quot; she says. &amp;quot;They chew the bone marrow and then you can reuse the bone.&amp;quot; Be sure to monitor your dog while he or she is chewing a bone to prevent any possible choking hazards. 13. Place peanut butter or cream cheese inside a marrow bone and freeze. Again, monitor your dog while he or she is working on the bone.   For those who seek a treat for the feline population, Pera offers one simple solution: &amp;quot;I give the cats peace and quiet \u2026 away from the dogs.&amp;quot; Bon appetit!   Related Links from MNN.com:   How To Take Care of Your Dog&amp;#039;s teeth   How To Find the Right Doggy Daycare   How To Protect Dogs From Getting Overheated "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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