Fun and delicious way to cool your dog down on hot summer days - by Jayne Goldstone.

​PUPSICLES We all love treats, and so of course do our pooch family.  Now that the summer is upon us, let me share a simple recipe that dogs love, one that will also cool them down during the hotter spells as well as keep them amused and occupied.
Ingredients
Chicken – approximately 8-10 chicken thighs. Remove skin before cooking to avoid a high fat content
2 Litres of water - If you use bottled water spring water is better than mineral water and most supermarkets sell their own brands for around 17p
Carrots (optional)
NO SEASONING AS SALT IS BAD FOR DOGS
 
You will need a large saucepan for the quantity of water, chicken and or bones.
Place the chicken and carrots in the pan with the water and cook on a slow to medium heat for around 2 hours or until the chicken is cooked and comes easily away from the bones.  Remove pan from heat and allow soup to cool.  Once cool separate the liquid from the chicken, keeping the meat aside for your dogs to eat as their lollies only require the liquid and a bit of mashed carrot if you cook any.
 
Place the cooled liquid in your fridge and allow it to set so that any surplus fat can set and be scraped off the top and discarded. Next ladle out the liquid and mashed carrot into ice lolly moulds or ice trays. I also use containers from yoghurts and other similar packaging once their contents has been consumed, placing these in your freezer for a few hours until frozen. 2 litres of water provides a lot of liquid to make quite a few lollies in various sizes.
 
A slow cooker is also a great option as it can cook the soup overnight for convenience and ease.
 
If you don’t want to spend money on actual chicken pieces you can save up chicken bones from roast dinners by freezing them in a bag until you have enough to make a good stock. Beef bones can be used too.
 
Warning
Please take extra care to ensure that no bones are left in the soup as these are of course harmful to dogs. If you are using chicken bones it is easy for the smaller bones to break away, so I always use a sieve to strain the liquid through into another pan or bowl.
 
It’s best to keep an eye on your dog or dogs consuming their lollies so that you can avoid them swallowing any plastic packaging.
 
The ice lolly moulds can be used each time though all other disposable containers will normally end up shredded, ready for the bin.
 
Watch how much your dog with love their ice lolly treats