Every morning for breakfast I have yogurt with granola, chia seeds, coconut flakes, collagen powder, and fresh fruit. It’s a lot of little ingredients and I love setting up my bowl like it’s a piece of art. When I saw a canine enrichment dog chew created in a similar way, I knew I had to recreate it for Lucy and Burt!
My version of a Doggy Açaí Bowl looks good enough to be on the cover of a magazine! It’s also really healthy and packed with nutritional and behavioral benefits for the dogs. I love to turn snacks and meals into enrichment activities as often as I can. This treat is really great because not only does it get your dog sniffing and chewing, but it also encourages them to lick!
Check out this post to learn why a doggy açaí bowl is so great for canine enrichment and get inspiration to make your own!
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Feeding Beyond the Bowl for Canine Enrichment
One of the best ways to work canine enrichment activities into your dog’s routine is by feeding them “beyond the bowl.” You’re going to feed your dog every day, so why not make one of the meals more exciting by introducing puzzles and unique textures. These are brain games for your dog and will tire them out better than a short walk around the block.
One simple way I like to make mealtime more interesting is to freeze the dog’s supplements in goats milk or bone broth to add a different texture to their dinner bowl. Freeze just about anything can make it more challenging for your dog to eat.
You can get really creative and make something like this frozen doggy açaí bowl! Something like this provides much needed mental stimulation to your dog and lets them tap into their natural canine instinct. Dogs love to use their sense of smell to figure out what they’re eating. Chewing on tough frozen chews, like in this recipe, is also a naturally calming activity for them.
When you serve your dog’s treats or meals in creative, enriching ways you’re also training them to have a longer attention span. Think of canine enrichment as a workout for your dog’s mind! If you like this Acai Bowl idea, you should check out my Doggy Cannoli, too!
>> Click here to use my ambassador link and get a free bag of treats in your first Real Dog Box!
Can Dog’s Eat Açaí Bowls?
My version of the doggy açaí bowl doesn’t have any actual açaí berries in it. I was inspired by the artistic presentation of a lot of fancy açaí bowls, but I don’t use the actual berries.
Açaí berries are antioxidant powerhouses and according to several sources, they can be safe for your dog in moderation. However, açaí berries also contain something called theobromine, which is the same compound found in chocolate that can cause poisoning in dogs. Because of that, you should never give your dog a whole bowl of these berries.
I would recommend that you leave the açaí berries out of your dog’s fancy bowl and instead opt for many of the safe and healthy ingredients I have listed below.
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Doggy Açaí Bowl Recipe
Bowl: Dried Pig Skin or Ear from Real Dog Box
Base: Plain Yogurt and Coconut Oil
Toppings: Broccoli, Joint Supplement, Sardine, Banana, Stella & Chewy’s Magical Dinner Dust, Blueberry, Strawberry, Carrot
I recommend using a natural chew such as a pig skin or pig ear that is relatively flat and gives you a nice big surface area to place all your toppings.
I started by fancy bowl arrangement by spreading out 2 lines of plain greek yogurt. I topped one line of yogurt with a senior dog supplement from The Missing Link, it’s packed with glucosamine, Omega 3s and fiber.
Below that I added half of a canned sardine (I use the one canned in water from Trader Joe’s). Sardines are a great source of Omega 3s, too.
Sliced banana went across the middle of the pig skin chew. On top of the banana I sprinkled a little Magical Dinner Dust by Stella & Chewy’s. This is their new What’s Shak’n Bac’n Recipe and the dogs love it!
The second row of yogurt got topped with fresh blueberries (left over from my own breakfast!). Blueberries are a great source of antioxidants.
On the bottom corner of the dried pig skin I smeared some coconut oil so I could stick on a few frozen strawberries and baby carrot chunks. Both of these are healthy snacks for your dog and full of nutritious vitamins.
I saved some broccoli stalks from my dinner the other night and sliced them thin to go on the top edge of this doggy acai bowl. I love how they are almost star-shaped and really give the artistic tough to this canine enrichment creation!
When I have everything on the pig skin how I like, I put the finished “bowl” in the freezer for at least 4 hours.
Benefits of Dried Pig Skin for My Dog
For this doggy açaí bowl, you can use a dried pig skin, dried pig ear or any other flat or bowl-like dog chew. The dried pig skin that I get from Real Dog Box are single-ingredient chews, sourced and made in Georgia where they’re trimmed and hand-cut then naturally dried for about 55 hours.
When unprocessed and trimmed of fat, these pig skin chews are high in protein and low in carbohydrates and cholesterol. Plus, the rolled sides of the chew will scrape off excess plaque and tartar on my dog’s teeth as they chomp on it.
If you use a dried pig ear, that’s another high protein chew that will naturally clean your dog’s teeth as they chew.
Where to Find All-Natural Dried Dog Chews
The dried pig skin that I use is from Real Dog Box. Their chews are always all-natural and free of any chemicals, dyes or bleach (some companies use bleach to make their chews, don’t buy those!).
I’ve been a subscriber of Real Dog Box for years and look forward to getting our box each month! Sometimes I give the chews directly to the dogs, but I also love getting inspired to make fun enrichment activities like this acai bowl, a doggy cannoli or a long lasting Kong.
>> Click here to use my ambassador link and get a free bag of treats in your first Real Dog Box!
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Did you like this post? Check out these links:
DIY Busy Box for Bored Dogs
Super Healthy Goat Milk Pupsicle Recipe
The Best Dog Chews for Mental Stimulation
Easy Kale and Apple Frozen Dog Treats
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