Polar Pups: Cool Treats for Hot Dogs

I must admit when I was first contacted by Becky of Polar Pups, I was curious how she was going to ship frozen pupsicles to my door without them (a) melting on my porch or (b) costing her a fortune. Nevertheless, and much to my awe and amazement, they arrived safely and soundly at my door without leaving a puddle! Keep reading to find out how.

I was really excited for Lucy and Lola to test these products. Living in Northern California means very hot summers and keeping cool is something we try very hard to accomplish in the By The Wag household; adding a frozen treat to our summer must-have list is something I've been wanting to do.



Introducing, our new favorite summer dog treat: Polar Pups. They come in a pack of four containers, one of each flavor: Barkin' Apple, Beggin' Banana, Berry Bite and Puppy Nutter. I was confused when first opening the package. It was neither cold nor heavy, as you would assume a frozen treat would be. Then you realize the genius of this product. It's all-natural, flavored powder in a plastic container that you simply add water to, shake and freeze. It's completely awesome. Brilliant, even.



I knew these were going to be a hit when Lucy and Lola were begging for them after only smelling the flavored powder. But I knew the wait of a few hours for them to freeze would be worth it for them.



Once the treats were frozen, it was go time. And the girls knew it. I took two flavors out first, the Puppy Nutter and the Beggin' Banana. Although both were enjoyed, the Puppy Nutter clearly was the favorite. Lucy and Lola worked on their flavored ice cubes until they were completely gone, crunching the last pieces out as they came loose from the container. I did have to make sure to take the ice out for them if they happened to crack open the container in the process. I also had to remove the container from them immediately when they were done.



The second round of flavors were as equally as big a hit and were gone in about five minutes. I tried to take Lucy's away for a second and even though she was a polite girl and let me remove it from her possession, she was very anxious to get it back, gently trying to grab it from my hands. In this process of removing containers and taking out ice cubes I noticed another awesome aspect of these frozen treats ... they're not sticky! This means letting the dogs have them on the living room rug wasn't a huge mistake after all.



These treats are awesome. Perfect for both cold weather and warm weather. I say this because even in cold weather, dogs need low-calorie treats. This is especially true of breeds that tend to gain weight quickly (like basset hounds). Lola loves ice cubes and this is a nice step above her already 0-calorie treat preference. It has flavor!

The ingredients in the treat mixes are as follows:
Barkin' Apple: soy milk powder, apple powder, cinnamon
Beggin' Banana: soy milk powder, banana powder
Berry Bite: soy milk powder, blueberry powder
Puppy Nutter: soy milk powder, peanut butter powder

Some consumers may be concerned that soy is used in these products, but if your dog has no known issues with soy then I say, as with everything in life, these treats are great in moderation. It's no worse than you or I going out and having the occasional popsicle or small bowl of ice cream. Although I do feel you could give these treats to your dog regularly without negative results. As with all dog products, if your dog does seem to experience troubles afterward, stop feeding them the treat and monitor them.



One thing I did take note of with Polar Pups: when filling the containers with water, make sure to only fill about 2/3 of the way up to account for the expansion of ice. Also, if it's too full the lid may leak while shaking it.

Polar Pups treat mix can be purchased in a 4-pack for $6.75 + shipping from www.Polar-pups.com. They also have pre-frozen treats with varying ingredients available (can be shipped frozen, but of course overnight shipping will cost a pretty penny). Check their website for product availability and locations. If you own a pet store and are looking for a treat to offer during your summer months (or if you are located in a place with warm to mild winters) you can contact polarpups@gmail.com.

Lucy and Lola's rating: 5 out of 5 wags