BBQ Guide for Dogs

Dogs love a BBQ cookout just as much as their owners. But, are the sauce and meat safe for dogs? Read on to find out how to keep your pooch safe at the next BBQ and make a dog-friendly menu for your dog to join in on the fun.

What’s Safe?

It’s important to remember not to feed your pup any bones from the meat! Bones can split easily and cause a number of health issues, which even might have you leaving to take your dog to the vet! Chicken bones especially are known to split and splinter easily. Avoid obstructions by just avoiding the bone hand-off. Some other BBQ foods that are common to bring can be toxic to dogs like grapes, tomatoes, onions, chocolate, and garlic! Make sure your guests know not to feed your dog any scaps, especially if they don’t ask you first.

Dogs can still be in BBQ heaven if done right! Here are some dog-safe eats for your begging pooch:

• Plain hot dogs (cut it up before feeding it to your dog to avoid a choking hazard)
• Plain hamburger (fatty meat isn’t good for dogs, but a few bites won’t hurt)
• Grilled veggies (avoid these vegetables as they’re harmful to your dog)
• Fruit like watermelon or blueberries (remove any choking materials like the rind or seeds and check to see if the fruit is safe, try freezing them for a summertime treat)
• Small portions of other meat like ribs, steak, or salmon (leave the meat off the bone and cut it up for your dog, a small amount of sauce is fine but don’t overload on the spice)

Remember, to avoid your dog getting a tummy ache from being full, don’t overdo the handouts and monitor what they’re eating! You should only be giving them small portions and if you suspect they ate something toxic, take them to the vet ASAP.

Grilling Safety

If your dog loves to be attached at the hip, BBQing will be no exception. But, this situation can get dangerous if your dog gets spooked or gets too rowdy around the grill, especially when using an open flame.

For general safety at the BQQ follow:

• Ask everyone to not feed your pooch table scraps and discourage begging
• Monitor any kids around your dog to make sure they don’t sneak them food
• Leave your dog inside if needed, some dogs are just too anxious to be in this environment
• Avoid using heavy or harmful sprays like bug spray, also make sure the source of gasoline or fire starter is put away
• Use closed trash cans to keep your dog out

For grill area safety follow:

• Have the grill cover available and collect all bones and fallen raw/cooked meat from the ground
• Put down the lid cover when your dog is around, especially if they like to get up on their legs to see what you’re doing
• Keep lighter fluid and matches out of reach of dogs and kids
• Keep your dog on a leash if someone isn’t able to watch them

Dog-Friendly BBQ Treats

• Sliders: Using a lettuce bun, or no bun, give your dog a special treat with a small portion meat slider
• Dog treats: Give your dog a treat or two when they’re being well behaved at the BBQ, try something from this list
• Grilled sweet potatoes: Depending on how strictly you follow the recipe, this could be a quick or fancier treat for your pooch
• Shish Kebabs: Grill a small portion of protein and dog-safe veggies on a stick, but remove them off the stick before giving it to your dog to eat
• Frozen treat: Make one of these frozen treats as a substitute for ice cream