There have been mince pies and advent calendars for dogs. But just when you thought it was impossible to spoil your pet any more, along come Easter treats for your hound.
Yes, from biscuits shaped as bunnies to foil-wrapped eggs, you can now find a whole range of Easter-themed products for your pampered pooch.
Most dog owners will know that their pets can’t eat cocoa, but the eggs are invariably made with an ingredient called carob (another name for locust bean). This is quite similar to cocoa but is not toxic to dogs — and when mixed with sugar and vegetable oil, tastes quite similar to chocolate.
‘Chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine, both of which can be toxic to our pets, so it’s important to keep it well away from them,’ explains Dr Karlien Heyrman, from Pets At Home.
Though its Easter products are all completely safe for dogs to eat, she adds: ‘Just like with any other treat, Easter goodies should be given in moderation as part of your pet’s daily calorie intake and as a reward for good behaviour.’
To test the eggs , I roped in my cockapoo, Darcey. But as she gladly eats anything out of a rubbish bin — and worse — I’m not sure she is that discerning. So, I also nibbled a bit of them myself to see which are top dog
More families want to include their pet in Easter celebrations, it seems. Sales of the Woofy Easter Egg for dogs at Pets At Home are up 30 per cent so far this year compared with 2022, while a host of independent manufacturers have set up online shops to cater to the craze.
‘I’ve seen plenty of videos of dogs doing Easter egg hunts with their treats,’ says Jane Parry at Pup Treats, one of these shops. ‘Dog Instagrams are a growing trend, too, so we have aimed to make our treats aesthetically pleasing so they can be snapped and posted across social media channels.’
So, if you have a budding canine Kardashian, or you just want to spoil your pup, which Easter treats are best?
To test them, I roped in my cockapoo, Darcey. But as she gladly eats anything out of a rubbish bin — and worse — I’m not sure she is that discerning. So, I also nibbled a bit of them myself to see which are top dog.
Pup Pioneer
Hatchwells Giant Easter Egg for Dogs (£5.99, petsand friends.co.uk)
Pup pioneer! At 200g, this is a hefty Easter egg, more suited to a Great Dane than a cockapoo
Hatchwells, based in Lancashire, has been around for 90 years and is the pioneer of Easter eggs for animals and available in lots of pet shops. They even make one for horses!
At 200g, this is a hefty egg, more suited to a Great Dane than a cockapoo. But it does mean when you break a small bit off, they have something to get their teeth into. Darcey smelled this a mile off and was determined to attack it. A good sign. 4/5
Very sweet treat
Webbox Dog Easter Egg (pictured below right, £3, webbox.co.uk)
To me, this tasted surprisingly sweet and the biggest ingredient is sugar — not great for dogs in large quantities
Darcey licked her lips and wagged her tail sniffing this one; she was a fan at first, but didn’t come back begging for more.
To me, this tasted surprisingly sweet and the biggest ingredient is sugar — not great for dogs in large quantities.
But the packaging has clear guidelines as to how much any dog should eat on a given day. The texture is quite chalky. 3/5
For health-conscious hounds
DOGraze Easter Dog Treat box (pictured below, £9.99, etsy.com/uk)
Healthy: The dried flowers are edible and looked pretty but Darcey was not convinced by these
This looked very pretty — a small cardboard box stuffed with a variety of treats, but laid out to look almost like a Dutch still life.
The treats included freeze-dried carrot (which Darcey seemed to enjoy getting her gnashers around), freeze-dried raspberries, popcorn and a couple of chews — one in the shape of a bunny, another in the shape of a carrot.
The dried flowers are edible and looked pretty but Darcey was not convinced by these. Pricey, but you get an awful lot of treats in a small box — and they’re healthy. 5/5
Good enough for humans
Woofy Easter Egg (£2.50, Pets At Home)
Good enough for humans: Darcey didn’t wag her tail eating this one, however, suggesting she was not a huge fan
The packaging says: ‘A delicious treat, just for dogs!’ In fact, I’ve had worse chocolate — aimed at humans — in my lifetime.
The combination of sugar, oils and fats, milk derivatives and carob really isn’t terrible. And it was less sweet than the Webbox one.
Darcey didn’t wag her tail eating this one, however, suggesting she was not a huge fan. But she gladly accepted a second piece. 3/5
Personalised for your pooch
PupTreats Personalised Easter Dog Treats (£6, etsy.com/uk)
Impressive: Some of the dozen or so Easter treats — in the shape of bunnies, eggs, and chicks — were even decorated with Darcey’s name
You couldn’t get more personalised than this. Not only was the package addressed to Darcey, but it also contained a ‘Hoppy Easter’ card for her.
Open the slim box and some of the dozen or so Easter treats — in the shape of bunnies, eggs, and chicks — were even decorated with Darcey’s name. I was impressed.
Sadly, however, Darcey was not. The treats are made out of baked, unsweetened peanut butter — something she usually likes, but she spat these out.
It was the final treat so maybe she was fed up, or perhaps she is just getting fussy. 3/5
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