3 Ways to Celebrate Easter With Your Dog

Happy April! If you celebrate Easter and have a dog, then you know that your furry friend loves participating in the day’s activities just as much as the kids do. The yummy food, the visitors, the warm weather – what else could a dog want?! But, Easter can be one of the most dangerous holidays for dogs because of the amount of candy and chocolate products that get consumed. Instead of having to restrict your furry friend from all the festivities, let them in on the fun by making them some dog-specific Easter activities. Here are a few things you can do with them this Sunday that will have them happier than the Easter Bunny!

Dog Egg Hunt

When you think of Easter, you think of Easter egg hunts. After all, that’s the part of Easter that everyone looks forward to most each year. Make sure that your furry friend is in on all the fun by setting up a dog-friendly Easter egg hunt! Instead of using plastic eggs that can be harmful to them, you can just simply hide treats and toys throughout the yard or house for them to find. In addition, if you’re wanting to really keep in the egg theme, you can de-shell hard-boiled eggs as treats in the hunt as well. Not only is this a great way to keep them busy and distracted, but it will also tire them out! (Make sure to have the dog egg hunt before the kid egg hunt to avoid the dog from getting any loose candy and chocolate that wasn’t picked up in the kid’s hunt). 

Easter-Themed Photoshoot

There’s nothing like seeing the adorable photos of dogs that come around each holiday season that feature holiday-themed clothes, accessories, and scenes. Have a try at doing your own holiday-inspired photos with your furry friend this weekend! Some ideas for Easter-themed photos could be your dog in bunny ears with an easter basket outside in the grass; your dog in an Easter-themed bandana with easter eggs lying around them in the grass; your dog in easter bunny ears with easter bunny stuffed animals and easter eggs lying around them. These photo shoots can be as simple or as complex as you want them to be, it’s really a matter of how much your dog is willing to put up with!

Bake Easter Treats

Let your furry friend in on the Easter fun by making them special Easter-themed treats. There are plenty of simple recipes for dog treats that you can make into any shape you want – egg, bunny – but here is our personal favorite recipe for Easter dog treats:

Homemade Easter Egg Cookie Dog Treats Ingredients:

• ½ cup Peanut Butter
• 2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 cup Steel Cut Oats
• 1 cup Hot Chicken Broth
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp Honey

Easter Dog Treats Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Place steel cut oats in blender, food processor, or coffee grinder until they are almost at a powder/flour consistency.
3. Combine peanut butter, hot chicken broth, olive oil, and honey. Stir until dissolved.
4. Stir in ground oatmeal and flour until well combined.
5. Place dough on a powdered surface and roll out to a 1/4” thickness.
6. Cut out shapes with egg shaped cookie cutters.
7. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
8. Ice cookies if desired (instructions below), place back in oven for 2-3 minutes.

Dog Cookie Icing Ingredients:

• 4 Tbsp. Whole Wheat Flour
• 2 Tbsp. Water
• Natural Food Coloring (Optional)

Dog Cookie Icing Directions:

1. Mix flour and water until smooth.
2. Divide “icing” into snack size sandwich bags.
3. Add 1-2 drops food coloring, massage bag until thoroughly mixed.
4. Squeeze all mixture to one corner of the bag.
5. For creating details like lines and polka dots-Snip of a tiny corner of bag and squeeze gently as you go, drawing on your cookies.
6. Or simply ice the entire top surface with a butter knife.