Yesterday the inevitable happened. We ran out of peanut butter. Just as I was about to toss the jar into the recycling bin, there was Lucy looking up at me with those sweet puppy dog eyes.
Is peanut butter good for dogs? Because Lucy the Puggle dog cannot get enough of it.
In fact anytime someone pulls the jar of peanut butter out of the cupboard, Lucy sprints over and just sits at their feet. Waiting, hoping, someone will give her a spoonful.
Is this normal? Is your dog a huge peanut butter fan too? Is peanut butter good for dogs? What do you think is a good amount to give them? Does anyone know?
~Mavis
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Helen Fisher says
My dog LOVES PB. We can’t even say the word around here.. After dinner he gets his old bone that is hollow and drops it at my feet…Fill it up please! He is allowed 2 ..and he knows all gone..I have noticed he is not scratching as much…maybe the peanut butter? I don’t know.
donna says
Our dogs love to have their hollow bones stuffed with peanut butter too. To make it last longer and to make it a but of a challenge for them we freeze them for a couple of hours before giving the bones to them. They love the cold PB, esp in the summer time!
Krista says
Peanut butter. A favorite treat of many canines. Not only is it a good source of protein, but it also contains heart healthy fats, vitamin B, niacin, and vitamin E. Stuff peanut butter into a Kong to keep your dog busy for hours. Choose raw, unsalted peanut butter.
Angela says
Yes, peanut butter is safe for dogs. Not only is it safe, it is good for them. We use just a little bit of peanut butter to hide the thyroid pill our 7-year-old lab mix must take. It makes “the medicine go down.”
Just FYI, if your pup should ever get constipated, pumpkin puree works, and if the pup has the opposite problem, try rice and eggs.
Enjoy your furbaby!
Angela
Alicia H. says
My dogs go nuts for peanut butter! They do the same thing, the see it come out of the cabinet and they stay at my feet until I put it away.
Sandy says
Yes peanut butter is very good for dogs.
Try this recipe. These are my dog’s all time favorite.
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup peanut butter ( chunky or smooth)
1 cup milk
Set oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour and baking powder. Add peanut butter and milk. Mix well. Place dough on lightly floured surface and knead. Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness and use a dog bone shaped cookie cutter to cut the biscuits. Bake on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper ( or grease the cookie sheet) until lightly brown, about 20 minutes — watch them closely as they can burn easily. Cool on a rack, then store in an airtight container.
I have a dog cookie jar on my kitchen counter. The minute my dog hears the lid move he is right there for his treats.
Hope your dog enjoys these and enjoy your dog every minute you can.
Sandy
Meg says
We used your recipe for our dog Aria. She LOVED them! Thank you!
Crystal says
Yes. We give our dogs peanut butter as a “special treat.” The Jif To Go packs are handy for them if traveling. I swear they can smell it a mile away.
Kimberly says
A lot of the popular brands are loaded with sugar which I’m sure it not healthy for dogs any more than its really healthy for us when I can’t pronounce most of the ingredients. That said I still give it to mine, a bit in a kong when we leave as a special treat but I try to go with a brand that is less sweetened – thats all I need after we leave is the dog on a sugar buzz
suzanne says
We do this too. Peanut butter is food of the gods! We have to cut the jar in two so both boys get a share.
Samantha M. says
We get sugar free for our dogs if we can, just basically pureed peanuts. But a spoonful or 2 in a kong or hollow bone is a great way to keep them occupied. One of our dogs will work at his kong for hours if he suspects there is even one peanut butter molecule still left in there.
It’s as addictive to pretty much any mammal so it’s great if you want to bait a trap for anything from a mouse to a possum.
Carol says
Yikes! Stay away from sugar-free products of all kinds in feeding [or giving treats] your dog. Splenda and other artificial sweeteners can be toxic for dogs…and, in the very least, can harm their kidneys, etc. Our vet told us this. That’s why ‘finding’ and consuming sugar-free chewing gum that is accidentally left around can kill dogs. Anything that is ‘sugar-free’ is dangerous. Check w/ your vet, if you doubt this, but please do not get sugar-free peanut butter w/ your sweet fur-baby.
Lisa says
Some dogs, like humans, can have allergic reactions to peanuts, most dogs LOVE it! But be careful, peanut butter is fattening and Lucy is tiny, so I would only give her a very small amount.
Megan says
I have been putting about 2 tablespoons of peanut butter in my dog’s Kong toy every day since he was a puppy (he’s 4 now). I put it in the Kong at night and put the Kong in the freezer over night (takes longer for him to lick it all out this way) then give him the toy before I head to work in the morning. He’s a yellow lab and about 85 lbs and always looks forward to getting his peanut butter treat in the morning 🙂
Amy says
My beagle girls love the stuff. They get a bone each morning with some in it – and it hides a thyroid pill. The only thing they like more is dehydrated chicken jerky.
Lisa says
Sure, but it does stick to the roof of their mouths, and can drive them crazy trying to get it off, so don’t let anyone “tease” them with it!
The do make peanut butter dog biscuits. One of my dogs hates peanut butter and won’t even bother to beg for sandwich ends if it’s peanut butter and jelly.
I notice someone uses peanut butter for pills. We use Kraft American slices! Another of our dogs (not the peanut butter hater) takes seizure meds twice a day. The only thing to get it down him is to roll them in 1/6 a piece of cheese. But, only Kraft, and only American! We tried other kinds, and he won’t have it! I bought cheddar once in error, and had to force the pills down him. He gets 1/6 because he takes them twice a day (total 1/3) and the other 2 dogs need to get their little piece of cheese during “pill time for Edward.” Every other day he takes 3 extra pills for his allergies. I find processed cheese (ick to eat!) seals up the pills very well, so he has no idea they’re there.
Madam Chow says
In moderation. One of my dogs gets diarrhea from peanuts. Peanuts and peanut products can contain aflatoxins, which damage the liver. That is why even humans should eat peanuts and peanut butter in moderation.
Vicki says
The Chihuahua Brothers love, love, love peanut butter. They’re very small (6 and 7 pounds), so they don’t get much in their Kongs, but they do love it. I try to give them peanut butter with less sugar. I think Jif makes one called Jif Natural? It has oil on the top when you open it (which I skim off before stirring it) and you have to refrigerate it after opening. It has a really good peanutty flavor, and it really does taste less sweet.
Stephanie says
Oh, yes. When our dog was on chemo the only way he’d take his meds was in the all-natural peanut butter we gave him. [Note: the dog wasn’t snooty and only choosing to eat all-natural; that was the only kind we got him].
nicole says
Our 2 pooches go insane for the peanut butter stuffed cow hooves. They must get it from me cause I could live off the stuff. My only suggestion is to watch how much you give Ms. Lucy since she’s a smaller dog. Our shih tzu gained a little weight from her peanut butter addiction. Now she only gets it when we crate her.
Also, you could make some doggie ice cream for Lucy. Here’s my recipe:
1 32oz yogurt
1 banana
2 T peanut butter
Mix in blender in freeze in whatever size container you think is the right size for your pooch.
Patrick says
In Our House We Have A People Peanut Butter Jar And A Doggy Peanut Butter. The Dog Jar Gets All Kinds Of dog Toys Dipped Into it.
Jami says
My two shih tzu’s love it! I make homemade dog cookies with the peanut butter that you grind yourself at WinCo. That way there is no added sugar.
Julie Ann says
I second the comment regarding over-sweetened peanut butter… just about every brand I looked at in four different stores contained hydrogenated oils (sometimes cottonseed?! Ew.) and/or high-fructose corn syrup. Those are no-nos in my house. I buy Laura Scutter’s natural peanut butter. It’s a bit pricier, but well worth it for the lack of junk. They even make an organic choice 🙂 I offer my 11lb dogs about 1/2 teaspoon as a treat with their anti-parasitic drops. My pygmy goats also like a lick!!
Lynn F says
Totally OK/good for them. They make PB stuffed treats/toys and the dog trainers recommend stuffing the “KONG” toys with PB to entertain puppies/dogs. Want an awesome tip? Stuff a kong or other hollow toy with PB mixed with kibble or other dry dog treats and/or pieces of meat and/or veggies that your dogs likes. Then FREEZE it. Give the frozen toy to a BUSY puppy/dog to entertain them for a LONG time. Kongs and other hard rubber toys can be dishwasher washed in order to sanatize after your dog has finished. Sounds GROSS but it works!!
kcb says
When our last dog had to take pills each day, our vet told us to put a bit of PB around the pill. It was a bit messy but it worked. From this, I’m assuming that it’s safe for dogs.
Paul says
YES Mavis, Peanut butter is great for dogs! At least my ten dogs have no problems with it-EVER!!! As far as how much to give them well, that s an easy one. At least a tablespoon a day seems to keep them all happy. YES, they want more too. Of course they’d prefer I leave them all one jar each for themselves- but lets be realistic here. They cant unscrew the lids so there’s the rub…They really want to too- you can see it in their eyes & facial expressions!
Michele says
Yep, Bella the Chi-weenie and Mickey the Beale loooove their peanut butter treats!
Jen F says
Yes, Mavis! Our dog is a huge P.B. fan. I get a little thrill when I see that the jar is nearing the end, because I can open the back door & give the jar a toss out into the back yard. Our pup is so happy to find it. The last time this happened she was inside & I saw our free-range chickens pecking at the jar, so they must be p.b. fans too. I didn’t see a tussle between them, but sometimes if they try to peck at something she would like to have she will tell them like it is, pup dog rules. 🙂
Helen in Meridian says
Lucky for you, our Albertsons has JIFF for .99, which is the cheapest peanut butter in 1- years. You buy in groups of 10, and .99 for a 16 oz jar is a great great price.
Helen in Meridian says
I meant the cheapest price on peanut butter in ten years.
Aggie in Ohio says
My daughter cannot ever leave peanut butter out on the counter because her dog will get the jar and get the lid off herself to get the peanut butter.in it!