How to Host a Tail-Wagging Tailgate: Dog-friendly Football Fun & Food Ideas

Game day with friends is always a blast, but it’s even more enjoyable when everyone’s dogs can be a part of the football fun! If you’re hosting the next tailgate for your crew, check out our ideas for dog-friendly activities, natural^* dog treats, and dog food swaps that will score you major points with your four-legged guests.

3 Dog-Friendly Activities for Your Next Tailgate

1. Football Fetch Tournament: No matter how many dogs attend your event, a friendly football fetch tournament is easy to execute. Simply mark a starting line, toss a dog-safe football to a marked spot in the grass (a hula hoop works great!), and let each dog race against the clock to fetch the football back to the starting line. The fastest retriever earns bragging rights—and maybe even healthy dog treats, like Wellness^® Whimzees^® Dog Treats. As a delicious, all-natural way to help reduce plaque and tartar, dogs will love how Whimzees taste, and pet owners will love the bonus of better dental health. Talk about a win-win.

2. Furry Fan Parade: Encourage the dogs to show off their game-day spirit with a furry fan parade around the block. Whether they’re decked out in a jersey or just sporting the team colors, this fun event is sure to bring smiles to everyone’s faces, including the neighbors. Start by planning a route through your yard or tailgate area and to the sidewalk so there’s a clear path for the dogs to strut their stuff! If you have a lot of participants, you can offer natural treats for dogs to the winners of different superlatives like “Most Spirited”, “Cutest Costume”, or “Best Team Representation”. Also, remember to be mindful of having puppy treats on hand for younger guests because their sensitive digestive systems may not handle adult treats well.
We recommend picking up Wellness^® Soft Puppy Bites and Crunchy Puppy Bites. Not only are they wholesome, healthy and tasty—they’re also grain-free, bite-sized, and specially formulated for puppies under one year old, making them some of the best treats for puppies and dogs of all ages.

3. Fumble-Free Agility Challenge: The name of this game is for the dogs to make it through the obstacle course with a football in their mouth as fast as possible. To create the route, grab some basic equipment like hula hoops, pool noodles, or even lawn chairs. Then, get ready to watch the dogs race through for the best time. Win or lose, be sure to reward each participant with well-deserved natural dog treats for a well-done job. Try passing out Wellness^® Dog Bowl Boosters for pups, which add extra flavor and health benefits to their usual kibble. With recipes like Wellness^® Bowl Boosters Bare Beef, Wellness^® Bowl Boosters Tender Toppers, and Wellness^® Bowl Boosters Hearty Toppers there’s a wide variety for you to offer guests to take home.

4 Dog-Friendly Game Day Bites They’ll Beg For

When it comes to feeding four-legged guests, we’ve got some winning recipe ideas for you to try. From dog-safe hot dogs to pumpkin pupsicles, take a look at how you can make the dog snacks at your tailgate the talk of the town.

Friendly reminder: Before you fire up the grill and prepare homemade dog treats, don’t forget to check in with your friends about their dog’s dietary needs and any allergies. This way, you’ll know in advance if you need to pick up store-bought dog treats for sensitive stomachs (and avoid allergies) to accommodate some guests.

1. Grilling Chicken For Dogs
Serve up grilled goodies dogs will love.

• Use skinless, boneless chicken: When it comes to grilling goodies for dogs, the simpler the better! Cooked chicken bones might splinter and cause choking hazards and fatty chicken skin may be difficult for them to digest. Aim for boneless, skinless chicken for a safe and tasty treat.
• Steer clear of seasoning: Salt, pepper, garlic, onion, and other seasonings may be harmful to dogs. Simply cook the chicken without any seasoning.
• Cook all the way through: To eradicate any dangerous bacteria, such as salmonella, make sure the chicken is cooked through. The interior shouldn’t be pink.
• Trim fat: Before grilling chicken breast for dogs, trim excess fat to avoid potential digestive problems.

2. Dog-Friendly Nachos
Delight dogs with classic game day snacks, reimagined for their canine tastes.

• Make Sweet Potato Chips: Slice sweet potatoes into thin rounds, bake them until crispy. These will be your healthy, dog-safe alternative to traditional tortilla chips. Plus, who doesn’t love sweet potato dog treats?
• Top with Cooked, Unseasoned Meat: Add a layer of cooked, unseasoned ground turkey or shredded chicken to the sweet potato rounds for a protein-packed topping that dogs can safely enjoy.
• Finish with Plain Greek Yogurt: Replace your usual nacho cheese with a drizzle of plain Greek yogurt for a creamy, dog-friendly finish. You can even sprinkle a few peas or carrots for added flavor and crunch.
• Keep Portions Small and Avoid Oils: Be sure to keep your portions small, especially for puppies. If you plan to cook with oils, use only coconut oil, or fish oil. Canola oil and sunflower oil can be harmful to dogs.

3. Banana Peanut Butter Frozen Yogurt Pupsicles
I scream, you scream, it’s basically homemade dog ice cream!

• Blend the Ingredients: In a blender, combine 1 ripe banana, 2 tablespoons of xylitol-free peanut butter, and 1 cup of plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt. Blend until smooth. This should be enough for 6-8 pupsicles, depending on the mold size or ice cube tray you’re using.
• Fill Molds: Pour the blended mixture into silicone molds or ice cube trays, filling them evenly.
• Freeze Until Solid: Place the molds in the freezer for 3-4 hours or until fully frozen. Once solid, pop out the pupsicles and serve them as a cool treat for your furry friends!
• Keep Portions Small: Remember that treats should be kept to 10% of your dog’s daily food intake to keep nutritional balance.

4. Pumpkin Pupcakes
Instead of a whole dog cake recipe, go for bite-sized treats that are easy to portion. Topped with a Wellness^® Old Mother Hubbard Fall Favorite biscuit, we’ve got just the recipe to wow your crowd. Watch how to make our take on Pumpkin Flavored Dog Pupcakes.

Ingredients
1 1/2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour 1/2 Tsp. Baking Soda
1 Cup Canned Pumpkin Puree (note: not the kind for pumpkin pie filling)
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
1/4 Cup Water
1 Tablespoon of Vanilla
12-15 Wellness Old Mother Hubbard Fall Favorite biscuits
1 Tablespoon of Honey (optional)

You can also click here to see the full written recipe.

Is Your Dog’s Diet Ready for Football Season?: A Dog Food Swap Guide

Although they may be doing well on their current kibble, a dog food swap during this time of year can help ensure your furry friend enjoys game day right alongside you. Take a moment to consider if your furry friend may benefit from a new recipe in their routine.

As football season kicks off, switching to a special formula that supports digestion or includes more probiotics could help prevent tummy troubles, especially if your pet is known to sneak a few human food bites during game day excitement. To help their digestion, we recommend giving Wellness^® CORE Digestive Health a try or any recipes from the Wellness^® Complete Health line.

In addition to combatting the effects of human food, if your dog is more active during tailgating, you might consider switching to a high-protein or performance dog food that supports their energy needs. To ensure they’re getting all the right fuel for all the extra play, we recommend any recipe from Wellness^® CORE or Wellness^® CORE+ line.

Remember, when switching your pet’s food, transitioning gradually is important. Start by mixing a small amount of the new food with their current food, slowly increasing the ratio over a week or so to avoid digestive issues. Trust us, it’s worth the extra time to keep your dog’s tummy happy. For more detailed tips on how to make a swap, check out our Guide to Changing Your Dog’s Food.

Game Day Goals: Wellness Foods Can Get You There

From tailgate activities to treating to daily feeding, when it comes to supporting your dog’s health goals during game days and beyond, Wellness is here to help—so you can keep cheering together football season after season.

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