Whimsy for Dogs

Homemade treat recipes, dog fashion, and fun ideas for enhancing your pet's day-to-day.

Sep 27, 2025

The first day Genevieve padded into our house, she greeted the cat as if they were already old friends. No hesitation, just a wagging tail thudding against every piece of furniture, occasionally knocking over a coffee mug, as she explored.

She hopped onto our faded blue couch like it had been waiting for her. We pet her endlessly, as demanded. If we dared stop, she’d swing a paw onto your shoulder and lock eyes with an earnest stare that was part plea, part threat.

And then came the surprise act of canine gymnastics we didn’t know was possible.

Our first home was a narrow two-story in-law cottage in Florida: crowded living room and kitchen downstairs, a spiral staircase twisting up to the bedroom and bath. The ceilings were so low my husband ducked constantly, but that staircase, our one flourish of cool, sold us on the lease.

Many a friend’s dog had visited. Many had tried that staircase. All had failed spectacularly, slipping on the metal steps and retreating in reverse.

Not Genevieve.

Without warning, she scampered up like a monkey, never missing a step. She reached the landing, turned back to us, and, if I’m honest, I think she smirked. In that moment, laughing in disbelief, we decided she belonged to us. We adopted five-year-old Genevieve on the spot.

Even the most perfect dog has her vices. Genevieve considers pizza a personal right and will happily nose open the trash can for a slice. She also really specifically likes Oreos, and doesn’t mind at all if they are still in the package and she has to take them off the kitchen counter. Such obstacles do not deter her.

Now she’s almost ten, her hair has some grey, her joints pop when she gets up from a nap. She remains the most resilient and upbeat dog I’ve ever met.

At a rooftop Fourth of July party this year, she strolled beneath bursting fireworks, unbothered, intent only on finding someone to scratch her, and maybe share their pizza.

If she hears you crying, she’ll try to lick the tears off your face, like a slightly smelly angel.

Through every job change, every broken heart, even an entire move to New York City, she’s been a constant. And she’s somehow adapted with more grace than I have: from a Florida backyard to four walks a day; from humid afternoons to months of snow; from long car rides to long rambles through Prospect Park.

She happily took on the challenge of readjusting in a way that inspired me to do the same. As long as her family is with her, she is happy. And that’s a quality I really love about dogs. We should probably all take some notes.

I wrote an article about bringing more whimsy into your life, but I have been thinking a lot about how you could practically introduce some more joy at home for your fuzziest companions. Whimsy, but for dogs?

So with nearly a decade of her companionship, I wanted to share small ways I’ve learned to make her days as rich as she’s made mine:

1. Dress for success

The “Wanda x Abbode” collar, and “The Wanda Collar” in sunny

I have a practice of picking a fun bandana for her to wear each day when I get dressed. It takes two seconds to tie one on, and I seriously notice an extra pep in her step because I think she feels pretty.

I have a collection of bandanas from my favorite, Fren, a small dog-forward business, and she is constantly complimented on them! I’ve never seen such fun designs for dogs — from pilgrim collars to stitched embroidery. Fren just launched a new collection with week with Abbode as well, and it looks like polka dots are in season!

2. Make ice cube treats

Okay, this is my hack of all hacks for my dog. I wanted treats that would last her longer than 7 seconds to devour, and also were not pricey. I figured out I could make them on my own!

Ice treats keep her busy for a few minutes; she is obsessed with them, and it is nearly free to make — in sharp contrast to pet-store treat bags. All you need is a silicone ice tray and some dog-safe ingredients. You can mix and match ingredients as you, your vet, and your dog see fit.

Here is a pet-friendly recipe guide (but please do your own research for your own pup!):

Mix-and-match ingredients:

✷ Bases

Water or unsalted/low-sodium chicken/beef bone broth
Plain unsweetened kefir or plain yogurt (if dairy is tolerated)
Coconut water (small amounts)

✷ Creamy add-ins

100% pumpkin purée (not pie filling)
Banana (ripe, mashed)
Peanut butter (xylitol-free, no added sweeteners/salt)
Plain applesauce (unsweetened)

✷ Fruits (prep seedless, skin off if tough)

Blueberries, strawberries, watermelon (no seeds/rind), apple (no core/seeds), pear

✷ Veg & herbs

Carrot, cucumber, green beans, cooked sweet potato, peas
A pinch of parsley or mint (breath-freshening)

✷ Protein bits (optional, tiny pieces)

Plain cooked chicken or turkey
Small crumbs of plain cooked egg

Foolproof “Pupsicle” method (works with any combo):

Choose your base (1 cup): water, low-sodium broth, kefir, or yogurt.
Add binder (¼–½ cup): pumpkin, banana, or applesauce to make it lightly thick.
Flavor (2–4 Tbsp total): fruit/veg, herb pinch, or a teaspoon of xylitol-free peanut butter.
Blend or whisk until pourable; thin with water if needed.
Pour into a silicone ice tray (size to your dog—smaller cubes for small dogs).
Freeze 3–4 hours until solid. Pop out and store in a freezer bag for up to 2 months.
Serve 1–3 cubes (size-/weather-/dog-dependent). Introduce new combos slowly and observe for tummy upset.

Easy flavor ideas:

Pumpkin Pie(ish): pumpkin + kefir + a bit of parsley
PB & Banana: banana + water + 1 tsp xylitol-free PB
Chicken Broth & Carrot: low-sodium broth + grated carrot + parsley
Watermelon Mint: watermelon + water + tiny mint pinch
Blueberry Swirl: kefir + mashed blueberries

Skip these (not safe for dogs)

Chocolate/cocoa, xylitol (in some nut butters/yogurts), grapes/raisins, onions/garlic, macadamia nuts, alcohol/caffeine, excess salt, sweetened dairy, and any flavored waters with additives.

If your dog has a medical diet or sodium limits, check with your vet first!

I usually make blueberry and peanut butter cubes, just topped with water. She loves them.

3. Bon appétit!

As Genevieve has entered her senior years, I noticed her slowing down. After some research (and a mild panic), I switched her to a high-quality joint-support formula. If you are a Feeling! Reader, you know I am very cautious of ever recommending a product without first trying it myself. And I really, earnestly, do have a suggestion for you. The change has been worth every penny. I feel like her personality has changed, and she is much less achy (and itchy). We’ve got our puppy back.

I switched her to a Maev subscription, which is a raw food diet. We get her the joint blend. And I switched her treats to their joint supplements. Not only is their branding really beautiful, but she is also obsessed with the taste and likes to wait by the freezer for her meal. (I feel like she was kind of indifferent to her food before this!) It’s more than we spent on kibble food, of course, but I think Maev is competitively priced compared to other expensive raw food brands.

I also reached out to them and said we were obsessed, and I’d like to share about them with my readers, and they generously gave me a coupon code for Feeling! readers to use! You can use JENNA20 for 20% off your order.

4. Smell pretty

Part of living with a dog is accepting that sometimes they smell like a dog. Genevieve’s personal scent profile ranges from “fresh meadow” to “sidewalk cheeto,” depending on the day.

Nearly every day, I spritz a bit of Decool’s dog-safe perfume through her coat.

If you’d rather keep things homemade, a quick DIY coat refresher works beautifully, too. In a clean spray bottle, combine one cup of distilled water, and two drops of dog-safe essential oil such as lavender; skip anything stronger, and never use tea tree or citrus oils, which can be irritating. Shake well and give the bottle a little swirl before lightly misting your dog’s coat from a distance of about a foot, brushing through as you go.

5. Solve puzzles

Work that bored brain out for a bit! You can grab a ready-made treat puzzle toy online, there are plenty with sliding panels and hidden compartments, or you can rig your own. Phineas and Ferb that thing. True pet owners know paper towel tubes and empty water bottles often work better than the stuff you spend money on. Try folding a few small treats inside a bath towel, tucking and rolling it into tricky little pockets so your dog has to nuzzle and unroll each layer. Or drop treats into clean, crumpled paper grocery bags and hide them around the room.

It’s low-tech enrichment that satisfies a dog’s natural urge to forage and leaves them happily exhausted. If you have kids, this could be a really fun activity for them to be in charge of, and then everyone is entertained!

6. Co-host dinner parties

Having people over isn’t just good for you, it’s an event for your dog, too. Genevieve treats a dinner party like an unofficial meet-and-greet, circulating the room with her tail on autopilot, collecting belly rubs and stray compliments.

Plan a simple gathering, nothing fussy, just friends and a pot of something, and let your dog play social butterfly. Be sure to give them a cozy “off-duty” corner if they need a breather from all that hosting.

It’s remarkable how a night of extra attention and gentle chaos can leave a dog happily tired, as though she’s hosted a party of her

on. (I let her think that)

7. Grab coffee

Taking a dog out in public can feel like a production with the leash, water bowl, and the inevitable stop-and-sniff delays. But there’s a quiet kind of goodness in making space for someone else’s delight. It’s a small practice in dying to self: slowing your pace so they can smell everything, pausing while they greet a stranger, rearranging your own rhythm for theirs.

Pick a café with outdoor seating and let your dog settle under the table while you sip your latte. The world becomes their sensory buffet with drifting scents of pastries, the rustle of paper cups, a parade of shoes to inspect. If the barista offers a pup cup of whipped cream, say yes if you can; everyone likes a little cup of something! Try to be present and enjoy it, without scrolling or zoning out.

8. Explore somewhere new

Every once in a while, trade your usual route for an unfamiliar path, a park you’ve never wandered, a quiet street that smells of someone else’s dinner. For a dog, every fresh scent is an adventure, and for you, it’s a reminder that the world is wider than your routine.

Animals have a way of pulling us into the present without a word. Genevieve doesn’t care how many emails sit unanswered or whether I’ve crossed off a single item on my to-do list. She cares that I’m with her.

Dogs give us an invitation to linger, to be silly, to notice, to love what is right in front of us. They are so good at it.