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A smiling bearded man in a plaid shirt and suspenders holds out a vanilla ice cream cone as a golden retriever licks it. 9 / 22

Gus Bought Himself an Ice Cream Cone. He Never Got the First Bite.

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Sitting on the edge of the living room couch, Gus holds a waffle cone of vanilla ice cream at exactly golden-retriever height. That was a choice. Honey has leaned in with her eyes half closed and her tongue out, taking a slow, delighted lick off the top scoop. Gus is watching her with a warm grin crinkling up his whole face, clearly fine with giving up the first taste. A throw blanket hangs off the couch, a plant sits by the window, and nobody seems to care whether the cone drips.

A lick or two of plain vanilla is a treat many owners share, but ice cream is not really dog food. Many adult dogs have trouble digesting lactose, and the sugar and fat are not doing them any favors. Some flavors are risky, too: chocolate is toxic to dogs, and some products contain the sweetener xylitol, which is dangerous for them. Grapes, raisins, and macadamia nuts in mix-ins are also off the table. If you want to share a cool snack on a hot day, frozen plain yogurt in small amounts, or frozen dog-safe fruit like a few blueberries, can be gentler options. Talk to your vet if your dog has a sensitive stomach.

Still, it is hard to argue with that look on either of their faces. Some treats are about the taste, and some are about who you share them with. This one is clearly the second kind.

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