Our yummy, fruity Iced Treats were the very first items in the Billy + Margot® range, and have always been popular with dogs and their loving pet parents - particularly during the summer months. However, there’s more to our Iced Treats than delicious flavors and fun. Some of the other great benefits include: 1. THEY COOL DOGS DOWN Marie Jones first developed Iced Treats as a way of cooling her Labrador, Billy, down on hot days. With his thick coat, Billy suffered from the heat, and Marie – who was studying nutrition at the time – noted that when dogs lick something icy, the surface of their tongue gets cold and the temperature of the blood that travels below the surface of their tongue drops as a result. Rather than giving Billy human ice-cream, Marie developed a more nutritious version specifically designed for dogs’ unique needs... and the rest is history! 2. THEY CAN BE EATEN STRAIGHT FROM THE TUB! There’s nothing quite like seeing the pure enjoyment that your dog gets from licking our Iced Treats straight from the tub. In fact, the tubs that hold our Iced Treats were specifically designed for that purpose. After conducting weeks of research, we concluded that to accommodate most dogs’ mouths and noses, the ideal tub has a diameter between 80 and 100mm. Breeds like Pugs and Bulldogs have flat muzzles, while breeds like Whippets and Greyhounds have long muzzles. And we wanted every tub to work for every dog! In designing our tubs, we also realised that while some parents prefer to hold the tub in their hands, others prefer to leave it on the floor and give the dog free reign. However, we also realised that his meant there was a risk dogs could get so excited they’d eat the tub (as well as its contents), and for this reason, we have made all of our tubs 100% edible… just in case. Our tubs are made of cardboard which if swallowed will simply disintegrate in the gut without causing any occlusion. We also use a non-toxic, vegetarian ink. For pet parents, the shape is also easy to hold and even after a period of time the cardboard provides a level of insulation for holding hands. The product is also contained, so even if it starts to melt, it won’t spill easily. 3. THEY CAN CALM DOGS DOWN Another great benefit of our Iced Treats is that they seem to calm dogs down and enable them to relax. We noticed after many months of observations and anecdotal reports that the majority of dogs started to close their eyes after licking a tub of Iced Treats for a few minutes and that, generally, they calmed down. We decided to have this phenomenon tested and the results concluded that there was a definite decrease in dogs’ arousal levels, synonymous with a calming effect. 4. THEY CAN ENRICH YOUR SPECIAL BOND Seeing your pet happy and excited is heart-warming, and it’s for this reason that it can be so enjoyable to provide your dog with treats. However, most treats only provide a short period of satisfaction - both for dogs and owners. Give a dog a biscuit and a few seconds later, it’s gone. You rarely get to experience or observe the dog’s pleasure. Iced Treats, on the other hand, provide a rare and unique opportunity for interaction. By holding the tub directly, you can enjoy every lick just as much as your dog (well, almost!). Licking a tub usually takes a few minutes, and can be a fantastic way to enrich the special bond you already have. 5. THEY CAN BE USED FOR TRAINING As you hold the Iced Treats tub in your hand, you can control the amount that your dog is able to consume for training purposes. Some trainers even use the ‘click and lick’ technique. One command, one lick. The Iced Treat also doesn’t have to be eaten all in one go. The lid can be placed back on the tub at any time, so you can put it back into the freezer for next time. 6. THEY’RE FAR MORE NUTRITIOUS THAN HUMAN ICE-CREAM! All our Iced Treats are water-based, which is a great way to help your dog stay hydrated – especially on a hot day. They also include a range of fruits, coconut oil, flaxseed oil and aloe vera, and have plenty of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Plus, every Iced Treat within our range is grain-free and dairy-free. 7. THEY’RE GREAT FUN Finally, the main thing to remember is that a treat should be fun and rewarding – for you and your dog! You can serve as much or as little as you like - a few licks or the whole tub at a time. There are also several different yummy flavours to choose from....