There are few all-ages delights as pure as a trip to a local ice cream shop. And for many Charlotte dog owners, the frozen fun often includes four-legged family members.
Lucky for local pups, these Queen City ice cream shops have them covered with their own dog-friendly frozen treats on the menu.
Frozen treats made for dogs
Golden Cow Creamery
Charlotte’s original craft ice cream company serves up Puppy Pops at both its South End and SouthPark locations. Golden Cow Creamery’s dog-friendly frozen treats list just two ingredients – peanut butter and water – and come shaped as bones and paws.
King of Pops
If delicious, handmade popsicles are more your taste, King of Pops has treats both you and your doggo will enjoy at its South End shop. Its King of Pups cups come in two sizes and are made from low-fat yogurt, banana, honey, peanut butter, vegetable gums and natural flavors.
Bonus: You can also snag King of Pups at select dog-friendly Charlotte breweries, including Triple C in South End and Armored Cow in University City.
Two Scoops Creamery
Though a frozen carrot-and-oats purée might not sound like your idea of a tasty warm-weather treat, we bet your dog will beg to differ. Don’t believe us? Give Two Scoops Creamery’s Canine Crunch a try at the ice cream shop’s Plaza Midwood, Lake Norman or South End locations.
VeloPops
A relative newcomer to Charlotte’s sweet treats scene, VeloPops pop shop in Matthews offers made-from-scratch fruit and cream-based pops for humans and a special Pup Pop that’s 100% edible – right down to its all-natural rawhide stick.
Pup cups and dog-sized servings
Though not specifically made for dogs, a number of local shops also offer pup-sized servings of vanilla ice cream, custard and other two-legged favorites.
Bruster’s Ice Cream
Treat your pooch to his or her own ice cream sundae topped with a dog biscuit.
Dairy Queen
The chain offers Pup Cups of vanilla soft serve for four-legged patrons.
Rita’s Italian Ice
This spot’s dog menu features a dollop of vanilla custard finished with a biscuit.
Shake Shack
Choose between the Pooch-ini – vanilla custard topped with ShackBurger dog biscuits and peanut butter sauce – or a bag of biscuits.
The Local Scoop
The non-dairy coconut ice cream is popular among the four-legged crowd at this Ballantyne scoop shop.
But can dogs eat ice cream?
It’s worth noting dairy-based ice cream actually isn’t recommended for dogs. Their bellies aren’t built to process milk after weaning, and just like for us, the sugar can cause weight gain. As an alternative to ice cream for dogs, the American Kennel Club recommends frozen yogurt or fruit-based desserts.
That said, a small treat once in a while is usually fine for most dogs – but make sure the ice cream doesn’t contain chocolate or xylitol, both of which can be toxic. If in doubt, check with your veterinarian.
