True or False?

Dogs wag faster when they see their favorite person.

(scroll to the bottom to find the answer!)

For many pet parents, grabbing a bite to eat often comes with a furry passenger in the backseat. Now, more fast-food chains are making sure dogs get a treat, too, thanks to secret menu items created just for them.

Some of the best-known options include Starbucks’ Puppuccino, a small cup of whipped cream, and Dairy Queen’s Pup Cup, soft serve topped with a dog biscuit. Shake Shack takes it a step further with the Pooch-ini, a mix of biscuits, peanut butter sauce, and custard.

It’s not all sweets, though. At In-N-Out, dogs can enjoy a plain Pup Patty, while PDQ offers grilled chicken tenders. Even Johnny Rockets has been known to serve dogs a burger patty right on the patio.

Other chains, from Dunkin’ to Chick-fil-A, keep biscuits or puppy lattes on hand for drive-thru visitors. A few ice cream shops, like Ben & Jerry’s and Handel’s, even sell pup-specific frozen desserts!

Few foods light up a dog’s face quite like peanut butter. One shelter pup in California even found his forever family after photos of him joyfully licking a spoonful of the stuff went viral. That tail-wagging, tongue-flapping reaction is familiar to just about every dog parent.

So why do dogs love it so much? Experts say it’s a combination of smell, taste, and instinct. Peanut butter’s roasted aroma mimics the scent of caramelized meat, instantly grabbing a dog’s attention. It's fat, protein, sugar, and salt hit all the flavor notes dogs are naturally hardwired to seek.

There’s also a social piece: dogs notice what their humans enjoy. Since peanut butter is one of the few human foods owners often share freely, pups quickly learn to get excited when the jar comes off the shelf.

But moderation is key. A teaspoon or less is plenty for large dogs, and even less for small pups. And always check the label: any peanut butter containing xylitol is dangerous for dogs.

For most pups, though, this treat remains the gold standard of indulgence.

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If you’ve ever caught your pup eyeing your dessert, you might have wondered: Can dogs actually taste sugar? The answer is yes, but their sense of taste isn’t quite as strong as ours. Humans have about 9,000 taste buds, while dogs have around 1,700. They can detect sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami flavors, though smell often plays a bigger role in how they experience food.

Interestingly, not every dog cares much for sweets. Many lean toward savory, meaty flavors that tie back to their ancestral diets. Still, fruits like blueberries, watermelon, or bananas can hit the sweet spot for pups in a healthier way. Sweet potatoes and carrots also double as nutritious, naturally sweet snacks.

Of course, not all sugary foods are safe. Chocolate, raisins, macadamia nuts, and high-fat desserts can cause serious health issues.

The safest bet? Keep sweets simple, share in moderation, and stick to dog-safe foods that make their tails wag without the risk.

From sweet names to even sweeter treats, here’s what’s making tails wag:

• 🍩 These food-inspired dog names are seriously adorable

• 🍰 12 pup-approved dessert recipes you can make at home

• 🍦 Watch these golden retrievers lose it over ice cream delivery

Daily Dig is inspired and brought to you by our wonderful dogs. Our dogs, and all the other pups out there, make the world a happier, brighter place. ❤️

With lots of love,

Stitcher, Minnie, & Finnegan 🐾

🦴 A Little Treat

🤔 True or False: True! Tail speed and body wiggles often increase with excitement.

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