Introduction
Now, let's take a closer look at the benefits and bananas for your dog!
Signs of a Dog Liking Bananas
After they try their first piece, they will likely beg you for more by staring at you, sitting right in front of you, drooling on the floor, looking alert with their ears pointed upright and forward, and they may also lick their lips or paw at your for more as well.
If your dog does not like bananas, they will generally try and take the banana piece from you, but then not chew it fully and spit it out. From there, they may paw at the food on the floor, try and play with it, or stomp at it with their paw. Some dogs will also completely ignore the food and act disinterested.
Body Language
- Staring
- Alert
- Barking
- Whining
- Wag tail
- Lip licking
- Paw raised
- Whale eye
Other Signs
- Jumping up at you
- Making a fuss
- Drooling
- Begging you for more
History of Bananas and Dogs
Even more curious is the fact that the sweet and yellow banana we know and love today was not the banana of thousands of years ago. Bananas used to be red and green and were not sweet. These bananas were more like plantains, which are not sweet, harder, and more potato-like than a yellow banana.
The banana we have today is considered a mutant strain and it was first discovered in 1836 in Jamaica. After making the discovery, the sweet, yellow banana was cultivated and became very popular because this kind of banana did not need cooking to eat first.
The sweet banana was shipped to the United States from the Carribean to New Orleans, New York, and Boston and was considered an exotic and very special kind of fruit. This new fruit was so special and elegant that people actually ate them on a plate with a knife and fork. Because the banana of the past was so fancy, it is highly unlikely that woofers in history got to sample much of it.
Science Behind Dogs and Bananas
Bananas also have a ton of fiber, which is healthy for your dog's digestive tract and will help keep them regular. If your dog is constipated, adding bananas to their diet can help get the systems flowing again. They can also help if your dog's intestines are inflamed since the fruit's natural enzymes soothe the stomach.
Just remember that bananas have a fair amount of sugar in them, so you should exercise moderation when giving them to your doggy.
Training Dogs to Eat Bananas
You can try mashing some banana and mixing it with their meal when they eat their food. This can help hide some of the texture and flavor and your dog may be more likely to eat it. Some dogs may not take to this method very well, so you may have to move on to some other options.
Another great option is to cut the banana into slices and they put the pieces in your freezer. After a few hours, your the slices are frozen and your dog has a sweet and cold treat to crunch on. This is a great idea for the summertime when your dog gets hot from playing around outside.
Another popular method is to mix some mashed banana with some plain peanut butter and stuff the yummy mixture into a Kong Toy. You can place the whole Kong into the freezer and freeze it for a few hours. This will slow your dog down even more and they will be entertained with their delicious Kong treat for quite a while.
You can also try mixing mashed bananas into a homemade dog treat recipe. There are a ton of peanut butter and banana dog treat recipes on the internet to choose from that will suit your dog's dietary needs.
How To React if Your Dog Doesn't Like Bananas:
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Let them sniff the banana a bit.
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Take any extra, uneaten pieces away from them.
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Don't force them to eat it.
Safety Tips for Feeding Your Dog Bananas:
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Make sure you don't feed them the skin.
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Don't give them too much due to higher sugar content.