I hear a lot of new sounds in my neighborhood and on walks these days. I see people pushing a noisy machine back and forth over their lawn making their grass a little shorter. Some have a noisy buzzy stick that also cuts the weeds.

But one of the sounds I enjoy hearing is music that often comes from a truck or van driving down every street of the neighborhood. Its arrival seems to bring joy to the boys and girls, and there are sometimes lines of little ones waiting for the van to stop and give them an ice cream treat.

These treats look tasty and the kids seem to love them but I’m told they aren’t good for pooches like me. This also goes for many treats in the family freezer, including plastic sleeves of colored, frozen syrup.

Many ice cream bars and frozen treats for humans contain artificial sweeteners such as xylitol that could be harmful or even fatal to dogs. They also may have all sorts of sugar in them that could hurt my health especially if I eat a lot of it. Anything with a chocolate coating is also on the danger list. Dairy products in general can also cause my stomach to get upset.

Plus, I’m told that Popsicles or similar lick-able items could also include plastic or wooden sticks that are also not recommended for eating or chewing. (Fun fact: dogs do process wood better than humans but it still can cause choking or internal injury.)

So what do I have to do to get my own refreshing summery treat? The answer is simple: make some at home that can be tasty and cool me down.

Here are some easy ideas:

• Start simple with freezing pet-friendly juices into ice cube trays. This creates frozen cubes that can be sucked on, chewed on, or put inside a toy.

• Have Mom or Dad buy Popsicle molds that include plastic or silicone sticks. Then they can fill them with juice, insert the sticks, freeze them and hold one for me while I lick it. This is a big doggy win-win – personalized service for me, and they can take away the stick when I’m done so there’s no chewing or choking!

• Look for other dog-friendly taste combos for these. My humans may say “bleh” but I’d love a “pup-sicle” made with chicken broth, pet-friendly peanut butter (no xylitol), or both. Or my favorite vegetables, berries, or chewy treats thrown in.

• Make doggy-friendly ice cream if you have a blender or food processors. Throw in ice, fruit, chicken, or other vegetables, and blend it well. Pour it in a bowl or one of my chewy treats.

• There are also a variety of treats in the cooler at pet stores! Do you have any favorite brands?

As always, check with your vet before introducing new foods or variations of food they already like. He or she also might have suggestions for healthy brand-name frozen treats. Stay cool!