Dog Charcuterie Boards Are Now A Thing

When the weather outside is cold, the evenings are dark and things left to do at home are limited, there's nothing better than making an epic charcuterie board to stave off hunger (and boredom).

But while we're chowing down on ham, cheese, grapes and nuts, some are taking the trend a step further - and making mini charcuterie boards for their pets.

Yep, some super passionate dog owners have been making 'barkuterie' boards (see what we did there?) for their fur babies.

And the results are very Instagram friendly, as you can imagine.

Here are just a few of our favourite barkuteries for you to take #inspo from.

This colourful effort made for one happy pup!

This would be perfect for your next puppy pawty...(geddit?)

This biscuit-heavy board is every dog's dream...

This is something we would be happy to eat ourselves...

And this is a particularly sweet offering...

It's perfectly simple to make your own 'barkuteries' for your pooch, as all you need are some dog-friendly snacks, a dog-proof plate and a hungry pup.

In terms of serving size, you can make them as big or as small as you need depending how many hungry dogs you have - though it is important to remember portion control if you're only feeding one dog. You won't need an entire board if there's only one pup, so a special dog bowl will be suitable for this grazing treat.

Then it's time to move on to dog-appropriate treats such as dried jerky and dried salmon. Team these up with some of their favourite healthy dog biscuits.

Other proteins you can feed your dog include plainly cooked beef, hardboiled eggs or other boneless fish.

Dog-friendly fruits and veggies such as slices of banana, carrots, mango and even sweet potato in small amounts can all be included in order to give a splash of colour to your board.

Speaking to Tyla, Dr Jessica May, UK Lead Vet at video vet app, FirstVet explains: "This is the equivalent of Christmas lunch for pets - it's lovely to have treats and training aids - but consider the calories.

"Ensure that if using treats and training aids, the equivalent calories are taken out of their daily weighed-out food allowance.

"If regular exercise levels reduce, ensure that calories are cut down to match."

Before you start putting your dog charcuterie board together, please make sure to consult this list to see which food is generally safe for pets to eat.

There are some things that dogs should avoid eating altogether - meat skins such as turkey, or pork can be too salty and fatty for some pets to digest, and could lead to stomach upsets.

Leftover cooked meats and seafood should also be avoided.

Dr Suzanne Moyer, Burgess Pet Care's in-house vet, advises: "The meat may have been cooked with gravy, seasoning, nuts and herbs - which can be poisonous to pets, causing tremors, seizures and damage to the central nervous system."

Dr Karlien Heyrman of Pets at Home adds sweet foods, such as chocolate and raisins, should not be given to pets.

"Chocolate, raisins or currants, nuts and meats can be extremely toxic or dangerous for our furry friends," she explains.

"Chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine, which can be toxic for dogs and cats as it affects their heart and nervous system. The theobromine is also toxic to small animals, so remember to keep foods like chocolate boxes, tubs and desserts away from your pets."

Topics: Tasty Food, Animals, Dogs, Tasty

Kimberley Bond

Kim is a journalist at Tyla, and has previously worked at the Evening Standard, Radio Times as well as several national newspapers. A showbiz obsessive and a television fanatic, Kim is particularly interested in celebrity gossip, A-list events and the latest releases on either the big or small screen. Contact her at [email protected]

@0xKimberley