What Is A Dairy Queen Pup Cup 2023?

The Short Answer is:

If you order a Pup Cup, you will receive a plastic cup with a small serving of vanilla soft-serve ice cream and a dog biscuit inside. In certain stores, your dog might get more than one biscuit, but don’t count on it.

In this article you will know the answer to the query “What Is A Dairy Queen Pup Cup?“.

Today its a good time to be a dog especially in the US where many of the big food chains offer dog treats. 

Free of charge sometimes even. Money is not important to dogs but it is important to their parents.

Among the first companies to offer dog treats is Dairy Queen which has a Pup Cup made specifically for four-legged customers. 

You’ll find it quite delicious as it is filled with soft-serve ice cream from the company. 

In addition its popular with dogs but is the dairy queen pup cup safe?

Heres what we can discover!

What Is A Dairy Queen Pup Cup?

Since its founding in 1940 Dairy Queen has grown from one store in Illinois to a global franchise. 

Over 6500 stores were operating in 25 countries in 2014. 

Its true that most of them are American but they’re known worldwide. 

Dairy Queen was the idea of John Freemont McCullough who created soft-serve ice cream in 1938 a new type of ice cream that is soft and airy. 

It was a huge success from the get-go. 

During the first two hours of the Dairy Queens opening 1600 servings were sold.

It is now offering this soft-serve ice cream to canine customers. 

The Pup Cup program isnot available at all Dairy Queen stores so do not get your pups hopes up hes in for a treat before checking with your local Dairy Queen.

Dairy Queen stores now serve full hot meals in addition to ice creams and milkshakes and have expanded their business. 

What’s the difference between ice cream and soft-serve?

The modern soft-serve is made with machines that incorporate more air into the ice cream mix than a normal one. 

The soft-serve does not freeze like normal ice cream but still tastes good. 

Sugar cream nondairy products skim milk and flavorings are the basic ingredients of regular ice cream. 

The ingredients in a Pup Cup are the same as those in soft-serve but they have less milk fat. 

People and dogs alike consider it healthier for this reason. 

Ice cream should contain 20% cream 10% milk and less than 10% fat according to USDA standards.

What is in a Dairy Queen Pup Cup?

If you order a Pup Cup you will receive a plastic cup with a small serving of vanilla soft-serve ice cream and a dog biscuit inside. 

In certain stores your dog might get more than one biscuit but do not count on it.

Also you’ll have to pay for the treat your dog gets. 

The Pup Cup started as a freebie but once they got their customers hooked on it they increased the dairy queen pup cup price to $1.39 which is not that much when compared to the price of a meal at Dairy Queen.

What are the ingredients in a Pup Cup treat?

I do not have a problem with dog biscuits and they are not in this case.

The most important thing is the ice cream.

There are 125 calories in half a cup of vanilla soft-serve ice cream. 

The first thing you need to worry about is this. 

Can your dog consume that many calories in a small treat that he’ll finish off in a matter of seconds?

The dogs behavior will determine that. 

An extra Pup Cup is definitely what he needs if hes already overweight and prone to obesity. 

In contrast such a tasty treat once in a while would not harm a dog who is in good shape. 

One in a while is the operative phrase here. 

If you’re the kind of person who eats at Dairy Queen a couple of times a week theres no way you should bring your dog along. 

Its fine to bathe your dog once a month but its dangerous to do it three times a week.

Dairy queen pup cup ingredients:

Milk & Cream

Even a little bit of milk or cream would not harm your dog unless its lactose intolerant. 

Since many dogs are forget about the Puppy Cup if this is the case for your pet. 

Does your dog have lactose intolerance? When you give them a little milk you can tell if they are displaying any of the following symptoms:

• A diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Pain in the abdomen
• Gases

You would not have any problems with a Pup Cup if your dog is not allergic to milk.

Sugar

Soft-serve vanilla ice cream contains 17 grams of sugar and thats a lot of carbs for a dog who already has weight problems. 

You eat sugar even though it is bad for your health. 

Dogs have the same problem. 

Carbs are needed to transform into energy but should not be from sugar. 

Are Dairy Queen Pup Cups off-limits? 

Technically speaking you should not let your dog make the same mistakes you do. Its unlikely that many pet parents would resist the temptation to spoil their dog with such a delightful treat. Donot worry we understand! 

Your dog should be fine if it is the exception and not the rule. It would not harm your dog to give him a sugary treat every now and then. 

By making him obese or causing diabetes regular unhealthy treats will make him fat. 

Fat

A dog foods fat content should always be monitored. 

A soft-serve serving contains 3.4 grams of fat. 

The recommended amount of fat for a dog that weighs 30 pounds is about 14 grams per day. 

If a dog has a high-fat diet he may develop digestive problems pancreatitis and damage to his arteries. An occasional Pup Cup will not harm him but a high-fat diet will. 

Calcium

There is good news that ice cream is high in calcium. 

Calcium is good for the bones and teeth of your dog so 113 grams are in a regular serving. 

A moderate amount of protein 3.40 g. 

Can a dog eat ice cream?

You can probably guess that the answer is no at this point. 

It isnot a definite no-no in the sense that this stuff is toxic to dogs but it is best to avoid giving your dog ice cream.

At least make sure its vanilla ice cream if you have to. 

Dogs should not consume chocolate ice cream because it contains theobromine and caffeine which are toxic to them. 

What is healthy ice cream for dogs?

Make some ice cream for your pet on a warm day to help him cool off. 

Even though homemade ice cream contains less sugar and milk than a Pup Cup it still contains too much sugar and milk. 

And fats.

Low-fat frozen yogurt is the healthiest option for doggie ice cream. 

Unless your dog has a very sensitive stomach yogurt does not cause stomach problems because the milk in it is easier to digest.

Then try out this recipe if you’re looking for something tastier something your dog will truly enjoy. 

While it still contains yogurt it also contains bananas and peanut butter both of which are highly nutritious and healthy for your furry friend. 

The preparation is quite simple as well. 

It takes no more than five minutes and all you need is a food processor.

What other stores offer dog treats?

Starbucks is definitely the best known of many food chains that have jumped on this doggie-treat trend. 

Theres nothing more than a little whipped cream in a plastic cup when you order a Puppuccino from Starbucks. 

In addition it is offered for free if you order something for yourself.

Keeping whipped cream as a very rare treat would be ideal as its nothing but empty calories.

A similar dog treat is whipped cream in a cup from Dunkin Donuts. Sadly there are no biscuits.

Sprinkles a popular bakery chain sells dog-friendly cupcakes made with sugar egg whites and buttermilk. 

It would be best if you asked what they used instead of sugar for their sugar-free version. 

The food industrys most popular sugar substitute xylitol has toxic effects on dogs. 

The Pup Cup is similar to something Culvers offers. In addition to dog biscuits they serve vanilla ice cream as aside.

Dogs are welcome at Shake Shack and there are two dog treats. 

You can also get a Pooch-in which is a biscuit with vanilla custard inside. You can also order a Bag of Bones which is a small paper bag with five dog biscuits inside.

Salt-free burgers are a really interesting treat offered by In-N-Out for dogs. The company only has locations on the west and south coasts. 

Additionally if you visit California you should check out Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar. 

However if you bring your dog with you you can order a delicious hamburger or grilled chicken breast. 

Obviously thats not free. 

However it is the healthiest treat we have listed. 

Conclusion

Pup Cups from Dairy Queen will do no harm to your dog once in a while. 

You can give your dog some ice cream on a hot day to help him cool off but thats about it. 

It is not a good habit to make. 

The Pup Cup is better than many other human treats but it still contains more sugar and fats than your dog needs. 

If you do not want to spend the night cleaning up after your dog make sure your dog isnot lactose intolerant before taking him out for ice cream.

You can make homemade dog ice cream with yogurt fruit and peanut butter if you want to treat your dog. 

Amanda (Author)

With over a decade of experience, Amanda is a distinguished dog trainer. Her expertise in canine behavior has transformed countless lives, fostering harmonious human-canine connections. Through compassionate and personalized approaches, she empowers owners to understand and connect with their furry companions, creating a legacy of joyful tails and transformed lives.

Osvaldo Maciel (Content Reviewer)

Osvaldo Maciel, a stalwart in the field with 14 years of experience, is a revered dog trainer. His journey is defined by a profound understanding of canine behavior, shaping unbreakable human-canine bonds. Osvaldo guides owners to connect with their beloved pets, leaving an indelible mark of happiness and transformation. His legacy shines through the countless lives he has touched.