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Is it ok to play with bubbles with my dog? Playing bubble games with your dog keeps your dog active and stimulated. Dogs love to chase and jump at bubbles floating in the air.
But, can all that bubble biting and popping be harmful to your dog?
Keep reading to find out the 7 factors you need to consider when it comes to playing with bubbles with your dog.
Is It OK To Play With Bubbles With My Dog?
As long as you use a dog-friendly bubble mixture that is safe and non-toxic, you and your dog can have fun playing with bubbles. Dogs love to chase, jump and chomp on bubbles, and there is a risk of your dog ingesting the solution. Therefore, it is important to only use bubble solutions meant for dogs. Allowing your dog to play with bubbles is a great form of exercise and mental stimulation. Playing with bubbles is a great low-impact activity for dogs with arthritis too!
1. Use Dog-Friendly Bubble Mixture
Your best bet is to use a bubble solution that is meant just for dogs. Why? Most commercial bubble solutions contain toxic ingredients that are harmful to your dog.
Bubble mixtures usually contain some sort of artificial fragrances that are irritating to dogs. Dogs go crazy for bubbles and will naturally try to pop them with their mouth. This puts them at risk for ingesting harmful ingredients.
Although the quantity of solution that is ingested is probably pretty small, there is still a risk. Plus, getting the solution in their eyes can cause stinging and irritation.
Dog-friendly bubble solutions are designed to be safe and non-toxic, plus many of them are flavoured, which makes a game of bubbles even more enticing. Check out my top recommended products below.
2. Kid-Friendly Bubble Mixture Is Not 100% Safe For Your Dog
Many households with children have kid-friendly bubble mixtures already at home. These mixtures are labelled as gentle and safe for kids, however, they are not always 100% safe for dogs.
The soap and fragrances used in these mixtures may be irritating to your dog. As mentioned above, your dog will likely not ingest enough of the solution to be a problem. But, supervision is a must!
Obviously, you don’t want your dog drinking any type of bubble mixture, so you want to make sure the container is out of reach from your dog.
If you’re going to use a kid-friendly bubble mixture, you will need to limit the number of bubbles your dog tries to pop. Small dogs especially need to be careful not to pop too many bubbles.
Too much ingestion of bubble solution that is not meant for dogs may cause an upset stomach, vomiting, or diarrhea.
3. Make Your Own Dog Safe Bubble Mixture
A safe bubble mixture for your dog can easily be made at home. All bubble mixtures contain dish soap, but the key is to look for a soap that has the least amount of harmful ingredients.
Choose a dish soap that is free of dyes and perfumes.
The easiest homemade solution is using dish soap and water:
- 1 Cup Water
- 1 Tablespoon Dish Soap
- Combine ingredients in a jar or container.
- Blow bubbles for your dog using an old bubble wand. If you don’t have a bubble wand you can use a pipe cleaner by bending it into shape. A straw, or a whisk that has a loop on the end works well too.
You could also make your own flavoured dog-friendly bubbles:
- 1/2 Cup Dish Soap
- 1 Cup Water
- 1 Teaspoon Glycerine. This is used to thicken the mixture and make the bubbles last longer. You can substitute with sugar.
- 1 Teaspoon of bone broth for dogs.
- Combine all ingredients in a jar or container.
- Blow bubbles.
If you want to make giant dog-friendly bubbles, check out this short video:
4. Playing With Bubbles Is Great Exercise For Your Dog
Blowing bubbles for your dog is not only entertaining for you but for your dog as well! All of that chasing, jumping and trying to pop those colourful bubbles is a great form of exercise.
Chasing after bubbles is a great way for your dog to get outside and have some fun. All of those bubbles floating in the air just seem to bring out your dog’s natural prey drive.
All dogs no matter what age seem to love chasing after bubbles, and it’s a pretty easy way to get your dog active and moving.
If your dog has never experienced bubbles before, or you have a puppy, it’s important to start slow. Blow a few bubbles away from your dog and encourage them to chase after them. You may have to chase them yourself at first to get your dog interested.
5. Playing With Bubbles Is Mentally Stimulating To Your Dog
Keeping your dog mentally stimulated each day is super important to keep your dog’s mind active and prevent boredom. Remember, when dogs get bored they engage in unwanted behaviour like excessive barking, digging, or chewing up your furniture!
Bubbles are a super easy and fun way to keep your dog engaged. They are interactive, fun to watch and try to catch, and offer a delight to your dog’s senses. Many of them come in tasty flavours like bacon, chicken or peanut butter.
6. Dogs With Arthritis Benefit From A Low-Impact Activity
Dogs with arthritis still need to get their form of exercise daily, but running or playing fetch can really put a strain on their joints.
Bubbles are a great way for your dog with arthritis to still be active. It allows them to stretch and move while having a low impact on their joints.
The same is true for you, if you suffer from arthritis, blowing bubbles requires very little effort from you. If blowing bubbles isn’t your thing, you can get an automatic bubble machine to blow the bubbles for you.
7. It’s A Treat-Free Activity For Dogs Who Need To Lose Weight
Using a flavoured bubble solution that is meant just for dogs, will satisfy your dog’s taste buds without the calories. This is a great activity for dogs who need to shed a few pounds.
Flavours like peanut butter, beef or chicken are taste rewards for your dog. By popping the bubbles, your dog is getting a workout as well as a reward.
Best Bubble Solution For Dogs
Here are the best bubble solutions and machines designed just for dogs:
Bubbletastic Peanut Butter Scented Dog Bubbles
Your dog will go wild for peanut butter-scented dog bubbles! Blowing bubbles for your dog is even more enticing when the bubbles offer a scent and taste reward for your dog.
Pros:
- 100% non-toxic.
- Safe for dogs and kids.
- Tear-free formula.
- Allergen-free, not made with peanuts.
- Vegan.
- Includes a bubble wand.
- Compatible with any blowing machine.
- Dogs love it.
Cons:
- Leaves a scent on your hands.
- A bit pricey.
- Sticky solution, need to wash it off your dog’s face.
Bubbletastic Bacon Bubble Blower Machine
With an automatic bubble blowing machine you can sit back and watch the entertainment! Or, you can join in on the fun with your dog and make it a great bonding experience.
The Bubbletastic Bubble Machine blows a windstorm of bacon-scented bubbles to keep your pup entertained for hours!
Included with this machine is an 8oz bottle of bacon-scented bubble solution with a wand. This machine requires 4AA batteries (not included) to make it work.
Pros:
- 100% safe and non-toxic for dogs and kids.
- Tear-free formula.
- Includes 8oz bottle of bacon-scented bubble solution and wand.
- Produces tons of bubbles.
- Works great and is durable.
- Dogs love it.
Cons:
- Uses up a lot of bubble-solution.
- Refill bottles are pricey.
- A few complaints of the bubbles smelling really horrible, while others say it smells like bacon and the smell only lasts a little while.
- Leaves a sticky smelly residue.
Final Thoughts
With the right bubble solution, playing with bubbles with your dog is ok. In fact, it is a great way for you and your dog to have fun together!
Bubbles encourage your dog to play and get active and by using dog-friendly bubble solutions that are scented, you will appeal to your dog’s senses.
If you’re looking for new ways to keep your dog excited and prevent boredom, try bubble blowing!
Have you tried playing with bubbles with your dog? Does your dog love to play with bubbles?
Share your thoughts and comments below. I would love to hear from you.
I am the proud owner of a Golden Retriever named Ellie. She keeps me busy, and when she is resting, you can find me working on my blog. She is always close by though. I live in Stirling, ON Canada with my husband, and we both enjoy the never a dull moment life with our Ellie.
Hey, thanks for this article!
I knew dogs found playing with bubbles super fun. However, I wasn’t aware that it could be bad for them if they keep ingesting the formula. I didn’t even know that kid-friendly products are bad.
I’m definitely going to make mine at home. It’s better knowing what you have added and you can be safe knowing your fur baby won’t be harmed. I love how bubbles are such a simple activity to put together however for the dog it’s a whole fun party!
Hi Sariyah,
It’s a great idea to make dog-safe bubbles at home. That way you know exactly what the ingredients are, plus you’ll be saving money, and bubbles are so fun and easy to make.
Bubbles are a fun activity for the whole family, and yes dogs will have a blast trying to chase them and make them pop.
Thanks for your comment.
Jenny.