Christmas preparations are fast approaching, from decorations to Christmas shopping, to thoughts on the special feast; and it’s been a tough year so the festive spirit is even more important to spread right now and to show your nearest and dearest just how special they are.

For many, this will include their furry canine companions who are at their side every day. A survey by Asda Money with 3,000 UK pet owners revealed that a huge 59 per cent of Brits celebrate Christmas with their pets, with 42 per cent buying them presents to join in on the festivities. Almost half surveyed (45%) said their pets are spoilt from time to time, such as on special occasions.

Christmas day comes round only once a year and is celebrated with a special feast to enjoy with loved ones. So, what better time to show furry friends how much they’re cared for than to include them in the festivities and set them a place at the table for a proper homemade Christmas dinner? (This could get messy…)

Asda Money’s Pet Insurance has partnered with past MasterChef contestant and loving dog owner, Max Davies, to create gourmet Christmas dinner recipes that you can recreate at home. Max commented, “Combining my love of food with my love of dogs was a really exciting project to work on. All the dishes have been prepared to be suitable for a healthy dog diet – which was a bit of a challenge as it’s different to the guests I usually cook for – but it was so much fun putting it together for them. The dogs might not have appreciated the presentation of the dishes, but by the look of the clean plates they certainly enjoyed the taste!”

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All ingredients and dishes have been fully approved by specialist vet, Joii, and are deemed safe for dogs to dig into. The Christmas dishes have also been put to test with official tasters, Pepper the spaniel, Nala and Stanley, both miniature goldendoodles, Buckles the cockapoo, and Carrie the Labrador retriever – they all reported it was pawfect, but you can see their reactions and the full recipes on the Asda Money blog.

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First Course – Christmas Dog’s Dinner
This dish is a take on the classic Christmas dinner, featuring a turkey crown, broccoli, and swede, and even including gravy. Recipe serves 5 (can dogs wash up with paws?) or can be changed as needed.

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Second Course – Doggy Bone Dessert
This pudding is the perfect sweet treat to fill dogs’ bellies. It includes dog bone shaped biscuits made from oats, peanut butter, milk, egg, and carrots, topped with a peanut butter cream, blueberries, and pea shoots – that’s enough to make any belly rumble! Recipe serves 5 or can be changed as needed.

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Neil Foster, Senior Commercial and Product Manager at Asda Money, commented, “These recipes are so fun to make and it’s great to be able to share some Christmas cheer by helping show our furry friends how much we care, especially as we know they’ve been so important to people in recent times. Pets really are part of the family, and that’s why it’s vital that owners have access to affordable insurance to keep them well looked after with the right cover, so they can be with us for many more Christmases!”