By Monica L. Williams, Globe Correspondent, 08/07/2003

The next time you're out for a cone to cool off, pick up a treat for the four-legged family member. Pooch Passions makes a vanilla-flavored ice cream for canines that's doggone good (yes, we tried it). Because it's freeze-dried, it can be broken into pieces and doled out over the course of a dog walk, picnic, long hike, or weekend trip. It's available in .75-ounce packages for $2.99 from Petsmart, 5 Mystic View Road, Everett, or at petco.com or petsmart.com.

Or perhaps your pooch prefers his or her ice cream in a cup. Frosty Paws frozen treats come four 3.5-ounce cups to a box. OK, it's not really ice cream, but it's a good alternative for those who find the real stuff difficult to digest. Frosty Paws has protein, vitamins, and minerals, and no added sodium or sugar. Store it in the cooler next to the real stuff, and Pooch will probably never know the difference. Available for $3.39 at Pet Supplies Plus, 1220 VFW Parkway, West Roxbury and for $3.79 at Especially for Pets Inc., 1223 Chestnut St., Newton.