My dog knows the difference between cheese and a pill. One is for eating and one is for spitting out. This is a short instructable that shows a technique I've developed to quickly and easily feed my dog multiple pills at the scheduled times without muss or fuss.

After many dogs and many tricks I've discovered what others also know, whatever you wrap the pill in the dog will find the pill, separate it from the food, swallow the food and spit out the pill. Or the struggle of forcing the dog's mouth open, shoving in the pill and holding it shut hoping the dog will swallow the pill.

Sucks for me, sucks for the dawg....

On the following pages I'll show you a simple, foolproof method to get medicine into your dog using a common decorative kitchen item and a household staple that dogs love.

Step 1: Bill of Materials

What you'll need

Step 2: About the Mortar and Pestle

A mortar and pestle are different from a bowl and a spoon. If you look closely at the bottom of both pieces you'll see they have been carefully roughened to provide a uniform surface for fine grinding of powders.

Other techniques can be used such as a bowl and a spoon, this can work well for soft chewable tablets but hard coated tablets can be more difficult.

Step 3: Mix Powdered Pills With Peanut Butter

Once you've ground the pills up mix it with about 1 tbsp of peanut butter ( more or less as needed to get a smooth paste depending on the size of the pills ).

Spread the peanut butter out on the cutting board or other smooth surface such as an extra piece of kitchen tile.

Use the flat back edge of the knife to scrape up the peanut butter and blend the powder in. The technique is demonstrated in the video on the introductory page.

Any straight edge and flat surface can be used, however care should be taken that no foreign material (such as cutting board plastic) gets scraped into the medication.

I found the cutting board useful since I occassionally scraped the knife clean on the edge. The ability to rotate and move the material makes it easier to blend.

Step 4: Now Find Fido for a Tasty Treat...

Once you've got a nice smooth blend use the back edge of the knife to scrape up the mixture and load it onto a spoon. Try to keep the bottom of the bowl clean since you may need to sit this down while you scoop some off on your finger.

Now in 70 to 80% of the cases your dog will just love the peanut butter and will lick it off the spoon or your finger/hand.

In some cases your dog will refuse to participate and will clamp their mouth shut in a familiar and tried technique.

Now it's Fido's turn for a surprise.

Your first option is a variation of the old "pry the jaws open and force the pill in" trick. This time you have an advantage. The peanut butter will stick to your dog's mouth and it ain't coming out. Get the dogs jaws open, stick a big glob on the roof of the mouth and the party is over. The dog is going to eat the peanut butter and with it the ground up pills.

Not to mention providing vast quantities of amusement as they lick at the gooey mess stuck to the roof of the mouth.

If you're dog manages to get a glob out use smaller globs.

On the next page I provide some information on a simple, but slightly messy technique for getting even the most difficult dog with poweful jaws to take their medicine...

Step 5: The Premolar Gap

In your dogs jaw there are several different kinds of teeth. Due to their nature these teeth have certain natural characteristics.

Located behind the familiar canine teeth are a group of teeth known as the premolars. I'm sure these teeth have some useful purpose but for us it is convenient that these provide a gap when the jaw is completely closed.

There is a similar, smaller gap located between the fine teeth in the front when the jaw is clamped shut.

So here's what you do. Grab Fido and hold the jaw closed. Using your forefinger scoop some peanut butter off the spoon. Scrape the peanut butter off your fingers into the gap formed by the premolars or between the fine teeth in front. Now the dog has peanut butter stuck in its mouth and will lick it off providing once again a natural source of amusement.

Now for my dog the first glob is often enough to convince her that she's not being poisoned and she will readily lick the rest of the peanut butter off my finger in convenient globs.

If not repeat the above process until all the medicated peanut butter has been introduced to your dog without pain or much trauma, at least for me.