Bark Worthy

Life is sweeter with a pup.

Pam Strong, co-owner of Therapy Ice Cream and Coffee Bar, loves bringing her furry pals to dog-friendly spots around The 330. So when she and her husband accomplished their goals of opening a coffee and ice cream shop, she set out to make the combined spot cozy for people and dogs alike.

“Dog owners love to treat their dogs,” she says. “We treat our dogs like our own kids.”

That moment can be extra special when you order a puppy bowl, which is a hard-dipped vanilla ice cream ($1.50), or a nondairy soft-serve vanilla that’s easier on sensitive stomachs ($1), in a bowl topped with a Milk-Bone. Let your pooch scarf it down on the patios or outside of the front walk-up window, which is complete with a doggy water bowl.

“Some pups come up to the window, put their paws up on the ledge,” she says, adding that staffers often feed them an extra dog treat. “They get excited.” Pet owners can get three free bowls for Dog Daze of Summer in August, and the winning dog from a photo contest gets free bowls for a year.

There’s plenty for you to howl about too. The shop sports a full espresso bar and 36 flavors of ice cream, but many who buy the puppy bowl pick out a goodie to match — the woof woof sundae.

Puppy chow ice cream, a peanut butter-based flavor that has chocolate ripples and chocolate-covered Chex cereal, leads the dish and is available on its own. “It’s that kind of Chex Mix that’s covered in chocolate so they stay crispy,” Strong says.

Served with a single, double or triple scoop of ice cream ($4.50-$7.50), the sundae is topped with peanut butter, whipped cream, a peanut and sprinkle crunch coat and a dog bone-shaped butterscotch candy made on-site.

“Peanut butter and chocolate — you can’t go wrong with that,” she says. “The butterscotch just gives it a little twist.”

The result is a tail-wagging way to cool down with your four-legged buddy.

“While you’re treating yourself, treat your dog to a puppy bowl,” Strong says. “Best friends hang together.” 1177 Canton Road, Akron, therapyicecreamandcoffee.com

Another Sundae Selection

Trecaso’s Mary Coyle

Try This: Peanut butter and jelly showboat, ($6.75).

House-made vanilla ice cream is slathered with peanut butter and a tart black raspberry topping that isn’t diluted like at most other places. “We use it as is — full-strength,” says co-owner Michael G. Trecaso II. “It’s wow. They’ll [customers] go, I don’t like peanut butter and jelly, but then someone with ‘em will make them get it. Then that’s all they get for the rest of their lives.” 780 W. Market St., Akron, trecasos.com