I think it's okay for them to get a few licks as long as it's not a flavor they can't have like chocolate, avocado. But I think vanilla is fine. OMG that reminds me though, the other day my bf got an icecream cone and a scoop of haagen daz prailines n cream and I was carrying Teddy. When he turned around for a second Teddy tried to chow down his icecream. So he let him have the end of the cone with a little ice cream, it was so funny because he looked like a human eating it.