Hello, We are going to be the proud owners of a chocolate lab puppy in a few weeks. I'm excited but a bit nervous about those first few weeks. I've read a lot about crate training....We have our crate and are ready to go. My question is this: I've heard great things about kongs keeping pups happy and busy in their crates but also have read that you shouldn't give them any food prior or during crate time as they will then have to potty. What is the general consensus as to when it's better to use the food filled Kong? Is there a certain age? Thanks, ChicoSue
Hi and welcome to the forum from me and Juno, my 22 month old girl Sorry I can't answer your question as I've never used a stuffed Kong with my girl.
Welcome, how excited you must be or your new pup!! We love pictures I only used Kongs when my dogs were pups if I was around. I wanted to make sure they were ok. Then they'd go out for a pee when they'd finished the same as after a meal. I'm not really sure when I started leaving them with Kongs I'm afraid.
Hi and welcome. What is your pics name? I started using kongs when Harley had been with us for a week. I started by rubbing cheese around the hole and holding it whilst she licked it, then repeated over a few days to get her to know what to do. I then progressed to adding wet food, but only a small amount and let her have it in her crate......she usually fell asleep straight after so I let her sleep and straight into the garden when she awoke. By 14 weeks old I was back in work normal hours (5 hours a day......hour break in the middle to pop home). At this stage I was giving her breakfast in the kong, in her crate when I left for work. By 16 weeks old she was having Frozen kongs as they lasted her longer. The only time she went in her crate was to have her Kong when I was at home or at work........she refused to sleep in there and I gave in so she slept with us upstairs and has stayed there ever since!
Kongs are fantastic things - very simple, but brilliant. They help create all sorts of desirable behaviour routines, and very much help with having a dog that is in a calm routine. I'm a big fan, and I'd definitely start getting your dog addicted to kongs as soon as possible. You don't need to give them a massive amount of food, but even if you need to take your dog out after he has finished a kong it's worth it for later on in life.
The crate only gets used for night time sleeping so no kong at bedtime. During the day 1 or 2. I stuff them with raw ground turkey and freeze them. When younger maybe 20 minutes to finish one. Now at 6 months he's at half that time. Google for ideas on recipes. Lots out there. I think chew toys have a longer lasting appeal and Kong makes some very good ones.
I use frozen kongs a lot with Lottie as they take her soooooo much longer to eat than if she has her food in a bowl. My mother thinks this is the cause of her sensitive stomach issues (it really is not ). I do wonder if there's any impact on her teeth, given they're in contact with food for so much longer. I was brushing her teeth each night but stopped after the incident with the toothpaste (she ate a whole tube of dog toothpaste - tube and all - when someone left an Amazon parcel within her reach ). I have now bought some more toothpaste so will start brushing again.
Luna is 13 weeks old and I have crate trained her, she won't wee in her crate becasue it is her bed. On 2 days I leave her in her crate from 12:40 till 14:20 becasue of a onerous nursery drop off, school pick up, nursery pickup routine. I have started to save Frozen kongs for those periods. So far I have tried pureeing leftover veg with cream cheese and frozen it which she loved, I mixed up brown rice with poached chicken and load of veg and froze that, a hit, and this week she has had layers of cream cheese, kibble topped off with a layer of puréed Apple. Finding this site super helpful!
Oh Sophia,this did make me smile,Luna is a lucky girl ,do you think she would share her kongs with me? they sound scrummy,how we spoil our dogs. There is a whole thread suggesting Kong recipes and I've been there with the kong production line with all my pots of tasty ingredients . Dexter had a lingering ear problem and I ended up doing a food trial to see if it was linked to allergies .He was only allowed a certain type of kibble .....so his kongs became very bland and samey,the only variation was to mix dry kibble pieces in with the soaked kibble pieces to give a bit of crunch I thought :: He enjoyed these boring kongs with as much gusto as he did his tempting tasty ones so I've just stuck to kibble really.....I do stick a fish4dogs treat in the middle of the kibble mush and if I've been able to get hold of the fish4dogs mousse I will add some of that too. Rosemary....are you serious Juno has never had a frozen Kong? Dexter would be calling Lab Line!
Lots! I use them when I leave one home alone, whenever I want them to settle ~ when visitors come etc. I use food from their allowance, soak it, stuff the kong, then freeze. The dogs enjoy it just as much as fancy fillings and we are not adding calories.
Totally 100%, never, ever has she not only never had a frozen kong she has never, ever had any stuffed kong as a puppy or while recovering from her elbow surgery, and to the current day. She's always settled without any problems
