Re: Stuffed kongs Guess Mr. Louie will be getting some Kongs and Kidder too. It is much better for them than the bones and I saw all the recipes. What's funny is sometimes we are just creatures of habit until we change those habits. I was giving treats and working with both dogs tonight, and then it just hit me "why didn't I give a carrot as a treat like I had done awhile back." Both dogs got carrots and they are sure funny to watch. I totally get this and will make the change and I bet it will be cheaper too than all those treats! Thanks. . Great ideas!! Kathy, Louie and Kidder (also Babens, cat) but I need to find the cat problem section
Re: Stuffed kongs Mine have carrots from time to time. They love them, but they absolutely HAVE to shred them into a million pieces, scattered all over their beds and the floor, then hoover them up once there's more carrot than floor visible
Re: Stuffed kongs [quote author=Kathy C link=topic=5200.msg128939#msg128939 date=1418009155] Kathy, Louie and Kidder (also Babens, cat) but I need to find the cat problem section [/quote] Feel free ;D We have a Pets Corner. An active ducklings thread. Lots of lambie content. Lots of questions about cats and dogs integrating. We are eclectic and inclusive around here you know!
Re: Stuffed kongs What am I doing wrong? I hear about Kongs as a savior for so many! Yet - Zac seems to be ambivalent to them. Sometimes he enjoys them for awhile - and sometimes he could care less. I have stuffed them with soaked kibble, bananas, treats and topped with peanut butter. Often though, he licks off the peanut butter and is done. Could he be frustrated because he can't get at the inside stuff? Or should I try other items?
Re: Stuffed kongs [quote author=Zacbrownpup link=topic=5200.msg135475#msg135475 date=1420647280] What am I doing wrong? I hear about Kongs as a savior for so many! Yet - Zac seems to be ambivalent to them. Sometimes he enjoys them for awhile - and sometimes he could care less. I have stuffed them with soaked kibble, bananas, treats and topped with peanut butter. Often though, he licks off the peanut butter and is done. Could he be frustrated because he can't get at the inside stuff? Or should I try other items? [/quote] SARDINES!!!!!!!!!!
Re: Stuffed kongs [quote author=Zacbrownpup link=topic=5200.msg135475#msg135475 date=1420647280] What am I doing wrong? I hear about Kongs as a savior for so many! Yet - Zac seems to be ambivalent to them. Sometimes he enjoys them for awhile - and sometimes he could care less. I have stuffed them with soaked kibble, bananas, treats and topped with peanut butter. Often though, he licks off the peanut butter and is done. Could he be frustrated because he can't get at the inside stuff? Or should I try other items? [/quote] Are you freezing them? If so, maybe try a couple of days with something tasty (like sardines!!) and leaving them unfrozen, so Zac gets the idea. I think some dogs find the frozenness a bit intimidating at first.
Re: Stuffed kongs I think you have to put quite a bit of effort in to get them addicted to chew toys (in the words of my puppy book ) - I don't think it just happens with all dogs - although few dogs fail to get the hang of kongs! I've never regretted it though, it's a god send when you need them to settle in difficult situations. I thanked whatever was looking after me, several times, that Charlie was addicted to kongs when he was injured. Start with super delicious stuff in the kong - chicken, sardines, whatever. Don't freeze it. Even kibble that tips out easily. Slowly make it harder, then reduce the value of the filling. I got so I could leave Charlie with a tiny breakfast of 50g of kibble spread out (in various imaginative ways) through 6 or 7 frozen kongs and keep him occupied most of the morning. Try kong goodie bones for a quick fix and more obvious way to get the food out - I stuff the ends with sticks of sweet dried potato wrapped in fish skin. And kong wobblers are the best thing ever.
Re: Stuffed kongs Ahhh! Ok - all excellent ideas! I guess I was thinking the kong obsession was an innate thing... Like a binky for a baby. He has a Kong Wubba that he LOVES - he whips it around and plays with it. Hoping that the stuffed kong is a more sedate activity. Does it matter what size kongs to you use? I have the Giant one - he is approximately 25 lbs.
Re: Stuffed kongs My two have mediums. The puppy kongs (medium) are the same size as the adult (medium) ones, just slightly softer rubber. It's enough to keep them quiet for 15 minutes or so. Any bigger and I'd be worrying about the caloric intake for the day.
Re: Stuffed kongs I honestly think one of the main points about kongs is to reduce the value (and calories) of the stuffing but have them stay focussed and occupied with the kong. Seems to work with my boy, anyway....
Re: Stuffed kongs My girl has one of the pink puppy Kongs and I'm thinking of switching her to an adult one soon. She's not managed to break it yet but there are little teeth dents all over it and she's quite a strong chewer. We always freeze them so that they last longer and we normally stick to the same few things when stuffing them: [li]Peanut butter with some training treats mixed in (sometimes we mix banana in with the peanut butter too)[/li] [li]Banana with chunks of apple (without the core!)[/li] [li]Small pieces of white bread to stuff the bottom, then her normal kibble soaked in doggy gravy[/li] We've not really experimented with any other things because she seems to love these so much but I'm looking forward to try out some more fruity ones in the summer for her to have outside ;D
Re: Stuffed kongs I've taken to using all kinds of leftover human food in Bella's kongs...she doesn't get them very often, and I don't freeze them...but tend to use a mix of her kibble, cheese, chicken, canned food, leftover gravy, a bit of sour cream, assorted veggies, bits of pasta, etc. Pretty much whatever we've had for dinner over the past couple of days that there is a smidge of leftover for her. I also add stuff to her breakfast and dinner too - probably why I don't do kongs more often. I think her favorite part is after she gets the first bit licked out....she knows to pick it up and drop it to get the other nibbets to fall out. 8) 8) 8)
Re: Stuffed kongs Our Tess is almost 9 weeks old and has several Kongs, but so far we have only put dried kibble in it (tried mashing and freezing but she couldn't get that at all!). She's not overly impressed so far so I'd like to stuff them with something more interesting - but she had an upset tummy over the weekend and I'm worried about upsetting it again. What can I try that's good for delicate tummies? We're not sure if her injections upset her or the few pieces of cheese I gave her for training treats.
Re: Stuffed kongs Soaked kibble mashed up with a teaspoonful of natural yoghurt or cottage cheese, maybe a little grated carrot or mashed banana or sardines and then frozen. If her tummy is dodgy just now I wouldn't add anything you don't already know she is ok with. Once she is settled then try her with small amounts of new stuff and find out what she really like then add that to the kongs. She will get the hang of it eventually
Re: Stuffed kongs Thank you. Her breeder recommended I give her some natural yogurt when she had a poorly tummy so that is probably a good idea. Silly question re sardines - are these the ones from the fresh fish counter?!
Re: Stuffed kongs Not silly I just use cheapie tinned ones from Lidl - I go in and buy 10 tins at a time. They must think I am on some weird diet ;D I also have some sprats in the freezer which I got at Tesco's fresh fish counter. These are reserved as super duper treats for training purposes only so they don't lose their 'specialness'!
Re: Stuffed kongs Fantastic, Lidl it is! I think I've only ever bought them in tomato sauce! Thank you
Re: Stuffed kongs Mine like them in tomato sauce best. Nice and super smelly! I mash up a tin with a few cubes of bread and mix with some water to pad it out a bit. It makes one tin of sardines stretch to four kongs.
Re: Stuffed kongs Oh yeah....Lidl's sardines in tomato sauce for us too ;D Mashed with soggy kibble is good for a starting offer. And unfrozen for the littl'uns
