KONG toys provide a fun way to keep your pooch occupied and out of trouble for awhile. They appeal to your dog’s ancestral instinct to hunt and scavenge for food, and they provide mental stimulation as your dog strives obtain the contents. This helps to prevent boredom and anxiety when your dog is left alone at home. Once you learn how to stuff a kong toy, you can feel confident that your dog will focus its attention on the motivating scents that waft from the toy instead of on your shoes or furniture in your absence.
What Is a KONG?
Before you learn the finer points of how to stuff a kong, you need to select a KONG for your furry friend. The original KONG toy is what you will be looking for. It is a durable rubber toy that is hollow inside and resembles a beehive in shape. These KONG toys were originally red in color, but they are now available in a rainbow of color choices. They also come in a variety of sizes to accommodate a tiny toy breed, a puppy or a large dog’s powerful jaws. Be sure to select the appropriate size for your dog. It should be large enough to prevent a choking hazard. KONG toys are nontoxic, and they can be washed in the top rack of your dishwasher.
Kong Dog Toys Recipes
Part of learning how to stuff a kong is to come up with edible combinations that your dog will find enticing. A KONG can be stuffed with anything delicious, from peanut butter to fruit to cream cheese. You may opt to feed your dog’s regular meal by stuffing the KONG with kibble and canned dog food, which is a preferred option for those dogs that are on restrictive prescription diets. You can cram your dog’s favorite biscuits into the KONG as well, and the KONG company produces an edible paste for filling their product with the flavors that dogs enjoy. There are plenty of kong dog toys recipes available, but you can easily create a culinary combination of ingredients that whet your dog’s appetite. Some ingredient ideas include:
• Peanut butter • Cooked oatmeal • Plain yogurt • Cream cheese • Jerky treats • Cut pieces of fruit, such as bananas • Canned pumpkin • Mashed sweet potato • Cooked ground turkey or chicken • Vegetables, such as cooked asparagus or raw carrots. Find more tips on people food as natural dog snacks here.
How to Stuff a Kong Toy
Once you decide on a filling or on a combination of ingredients, spoon them into the KONG toy. If you are using loose or soft ingredients that can flow or fall out easily, you will need to plug up the hole with a thicker ingredient, such as peanut butter, that will act as a seal. Present your dog with the KONG toy, preferably on a floor surface that is easy to clean. Start by giving your dog the stuffed KONG immediately after you fill it. Your dog may need to go through a learning curve to understand what needs to be done to enjoy the toy. You dog will soon figure out that by licking and manipulating the puzzle, the pieces present themselves to be eaten.
Increase the Challenge
Once your dog figures out the concept of the stuffed KONG, the toy will be emptied, and the contents will be devoured quickly. In order to create a stuffed KONG that will keep your canine companion happily occupied for an extended duration, place the stuffed KONG in the freezer, and leave it there overnight. When filling a KONG toy for freezing, be sure to plug the smaller hole at the top of the KONG with peanut butter or some other thick ingredient. Once you have added your other ingredients, pour some chicken broth into the KONG to fill the empty spaces before you freeze it. Alternately, you can keep things simple by filling a KONG entirely with peanut butter to freeze. Once you present your dog with a frozen stuffed KONG, it will have to work harder and longer to get every last tasty drop.
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