Kong toys are a great for keeping your puppy or dog occupied and entertained, helping them to settle, or building up positive associations with situations e.g. travelling in the back of the car.
At home Kong toys are a great way for your puppy or dog to “work” for their food, and to keep them busy for a little while without you having to entertain them.
Some pups or dogs will take to the Kong straight away and they will be very keen to work out how to get to the food, others might need a gentler introduction.
Introducing a Kong – 5 top tips
- When you first introduce the Kong you will want to make it quite easy for your puppy or dog to get the treats out. Start off by adding some dry kibble to the Kong which they can get by rolling the Kong around on the floor or by chewing it.
- If your puppy or dog is very quick to get the dry kibble out, use a small amount of your their normal kibble and soak it in hot water (for 10 minutes or until it has expanded a bit). Gently squash it with the back of a spoon and push it into the Kong until it is filled up.
- To make it even more difficult place the Kong in the freezer until it is completely frozen.
- To make it a bit more interesting you could also add some peanut butter (make sure it doesn’t contain any xylitol as this is toxic to dogs) to the kibble, this will make it even more tasty and the kibble will “stick” together a bit more.
Try mixing some greek yoghurt and mashed banana (or fresh mango) before freezing it. You could also try some soft cheese instead. If you are adding any extra ingredients make sure you do this in small quantities, so it doesn’t upset your puppy’s stomach.