kiya Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 I just got two kongs a week ago, one big for Max, and a small one for Lilly. I put in bry food mixed with peanut buttter... Poor baby`s got what they could and gave up on the rest. So next time I just put bry food it them. Lilly got it right away, you got to move it around to get the food. Poor old Max just stod there looking at it, waiting for everything to fall out.. Of corse I go over and try to show him you got to move it...Ya right,,,,much better that mom come do it for him. So what is the next thing I stuff the kongs with that is easy but thay, ok Lilly will have alittle work to do ? Max on the other hand is still stuck on dry food...Ya I know hes lazy and I give in to him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 You can stuff Kongs with just about anything: peanut butter, yogurt, canned dog food, broth. You can mix any of these with dry food, add bits of vegetables, cheese or leftovers. Then freeze it so it takes longer for the dog to get it out. This can be a great way to occupy a puppy when you need it to calm down or just have something to do when you can't be paying 100% attention to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 Kiaya there are kongs with larger openings, or you could get smaller kibble for Max's kong. Put Lily in her crate with her kong. If you really want Max to work his kong, and he still won't after you've made it a bit easier, try putting it down for him then picking it up after 5 minutes or so. You can sprinkle the kibble with chicken, beef or fish broth to make it more enticing for him. If he's still not interested when you've made it easier, more enticing, AND picked it up after a few minutes, this might not be the toy for him. Experiment with things you've already got - a small paper bag he has to work at a little, a plastic water bottle with a largish hole cut in it, that sort of thing. Congratulations on the new pup! Ruth and SuperGibbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B Point Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 Kongs are a life saver around our house. I have a fruit smoothie for breakfast 3 or 4 days a week. What I don't drink my wife puts in the kongs and/or ice cube trays and freezes them. The dogs love it and I find that they don't give up as easily as stuffing with food although we do use whatever food is in the fridge....usually a lot of fish. Juno, the 3 month old, is happy with the kong with nothing in it.... anything rubber like that he loves, weird little guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cass C Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 To entice him into the kong try putting a smelly treat or two mixed with dry food. As one step up you can put kibble in the kong with a small cube or two of cheese and put it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Then let it cool and give it to him. Also you can try a bigger kong. Lyka prefers the extra large kong or the tire filled with frozen wet food and kibble to the "right" sized kong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borasaurus Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 When I want it to take Kieran longer to finish the Kong (then again, when do I not?), I'll put a dried sweet potato inside. It's so difficult for him to get out that he'll give up on it eventually. Probably doesn't help that my dad always takes things out for him. But even when he gives up, it still lasts longer than when I use anything else. I alternate with pieces of dog biscuit, which he finishes in about two minutes >_>. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiya Posted February 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 Thanks everyone. I`ll give these things a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chanse Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 Archer was/is also terrible at the kong. I tried just dry kibble for a while and he would paw it around a bit, but never really figured it out. I switched to just trying to build interest in the kong. I would just smear the inside with peanut butter and leave lots on the opening. This seemed to teach him that sticking his tongue in the kong was a good idea . Once he figured this out I started to occasionally put just dry kibble in there (stuffed loosely). After he was able to finish loose dry kibble with no problem, I started stuffing the kibble a little harder. Then once he was able to clean that out, I started to do a mix of dry kibble with peanut butter kibble. So I would do something like 3/4 dry kibble and the last 1/4 stuffed with kibble peanut butter mix. Then I just worked on increasing the difficultly from there. So next would be 1/2 and 1/2. Always put the dry stuff in first. The problem for Archer was that the kong got less rewarding as he got to the end, so if the end of the kong was too hard to get out then he would give up. I have tried putting a big reward in the end of the kong like chicken or cheese, but if it was too difficult he wouldn't care. Having the dry kibble at the end makes it so once he breaks through the wet kibble he still gets a big reward. Archer still isn't great at it though, so I can't say that this is the best approach. Right now I do 1/4 dry and 3/4 PB mix. He just doesn't seem to care for the kong itself, but this has made it so he is willing to lay down and work at it for a bit, which was my goal. I didn't care if he liked it as a toy, I just wanted to use it to keep him occupied. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiya Posted February 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 Thank everyone..Great ideas.. Did a half and half of dry and wet dog food today, and Lilly seemèd to enjoy it. Max on the other hand pack`s it all in the back of the kong, and then gives up. So guess I will try cheese and dry food tomorrow. Along with a new bigger kong for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSW Posted February 26, 2015 Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 I used high grade canned dog food for the kong. I fill it, add a bit of low fat peanut butter at the large opening and freeze it overnight and give it on my way out the door in the morning. My pup is then occupied when I leave, so I don't feel guilty for going to work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted February 26, 2015 Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 Squirrel dudes are these purple kong-like things. They come in 3 sizes - and the opening has these little 'teeth' in it. The teeth are soft and flexible, but they make kibble harder to get out. I don't bother soaking kibble for those, and he has to work at it quite a bit to get a taste. Ruth and SuperGibbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted February 26, 2015 Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 I had a squirrrel dude. Torque destroyed it in short order. Sigh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSW Posted February 26, 2015 Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 I have something like that too. I feed kibble from it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiya Posted February 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 I`ll look into these squirrrel things. Thanks. But I think Max is just not a kong dog. But he is happy with a cow bone. And can spend half the day on one. I should of known about them, and crate`s, then he was a pup. He might not have eatten my couch back then. And like kongs today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizabeth Posted February 26, 2015 Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 We have a few kongs around the house, half the time I don't even stuff them with anything she just chews them, she can not go to bed at night without her chew toy lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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