For the ultimate challenge, store a stuffed KONG in the freezer for a few hours. Ideal for helping your dog keep cool on hot days, frozen KONGs last longer for tons of yummy, enriching play. Recipes Dental Kong Toys: for pups who need a little extra dental care! Your dog can be entertained with chewing on these dental KONG dog toys for hours on end, strengthening jaw muscles and cleaning teeth.

Classic Kong: natural rubber dog toys with a hollow for tasty treats- perfect for chewing! This classic design is guaranteed to be a hit with your dog as it bounces around in unpredictable directions, and can be filled with tasty treats! Well, kinda? I mean, yeah! Great idea, but please remember to adapt these for your dog, build the difficulty up. Why? Because if you make it too tough to get into, and you have a cavapoo, they’re likely not going finish it, or get to the yummy bits, because they’ve gotten frustrated and given up right at the start. My best tip here is to start simple. If you research beyond this blog (which I suggest you do!) – you’ll see a lot of recipes that are like “place a layer of kibble, a layer of home-cooked, blended roast dinner, a layer of greens, freeze-dried liver to cap, and close it up with peanut butter” – now, this sounds awesome? Right? Kong toys are designed to be strong and relatively indestructible, so leaving a Kong toy as a special treat when your dog is home alone is pretty common among dog owners. However, the unattended use of Kong toys (or any toy, for that matter) is never completely risk-free. Although it’s rare, some dogs manage to chew off fragments of Kong toys and swallow them. If this happens to your dog, you could find yourself facing an emergency veterinary visit and maybe even emergency surgery.Kong dog toys encourage play, satisfying instinctual needs and strengthening the bond between dog and pet parent.Built for durability, Kong Dog Toys offer mental and physical stimulation all while meeting a dogs need to play. Which means – you – if you’re anything like me – will go “Why didn’t you eat that?” And then get totally disheartened. Keep in mind that at least 90% of your dog’s calories should come from a well-balanced dog food. If your dog receives too many calories from treats, he will be less likely to eat his dog food. This can result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Be flexible and experiment Are you one of those Dog Mamas or Dads? I sort of am, but my kong went into disuse because Indie’s a monkey, and hasn’t ever been all that food motivated. I was totally guilty of some of the advice I’ve put in here (you’ll see!) – But, since gaining the Coonhound girls, (there’s a post coming introducing these gorgeous girls!) – I’ve suddenly got two very food-oriented dogs who are ideal targets for this weapon of awesomeness.

Next, consider the size and shape of your Kong toy. Is it large enough for your dog? If a large dog is given a Kong toy designed for small dogs, the risk of ingestion goes up significantly. An appropriately-sized Kong toy, however, will be difficult to swallow. Use the size guide as a general guideline when purchasing a new toy for your dog. Then, watch your dog as he plays with his Kong toy, ensuring that the toy cannot fit entirely within your dog’s mouth.You can stuff a KONG with anything that is safe for your dog to eat. Peanut butter, yogurt, canned pumpkin and fruit are a few favorites. Using a variety of different foods keeps the challenge interesting. If you’re adding dry dog food (kibble) to your dog’s Kong toy, be sure to remove that kibble from your dog’s daily food allotment. If you are adding other treats, calculate how many calories you’re giving in the form of treats and decrease your dog’s food correspondingly. With a bit of trial and error, you should be able to find a balance that allows your dog to maintain a healthy weight while still enjoying his Kong toy.