I just want to warn you before you scroll or click any further that no matter how delicious this looks, don't lick it. Which is a pretty good rule to live by in general.
I got a dog, I got a Kong, I stared dumbfounded at them both. I had no idea what to do with either of them. But especially the Kong. People in the dog world are hysterical for Kongs.
They talk about Kongs the way Keto people talk about cauliflower.
And they are good for boredom. Really good. But there are a few tricks to using Kongs that I had no idea about. Which is not surprising since I knew almost nothing about raising a dog other than what I gleaned from the requisite 14 million articles and studies I read about it.
Which helped my skills as a dog owner about 1%. Much like gardening, you just don't know ANYTHING no matter how much you've read about it, until you do it yourself.
In the case of gardening it took about 10 years before I really felt like I knew what I was doing. I expect it will be the same with a dog.
But with a couple of years under my collar I have a few things to share about Kongs.
Kongs, by the way, are indestructible rubber balls that can be filled with food.
Table of Contents
Kong Tips 101
Dogs remove the stuff inside by dropping it, licking it and chewing it.
- Kongs take practice. Start filling it with easy things that just roll right out of it like treats and cheese until the dog understands it's full of EXCELLENT exciting things - food.
- Move to things that make the dog lick the treats out, like kibble that's been mixed with a small amount of peanut butter.
- Don't fill a kong with peanut butter! You can swipe the interior of it with a bit of peanut butter, but not the whole thing. That's way too many calories for your dog and might make them sick.
- FREEZE IT. If you want a Kong to last, fill it with something that will freeze. It'll last much longer than an unfrozen Kong for your dog.
So how do you fill it with something that will freeze? The ultimate, epitome of Kongness: kibble, healthy ingredients and some showstoppers.
Healthy Kong Recipe
Ingredients
You can mix and match and fill the Kong with almost any healthy canned vegetable (low or no salt preferred), their kibble soaked in water and treats.
In order of volume:
- kibble soaked in water or broth until it's fully saturated
- canned vegetables (beets, carrots, peas, pumpkin)
- Showstoppers they LOVE (peanut butter, hot dogs, bacon, ...)
- Liquid to thin (water, broth, runny yogurt, kefir)
HINT: You don't need to worry too much about amounts. I use about 2 cups of saturated kibble and 2 cups total of everything else. Give or take a lot. Then just add as much liquid as you need.
Equipment
- Blender or food processor
- Several Kongs (that are the right size for your dog)
Add soaked kibble, drained vegetables (you can reserve and use the liquid to water the mixture down later if it's no salt) and treats to the blender.
Blend, tamping everything down if you have to. Add enough liquid to make the mixture a consistency similar to a very thick milkshake.
Arrange your Kongs on a plate or in an egg carton to hold them up.
Stuff a piece of kibble into the bottom of the Kong so it doesn't leak then fill.
I'd like to remind you not to lick it even though it looks like a delicious strawberry milkshake.
Add an irresistible SHOWSTOPPER of a treat to the top. In this case it's little pieces of leftover hamburgers.
Showstopper Treat Ideas
(Philip's favourites, but your dog might be different - you know your dog and the things they bounce off the walls for)
- Cut up hamburger
- Sausage pieces
- Bacon
- Cube of cheese
- Liver bite
- Hot dog pieces
- Chicken
Kong Filler
A healthy Kong filler made with your dog's kibble, canned vegetables, and your dog's showstopper of a favourite treat. Think hot dogs and cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of dry dog kibble
- 2,cans of vegetables (14 oz / 400 ml)
- liquid (water or broth)
Healthy Add Ons
- Pumpkin
- Yogurt
- Peanut Butter (I use a heaping ¼ cup )
Treats (pick only one)
- 3 pieces of crispy bacon (crispy = less fat) patted down with a paper towel
- 1 hot dog
- A handful of shredded cheese
- Sardines (canned in water)
- Salmon (canned in water)
- Tuna (canned in water)
- Canned meat
- Anything you know your dog loves but rarely gets
Instructions
- Soak 1 cup of kibble to create 2 cups of saturated kibble. You can use water to hydrate it or broth. Reserve as many pieces of soaked kibble as Kongs that you want to fill.
- Add all of the ingredients to the mixer and blend. Add water or broth as needed to create a consistency like a very thick milkshake.
- Using the reserved soaked kibble, push it into the small hole of the Kong. This stops it from leaking until it freezes.
- Pour (or spoon fill) the mixture into the plugged Kongs.
Come to think of it Kongs look like another certain kind of plug. - Freeze the Kongs and serve when you both need a break.
Notes
- Never let your dog chew Kongs without supervision. If they are aggressive chewers they can bite pieces off of the Kong which could get stuck in their GI tract.
- Freeze any leftover filling to reuse when you have more empty Kongs to fill.
- Beets STAIN so if you use them in your Kong, have your dog enjoy his Kong outside or on a mat. Don't forget you don't have to use beets, you can swap that out for carrots or another vegetable.
- YOGOURT AND PUMPKIN - if your dog is new to these things introduce only small amounts at first.
How Long Does It Last?
These Kongs last Philip well over 2 hours. I generally take them away from him after half an hour so he doesn't a) get bored with them or b) get over stimulated by it. Yep.
Now that you know how to do this you can mix and match and create any recipe you want using saturated kibble as your base.
Despite popular belief, yogurt is not good for dogs because dogs lack the enzymes to digest dairy.
One time when we were kids and mom had just come home from the store (odd we weren't with her) I saw two boxes of cookies on the table. One looked like nutter butters the other like oreos. I was checking out the boxes for a bit, they just didn't look QUITE right, so set them back on the table without taking any. Oldest brother came by and did the same. Then the youngest child shot into the kitchen saw the boxes, grabbed them, tore into them and started eating "oreos," before anyone could say anything or stop her. Mom came back in then. Of course, they were dog treats. LOL! They must not have tasted too bad... Lol. (The manufacturer really should have made it clear on the box which creatures they were for, cause really, we couldn't tell.) Soon after a joke started about her always taste testing any new cat treats (& possibly food) that came in the house. At least I THINK it was a joke... on the other hand, I have met her, so... 🤔 😯
Ps. After reading the title and something about not licking something, I was very scared to read this post. Terrified. That's enough scare to last me through Halloween thanks. Lol.
(Obviously, I didn't know what a kong was before now.)
All natural peanut butter is the best for dogs. Most others have artificial sweeteners which can be toxic to dogs.
I used to use the black Kings for heavy chewers. My rescue yellow lab had some behavioral issues and was waaay to smart for his own hood on top of it. He could go through a stuffed frozen King in about 15 minutes by going to the top of the stairway and throwing it down. Even the behavioral department at a large teaching school didn’t know what to do with him. Best thing I ever did was rescue a second dog. Then they played musical Kings because each thought the others was better even though they were the same. That occupied them for about an hour with little being eaten.
We have started using a Woof toy (mywoof.com). It is a similar material but you screw off the top and insert a frozen (or not) pupsicle treat. You can buy treats, and a pupsicle treat tray (like an ice cube tray) to make your own and keep in the freezer. Takes up lots less room and allows us to stockpile different varieties of treats. Not sure if they are sold in Canada yet.
What I'm wondering is if it makes a mess all over your floors? I have one rug and it is my pups go to place because he doesn't slip on it. How much scrubbing/cleaning do you have to do afterwards?
Hi Emie! I don't do any scrubbing or cleaning. He only gets his Kong on his Kong mat (it's an Ikea bathmat, lol). I'm training him to keep it on that mat. ~ karen!
GREAT idea. I'm not sure if I could get my pupper to do stay on a rug but it's worth a try.
Oh it's a work in progress. Just keep bringing them back to the mat. And if you drag out a special mat whenever you give the Kong they'll quickly put two and two together. ~ karen!
1. Phillip is spoiled (no surprise there). I simply put dry kibble in the kong, soak it in water for a couple hours, then freeze.
2. Phillip is dainty (oh the French). My English Bulldog empties a frozen kong in 10 or 15 minutes.
Let me start by saying that I don’t do kongs. However, I do like to make as many tasks as simple as possible with minimal clean up! So girlfriend, toss the spoon and pipe that slurry into those kongs!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I’ve just been using kibble with a few treats and a peanut butter stopper and like Kathy’s pup, it’s finished with in seconds. My husband is a “one is enough” kind of shopper but I’m gonna need more than one Kong.
a good stopper - cheese or peanut butter right on the outside of the kong. and for an easy way to fill use a piping bad aka zip lock bag with a tip cut off ;)
I just recently learned from a dog obedience course about filling and freezing the Kong toys with a homemade fun food mixture--I had always just put treats or a little peanut butter in them and my dog was finished with it within seconds. Now she takes quite a while to get all the delicious goodness from inside. We only give them to her when she's overexcited about visitors, because, apparently, chewing is calming for dogs. I make a similar recipe, but from now on am going to make it wetter so I can pour it into the Kong rather than use a butter knife...brilliant! Also like the addition of a showstopper treat.
This is a great idea! I’ve been filling Kongs for years and have never made such a slurry. Pumpkin can cause diarrhea (so watch the dose/know your dog), and high fat foods (such as bacon) should never be given to dogs.
that's interesting... i have always been told to use pumpkin to firm up their poop when they have diarrhea. And as for the bacon, anything in moderation is fine, just like with us humans.
Yes, absolutely, if your dog isn't used to yogurt or pumpkin it should be given in small amounts! For bacon, if you divide 3 slices of bacon between 6 Kongs that last few servings each, it isn't much of a threat. The reason I suggest it is because dogs LOVE it and because it has a strong scent. ~ karen
we used to put a spoonful of bacon grease in our dog's food when I was growing up. I think some still do that. Also, as I was just rereading your article, I saw all the "canned fish"es listed. Save the water from them to add to your mixture. When I make tuna, my dogs sit and wait for the water I squeeze out.
yikes-
i just want to say: as a vet surgeon, i can't tell you HOW MANY Kong toy pieces--both the red and the black ''tougher'' varieties-I have removed from dogs' GI tracts. just sayin'.
i never ever recommend them...
Oh! I never would have expected that. I guess it partly depends on how aggressive a chewer the dog is. Philip is not a strong chewer. He won't even chew on typical hard chew toys like antlers etc. They're too hard for him. Plus I never give him anything to chew if I'm not there with him. I'll add those 2 points to the post, plus you insight. ~ karen!
Yes, it definitely does depend on how much of a chewer/ how hard your dog bites. :)
I think some folks with more motivated dogs don’t realize how “vigorous” their dogs can be, especially when alone or if anxious …
Didn’t want to rain on your parade (sorry!) just thought it would be good to mention for all and sundry :)
People with parrots recognize that Kong as a foraging “toy”- example: I collect opened pinecones and dab unsalted peanut and almond butter between the “petals” and stick treats in the openings too. Then I use twine to tie the pinecone treat to the inside of Elliott’s house AKA cage. That’s the cheap, easy, way to keep him busy until the pinecone or the twine gives out.
There are fancy foraging toys with knobs and puzzle doors that parrots are keen to solve. Google “Goffin’s cockatoo solves puzzles” and you’ll see videos of these little geniuses go about complex problem solving. Elliott is a Goffin’s who loves to forage and is an escape artist. He easily unscrews anything with nuts and bolts. He can put them back together if he feels like it but the undoing is his favorite.
Phillip is an extraordinary poodle who’s fortunate to have a friend like you Karen. They are a misunderstood breed by most who get caught up in the notion that they are prissy twits. Nothing could be further from the truth. Each size, from teacup, to standard are wonderful companions with quick minds and are ferociously loyal. Thank you for caring for your pet as a member of your family.
Great ideas for your fellow dog owners................. so............... when you tasted the slurry, what were your thoughts on the stuff?
that is funny! and reminded me of when, long ago, I had a dog. One fine morning I was fixing his breakfast and got distracted as I was cleaning off the spoon I'd mixed soft into kibble. I then licked my finger. ZOIKS! woke me up faster than any cup of coffee I'd had
My older dog is no longer able to chew the Kong but my younger dog can... guess I'm lazy, she just gets a bit of kibble with a small amount of PB to seal it in.