You might have heard that Kongs are a fun toy for dogs, but actually, they are so much more than that. They can help you train your dog, work as a stress reliever, and teach your dog some good habits

Why Dogs Chew

Dogs naturally enjoy chewing. If you have a dog that loves to chew, you might have already lost some chair legs or favorite shoes to their chewing habit. Chewing calms them down, releases anxiety, and gives them something to do when they’re bored. They are going to chew no matter what, so better to give them something they are allowed to chew instead of having them chew things that are off-limits. Especially since a chew toy can give them so many other benefits.

If you opt for a ‘learning toy’ that you can fill with some treats and freeze (like a Kong) you can make the experience really fun for your dog, and they will become far more attached to their Kong than they are to your shoes. 

Why We Love Kongs

There are other fillable toys, but Kongs are a great option because they are non-toxic, have different sizes for different size dogs, and stand up to tough chewers, but these recipes will work with any durable, rubber fillable chew toy.

A stuffed Kong is more than just a snack, it is also a training tool that can help your dog learn good habits and aid in auto-training your dog.

Kongs Help With Training

Destructive Chewing – If your dog is chewing something you don’t want them to, get a stuffed Kong out of the freezer and trade the Kong for whatever they are chewing on. How to release something you don’t want them to have – trade the chew toy for it

Fetch – Each time you give them the Kong, say “Do you want your Kong?” Using the word often will teach them that this yummy treat is called a Kong. Then you can ask them to get their Kong and bring it to you. Start with the Kong close by, and over time they will go get it wherever it is. Great for those times when you don’t know where your dog has stashed their Kong!

Crate and confinement area training – Add a string to your Kong (make a knot at the end and put it through the small hole so that the knot is on the outside and the string runs through the food inside. Fill your kong and freeze it with the string attached. Now you can hang it, or tie it to the side of your crate or inside your confinement area to help your dog learn to love their new space.

Recipes

When I look at some of the Kong stuffing recipes online, I get really sad to see some of the things they are recommending. I have seen recipes that include everything from Mac and Cheese, to cheerios to canned cat food. Your dog is not designed to eat processed or unhealthy food. Dogs are designed to eat whole real food and there are so many fun, easy ways to fill a Kong with nutritious snacks that will help your dog get all of their nutrients, build stronger immune systems, have a healthy coat, reduce anxiety, and make them healthier overall.

You can fill your Kong with almost any whole food (here is a list of the foods dogs cannot eat) and seal it with anything sticky like peanut butter (100% peanuts), honey, or yogurt.

Variety helps a dog get all of the nutrients they need, so use different combinations and feel free to get creative making your own combinations of healthy snacks.

But here are some recipes to get your creative juices flowing.

1. Serving of Veggies

Add carrots, broccoli, and cooked peas, and a small amount of honey to the blender, and blend until smooth. Spoon the mixture into the Kong and freeze.

(You can substitute any veggies you have on hand that your dog likes except garlic, leeks, and onions)

2. Citrus Cooler

Fill the kong with slices of orange, seal the top with some low-fat plain yogurt (make sure the yogurt is very low or no sugar) and freeze.

3. Berry Nice

Blend blueberries, strawberries with a little applesauce (no sugar added, made with 100% apples). Fill the Kong and freeze.

(you can use any fruit your dog likes except avocado, grapes, cranberries, or raisins)

4. PB and J

Add a layer of Peanut Butter (make sure the brand you use has only 1 ingredient…peanuts), add some blueberries, top off with more peanut butter and freeze

5. Thanksgiving Dinner

Add blended or canned pumpkin (make sure you buy plain pumpkin and not the pie filling) and a little coconut oil and freeze. You can add a spoonful of ground turkey to the mixture to give them the full experience.

6. Banana with Peanut Butter snack

Mash some banana, fill your Kong, and seal it with peanut butter (make sure the brand you use has only 1 ingredient…peanuts). Freeze.

Recipes By Symptom

from Rachel Fusaro

Always work with your holistic vet if your dog has any of these symptoms

Anti Anxiety

Pinch of Spirulina Powder – high in chlorophyll– detoxifying agent, balances the gut flora

¼ to ½ cup of Raw Goat Milk – high in digestive enzymes, probiotics, and anti-inflammatory

Zucchini – cut in rounds or blended

Add them to the Kong and freeze

Loose Stool

Greek Yogurt – ¼ – ½ cup – probiotic and omega 3s. Both heal the gut

Slippery Elm – ½ – 1 capsule for large dogs – (dose depends on what your vet recommends) – has Muoilage – when mixed with water forms gel – good for coating the GI tract and intestines

Add them to the Kong and freeze

Allergies

Wild sardines – not smoked or in oil – 1 per large dog – high in Omega 3 which is an anti-inflammatory

Blueberries – small handful – high in phytochemicals, fiber, antioxidants and a compound called Quercetin which reduces inflammation

Raw goat milk or water

Add them to the Kong and freeze

Bad Breath

Coconut oil – 1 tablespoon – mush against the inside of the Kong – high in healthy fats, antimicrobial

Fresh Parsley – high in Vitamin A, K, and C, freshens breath

Raw goat milk or water

Add them to the Kong and freeze

What if I am limiting my dog’s calories?

If you have your dog on a restricted diet and don’t want to increase their calories with Kong stuffing, you can reduce the food you give them for their meal to account for the food in the Kong.

Since we like to put whole foods into our Kongs, if you are already cooking for your dog or getting real food delivered from a company like Nom Nom or Ollie you can put part of one of their meals (or more if they like to have 2 or more Kongs a day) into the kong and freeze it. That way they are having part of their daily food as a delicious calming treat.

TIPS

• Make sure you have enough Kongs or other fillable toys to rotate so you can be cleaning some and still have some ready in the freezer. About 3-4 per dog depending on how many they have per day.
• Make them in batches so you have them ready when you need them.
• Honey is antimicrobial, so if you’re not planning on running the kong through the dishwasher each time you fill it, honey can help keep your Kong clean.
• Make sure to blend food that might be a choking hazard before you add it to the Kong, or cut it into small pieces.
• Freezing your filled Kong before you give it to your dog will extend their chewing time from about 5-10 minutes to about 45 minutes to an hour.

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