The Kong

[DogGoneGood]

Never Underestimate the Power of a Stuffed Kong

What is a Kong?
A Kong is a brand of dog toy which is almost cylindrical in shape and has two openings; one end is a very small opening and the other is a large opening. The inside is hollow and the purpose is so you can stuff treats and goodies into the Kong as a good way for your dog to pass time. Stuffing a Kong isn't just a treat for your dog; it's also a treat for yourself! For people who have extremely intelligent, hyperactive dogs this toy is a god send. It keeps the pup busy for up to an hour at a time! It is not only keeping him busy and out of your hair, but it is also working his brain. A dog must figure out how to get the treats out of the Kong which not only includes simply licking it out, but the dog also has to figure out how to HOLD the toy. Depending on what is stuffed in the Kong, how you get it out varies. (loose bits of kibble or treats can be dropped or shaken out, for example).

Kongs are also considered indestructible. To an owner of a dog who destroys every single toy they get for the dog, this is a Godsend! The colour of the Kong varies it's destructability.

Kong has several different products available, but today we are going to talk about the regular Kongs. The first ones invented...

They come in a variety of sizes and colours. When choosing a Kong you should choose one that is the right size for your dog (big enough it can't be swallowed or get stuck in the mouth, but small enough a dog can get it's mouth around it). You shouldn't choose based on colour only, but rather what the colour represents.

Classic Kong The Classic Kong is red in colour and tough enough to surpass most dogs chewability.

Extreme Kong The Extreme Kong is black in colour, and developed for extreme chewers! Kong always recommends that dogs are supervised while using their products, but even the most intense chewers have trouble getting through this toy!

Puppy Kong The Puppy Kong comes in a variety of colours (a mixture of blue or pink and white, for example) and is designed to help teething puppies.

Senior Kong The Senior Kong is purple and white in colour, and is designed to be durable yet soft for aging dogs with more brittle teeth.

Kool Kong The Kool Kong is blue and white in colour and is fitted with foam on the inside and a light weight rope which is imbedded deep into the Kong. The Kool Kong is not meant for chewing, and is the lowest on the Chewer Scale. The Kool Kong is meant to be used in the water or in field work, and is just a retrieving toy (but the dogs love it!).

A well stuffed Kong:

What you can stuff in a Kong is endless!
I usually just stuff whatever I can find in my kitchen (that's safe for the dogs) into the Kong and freeze it. There are several recipes available on the web.

[/url]:[/b]
[li] BANANA RAMA
[/li][li] Cheesy Dental KONG Delight
[/li][li] Philly Steak
[/li][li] Fruit Salad
[/li][li] Veggie KONG Omelet
[/li][li] Mac 'N Cheese
[/li][li] Aunt Jeannie's Archeology KONG
[/li][li] KONG on a Rope
[/li][li] Frozen Jerky Pops
[/li][li] Simple, Tried and True
[/li][li] Trixie's Favorite
[/li][/ul]

[/b]
the following recipes are contributed by forum members
[li] Kitty Food Kong
[/li][/ul]

If you would like to add your own Kong recipes, please feel free to post a reply and add yours at the bottom! They will be linked to the main post here

[DogGoneGood]

BANANA RAMA:

1 fresh banana
2 tbs wheat germ ·
1 tbs plain yogurt (can use your pet's
favorite flavor as well) ·
Any KONG Toy that best fits your pet's
chewing temperament.

In a bowl, mash up banana. Then, add wheat germ and yogurt. Mash all ingredients together and use spoon to add to KONG. Freeze for 4 hours. Makes 1 serving for Medium KONG. Double for every KONG size that is bigger.

[DogGoneGood]

Cheesy Dental KONG Delight:

3 Slices of your pet's favorite cheese.
Any Dental KONG toy

A very simple and creative way to make any pet drool in delight. Just place the three slices of cheese directly into the grooves of your pet's Dental KONG (if model has rope - make sure cheese does not get onto it). Melt in microwave for 20 to 30 seconds. Give to pet after it cools.

[DogGoneGood]

Philly Steak :

Steak scraps
1 ounce cream cheese
Appropriate KONG toy

Place small scraps of steak inside KONG toy. Spread cream cheese in large hole to hold scraps.

[DogGoneGood]

Fruit Salad:

Apple and carrot chunks
1/4 of a banana
Appropriate KONG toy

Place apples and carrots in KONG toy. Mush the bananas in large hole to hold fruit in place. You can include other fruits and veggies: orange slices, peach and/or nectarine chunks, celery sticks, broccoli and/or cauliflower, tomato and black olive mixture.

[DogGoneGood]

Veggie KONG Omelet:

1egg
Your choice of shredded cheese
Any veggies that your pet may like
Appropriate KONG toy

Scramble egg and fold in veggies. Put into KONG toy. Sprinkle with cheese over the top and microwavefor about twenty seconds. Cool thoroughly before giving to pet.

[DogGoneGood]

Mac 'N Cheese:

Leftover macaroni and cheese
small cube of Velveeta
Appropriate KONG toy

Melt Velveeta in microwave until gooey. Add mac 'n cheese to KONG toy. Pour heated Velveeta into KONG. Make sure it has cooled before giving it to your pet.

[DogGoneGood]

Aunt Jeannie's Archeology KONG (for advanced dogs)

Fill your KONG toy (the larger the better!) in layers and pack as tightly as possible. LAYER ONE (deepest): KONG Stuff’N Beef and Liver treats. LAYER TWO: KONG Stuff’N Tail Mix or dry dog kibble, Cheerios, sugar-free, salt-free peanut butter, dried banana chips, apples and apricots. LAYER THREE: carrot sticks, turkey or leftover ravioli or tortellini. The last item inserted should be an apricot or piece of ravioli, presenting a smooth "finish" under the main opening. - by Jean Donaldson

[DogGoneGood]

KONG on a Rope:

KONG Stuff’N Tail Mix or dry dog kibble
Appropriate KONG toy
Rope

Pull the rope through the KONG toy and knot it. Hang this upside down from a tree, deck or post. The small hole should be facing the ground. Fill the large hole of the KONG toy with KONG Stuff’N Tail Mix or dry dog kibble. Make the toy hang just high enough that it is out of your dog's reach. Your dog will spend hours trying to retrieve the treats from the KONG toy. At the end of the day, take the remaining treats and give to your pet as a reward. This is advanced work for your dog. - by Ian Dunbar

[DogGoneGood]

Frozen Jerky Pops:

Peanut butter
Bouillon
Jerky Strips · Water
Appropriate KONG toy

Muffin tin. Smear a small amount of peanut butter over small hole in your KONG toy. Fill with cool water and add a pinch of bouillon. Place a Jerky Stick inside KONG toy and freeze. This can also be put (once frozen) in a children's size swimming pool for a fun day of fishing for your pet.
- by Terry Ryan

[DogGoneGood]

Simple, Tried and True:

Peanut butter or KONG Stuff’N Peanut Butter Paste
Appropriate KONG toy

Smear a small amount of peanut butter or KONG Stuff’N Peanut Butter Paste inside the cavity of your KONG toy. It's that easy! KONG Stuff’N Liver Paste, KONG Stuff’N Breath Treat or KONG Stuff’N Puppy Treat also work great. - by trainers and vets worldwide

[DogGoneGood]

Trixie's Favorite:

Trixie, a 50 pound Aussie/Springer mix, loves turkey meat and KONG Stuff’N Liver Snacks mixed with slightly moistened dog food nuggets frozen inside her Kong. She is very clean about unstuffing - some dogs are not! - by Joe Markham

[charmingnancy]

Although our puppy isn't even born yet, we went and got one of the blue and white puppy Kongs. I will be refering to your filler recipes once we get the pup home!! I have a red one for Bo, but I never know what to stuff it with, so I will try a couple of these for him.

[DogGoneGood]

Oh I swear by them lol I absolutely love Kongs, which is why I sound like a Kong salesperson in this post haha I actually have two sitting in the freezer right now I'm thinking of getting a couple more, just so I can always have two ready in the freezer and two out for the boys to play with because they enjoy them as toys too Linkin loves how sporadically they jump when he drops them on the floor ;D

Here's what I stuffed them with tonight...

Kitty Food Kong:

My mom made a batch of home made cat food in as a treat for our kitties, but they ended up not liking it (there's a cat for yah ). I can't remember exactly... I THINK it contained just... cooked chicken breasts, brown rice, baby food (I can't remember what kind exactly; some veggie kind), and a bit of water. This was all chopped up in the food processor.

I closed the small end with bread (I find this the easiest way when stuffing a more liquid substance) and put in a layer of peanut butter, a layer of the kitty food, another layer of peanut butter and then stuffed two very tiny dog biscuits (they're an all natural type, I can't remember the brand name, but I know my sister got them at Trailblazers in Lethbridge), another layer of kitty food topped off with more peanut butter and another small biscuit sticking out the end.

Popped those in the freezer, and will probably take them out tomorrow morning. I've found they work great in the morning when I'm still half asleep and needing at LEAST one more cup of coffee in my system but the dogs are ready to go go go!

[subwoofer]

Thanks for posting all those recipes!

I've been leery of the commercial stuffings.
Brandy's 1st Kong was one day plopped at my feet, and I had no idea what it was.
It had to have been quite a few years old, and she found it while digging under some steps.

I bought one shortly after that but have only put treats in the ends.
She'll play with it like other toys, and it'll be interesting to see how she reacts too it with all that good stuff inside.