Please share your best Kong stuffing recipes to make them last.

[moosemama]

Pup is on a fairly restrictive diet, but gradually having new foods introduced. He either empties them too quickly, if loosely stuffed or gives up completely if I really stuff it in.

He currently has a combination of Fish4Dogs Mousse, his usual kibble, fresh chicken and we have just started giving him a bit of peanut butter. He can't tolerate cheese or grain of any sort.

Sticky food plus kibble goes in first, then a layer of fresh chicken, then a bit more kibble and sticky stuff and finally a plug of either mousse or peanut butter - or sometimes his probiotic paste as he loves it and it's an easy way to give it to him.

If I freeze them to make them last longer he doesn't bother with them at all, even if partially thawed before I give them to him.

I have to leave him for two 20-25 minute school runs a day and have to leave either 4 kongs or 3 kongs and a busy buddy (treat dispensing toy) for him or he starts yelling the minute he's finished and I have retired, neighbours who, whilst lovely, have never had either children or pets.

If I leave him with 2 medium kongs, 1 medium puppy kong and a busy buddy smeared with mousse and filled with kibble, that lot will last him a maximum of 40 minutes sometimes less. He usually hasn't completely emptied them then, but will start making a racket until I go in and show him the food inside, then they'll last another 10 minutes max. I can't leave him to quieten down on his own, because a) he doesn't and b) my neighbours are always home, but I do wait for a distinct break to go in, show him the remaining food and leave again without engaging him further.

He had a rough start and it's taken a long time to get him to the point where he's happy for us to leave the room, let alone go on the school run. We've had him 8 weeks now. He's quiet overnight from 10.30 pm to 6.00-6.30 am and will then go back to sleep till 8.00 am at the weekends. He's also happy to sleep in his bed in a different room with the door shut during the day - this is huge progress compared to the the 10 week old pup we brought home that couldn't bear for us to even step out of the doorway into another room or be visible on the other side of a dog gate. (We record him on a dictaphone while we're out so we know how he's getting on and to make sure we don't push him past his tolerance level and set his progress back.)

Obviously we are still working on this and doing lots of positive reinforcement and desensitisation to leaving signals etc and it is working, slowly, but in the meantime I would really like to be able to occupy him when left for just a little bit longer, as I'm concerned that if either of my two primary dcs get's a Star of the Week award at school I will need to attend assembly for 50 minutes to an hour, at a time when my nocturnal neighbours won't appreciate being woken.

Anyone got a foolproof way of stuffing kongs to make them last longer or any other suggestions on how to increase the time he's happy being left.

[ender]

I think you're scuppered if he won't try frozen and gives up if kong is too hard to unstuff.
You could try jamming a piece of carrot or apple (carrot works best) into the kong so it won't come out easily, then put in a bit of banana of peanut butter for taste. But it'll need perseverence and your dog might decide it's not worth the trouble .

[Lilcamper]

Don't know if this is any good for you:

The following Kong stuffings are made with one or more human food ingredients:
CHEESY ELVIS: Combine a ripe banana, 3 spoonfuls of peanut butter, and a slice of cheese. Mix until blended well. Fill the Kong and freeze.
MONSTER MASH: Instant mashed potatoes (without the salt) — or leftover mashed potatoes from dinner — mixed with crushed dog biscuits.
DOGGIE OMLET: Combine a scrambled egg, some beef, yogurt, cheese and mashed potatoes all together
FIBER CRUNCH: Combine bran cereal with some peanut butter.
KONGSICLE JERKY POPS: The equivalent of a popsicle… Seal the small hole of the Kong toy with peanut butter. Fill to the rim with water and a pinch of bouillon (or just use chicken broth instead). Place a stick or two of beef jerky inside. Freeze. (This one gets messy in a hurry, so it’s recommended only for outdoor use.)
GOOEY CHEERIOS: Combine cheerios and peanut butter. Freeze.
FRUIT KITTY NOODLES: Mix together some fruit, cooked pasta, banana and dry cat food.
BANANA YOGURT: Plain yogurt and mashed bananas. (You can also add a little peanut butter or other fruits.) Then freeze it.
PEANUT BUTTER GLUE: Fill Kong 1/3rd full of dog food. Pour in melted peanut butter (after it has cooled from microwaving). Add more dog food, followed by more melted peanut butter until the Kong toy is full. Freeze until solid.
ROCK-HARD KIBBLE: Combine some of your dog’s regular food with cream cheese, which acts as a cement, keeping everything inside.
STICKY BREAD: Smear peanut butter on a piece of bread. Fold it over and stuff inside the Kong. Mix together plain yogurt with some fruits or vegetables (carrots, celery) and pour inside. Freeze. The yogurt sticks to the bread holding everything together.
APPLE PIE: Squeeze a small piece of apple into the tiny hole. Fill the Kong with a small amount of plain yogurt. Add a few slices of mashed banana, more apple, yogurt, banana. End with a slice of banana and chunk of peanut butter on the top.
CRUNCH ‘N MUNCH: Combine crumbled rice cakes and dried fruit with some cream cheese and plain croutons.
PUMPKIN PIECES: Combine some plain yogurt, canned pumpkin, and cooked rice in a small baggie. Mix well inside the bag, then snip off a corner of the bag and squeeze it into the Kong toy. Freeze. KIBBLE-SICLE: Put a glob of peanut butter into the Kong first. Then add some dry dog food. Pour in some chicken broth. Add some more peanut butter, followed by more dry dogfood. End with another glob of peanut butter at the very top. Freeze until solid.
OLD STANDBY: Soak some of your dog’s regular food in water (or chicken broth) for a brief time before placing it inside a Kong, then freeze.
MUTT & CHEESE: Melt a cube of Velveeta cheese in the microwave, until it’s gooey — not runny. Fill the Kong toy with cooked noodles. Pour cheese over noodles.
FROZEN BONZ: Mix up some bananas, unsweetened applesauce, oatmeal, peanut butter, and plain yogurt. Freeze.
CHEEZY DELIGHT: Combine small chunks of cheese (or cheese spread) with some dry dogfood and microwave until the cheese melts. Let it cool completely, then pour into the Kong toy. Freeze thoroughly.
CARB DELIGHT: Combine some canned dogfood with pasta noodles, rice, mashed potatoes, and some of your dog’s dry dog food. Freeze.
NUT CRUNCH: Take 2-3 dog biscuits and crunch them a bit into very tiny bite-sized pieces. Add a couple spoonfuls of peanut butter. Then add a couple spoonfuls of plain yogurt. Mix in bowl until soft, but not runny. Stuff inside Kong.
BABYLICIOUS: Mix together some fat-free cream cheese, peanut butter, and either sugarfree applesauce or a jar of baby food (like bananas, carrots). Cram a solid food item into the small hole at the end of the Kong, then fill with the mixture. Seal the large hole with either more cream cheese or peanut butter.
FRUITOPIA: Combine applesauce with chunks of fruit. Freeze.
PUPPY TRAIL: Fill the Kong with some cashews (unsalted) and freeze-dried liver bits. Add some dry dog food and/or dog crushed dog biscuits and some Cheerios. Drop in a spoonful of peanut butter, followed by some dried fruit. Finally, top it off by using a piece of ravioli or tortellini to close the large opening.
RED ROVER: Smear the inside of the Kong toy with peanut butter. Put a tiny piece of apple into the small hole, then drop some more apple pieces in next. Drop in a scoop of peanut butter (or cream cheese), then drop in some dogfood or broken dog treats. Add another scoop of peanut butter (or cream cheese), then more apples. Plug the large opening with a final scoop of peanut butter (or cream cheese) and freeze.
FROZEN TUNA SALAD: Mix together well: 1 6oz can of light tuna, 2 T. plain yogurt, and 1/4 C. grated carrot. Spoon into KONG toy. Freeze.“This treat is healthy and high in Omega-3 fatty acids which contribute to healthy skin and a glistening coat

[moosemama]

Thanks ender. That's what I was thinking too. Blooming Lurchers, Lurcherboy is the same, just gives up if it's too much like hard work. Although ... he's been having them for almost a year now and seems to be just starting to stuff that the food works loose if you chuck them about a bit, so you never know.

Lilcamper, thank you. I've tried most of the ones on there that he's allowed to have, except banana and peanut butter which I love so will give that a go.

Today I actually stuffed one of Lurcherboy's large red Kongs, a medium red, medium puppy and small puppy, plus a busy buddy. By 40 minutes he'd unstuffed all but the small puppy one (I think the hole is too small for his tongue now and for some reason he won't chew it even though it's squishy, so I'll have to stop giving it to him, as I've read horror stories of dogs getting their tongues stuck! ) and the very last section of the larger ones, but still started meeping at me. I went in, showed him the food in the end and he spent another 10 minutes finishing them all off, so he can get to the end, but doesn't bother unless I tell him to.

[Lilcamper]

There is a way a behaviourist friend of mine 'big ups' a stuffed Kong. It's to do with putting it in the fridge. Opening the fridge and showing it to the dog, putting it away again....I'll go and find exactly what she says later.

[moosemama]

Oo that sounds interesting. Thank you Lilcamper, I will check back later.

[poachedeggs]

Are these kongs his meals, or extras? Simply because the hungrier he is the harder he'll work.

Might be a recipe for squit city but you could try mixing the chicken layer with pate for extra stinky motivation. Have you tried different shapes of Kong? I've got one shaped like a skittle which dispenses treats when rolled around.

What about soaking the kibble briefly in chicken stock? Just boiled carcase water but smells good.

[tabulahrasa]

Raw chicken lumps frozen in there works for mine, but if he won't eat frozen that's no use.

Scrambled egg is quite good because it sort of sets in the kong and makes it harder work.

[Lilcamper]

Found it! She uses this method specifically for separation issues:

' You need a special prize for your dog, stuffed Kong, raw meaty bone, anything he'll go crazy for.

Let him know you have it and then put it in the fridge. Every time you go to the fridge, act really excited about this prize in the fridge, tell him it's his but that he can't have it yet. Keep this up until you can guarantee that he will get excited when you go to the fridge.

Then when the time is right, go to the fridge, give him the prize and walk away. If he leaves the prize and follows you pick it up and put it back in the fridge and try again later. If he gets stuck in to his prize then ideally you need to just leave the room via a stair gate in the doorway, turn straight around, come back in, take the prize and put it back in the fridge. Repeat this as often as suits and gradually increase the distance you go and the length of time you stay away but not both at once.

You are aiming for him to want you to go and be slightly disappointed that you have come back so soon.'

[moosemama]

They're calculated as part of his meals, although the mousse is in addition to his full intake.

It has been difficult to make sure he's hungry enough until now, as he was on 8, then 6, then 5 and now 4 meals a day due to a nasty campylobacter infection and fitting them all in around school run kongs was er ... fun.

On top of that I have to do a lot of training with him, as due to the infection, he had his vaccinations delayed and wasn't able to socialise with other dogs until he was 16 weeks old so we're now doing rehabilitation, rather than socialisation.

It's been a bit of a car crash of a start for him really, as he wasn't socialised to anything other than the resident dogs at his foster home, was never left alone and never left the house and he only came to us at 10 weeks.

I apportion his feeds for the following day out the evening before, so I can work out what to use for training and what I can use to stuff kongs.

To be honest though, he eats like a horse but is still ridiculously skinny, although it looks like there's a fair bit of Saluki in his mix, which goes some way to explaining his supermodel proportions.

Is the skittle one like a kong wobbler?

He has a treat ball, a couple of busy buddies and a bone with holes in the end you can shove treats into along with some sticky, smelly stuff.

The Salmon and Trout Mousses are super stinky, so not sure pate would be worth the risk.

Haven't thought about soaking the kibble in stock - that's a good idea, thank you.

I was thinking of getting him a green feeder, as he really bolts his meals and I thought it would be another option for when I have to leave him.

[moosemama]

Scrambled egg is one I haven't tried tabularhasa. Do you stuff it then refrigerate it, or just give it a few minutes after it's made up?

Lilcamper, that's sounds like a plan. I do something similar with the kongs, (I make them up, then put them up high on a tray and keep approaching it and telling him he's got a treat but he can't have it yet etc) but haven't done the coming back early and removing them thing, so will definitely have a go with that. Thank you.

[poachedeggs]

Aha saluki, this explains why everything is an uphill struggle too My old lady (PTS this week :( ) was no end of trouble and she had a good dose of saluki in there. Wouldn't have swapped her for the world, I'm very jealous.

The skittle Kong is Genius Leo I think. There are a few Genius ones which can be fitted together.

Re the green feeder, Kruuse make a fab maze type dish which looks fab, let me try to find it for you. Mind you, his skinny nose might be an advantage!

[poachedeggs]

www.vitalpetproducts.co.uk/products/index.php?search=feature:570&tab=Stores&display=15&page=1&sort=price&sortasc=false&code=34923

[moosemama]

So sorry for your loss poachedeggs.

There are some pictures of Pip on my profile, although he's a lot leggier and more streamlined now at 18 weeks than he was.

I was thinking his pointy nose - not to mention his extraordinarily long tongue - might be an advantage with the green feeder. Lots of reviews say it's harder for snub faced dogs and easier for those with prehensile tongues like my boy.

Was your girl talkative? Pip has definitely inherited the Saluki chatter gene - he is noisy with a capital N and does an excellent line in yodelling!

I was just looking at that maze on Amazon. Will have a look at the Kong Genius, someone told me they're too hard for all but the cleverest dogs, so I'd discounted them.

Lurcherboy has a dollop of Saluki too, but it's balanced by Deerhound and Border Collie - he's so laid back he's practically horizontal.

[poachedeggs]

She was silent at all times unless there was a kite in the sky. I swear the first time she saw one she scared herself by barking! But she had collie and grey in there too I think, she was 25kg and sturdier than a pure saluki. The collie only came out in the coat and the markings though, she was beautiful but lazy was an art form and she was thick :)

The Genius needs to be rolled and tipped to empty it so it might be too much.

He is gorgeous! DH and I had decided no more dogs for a while, and our remaining dog is getting on a bit, but I'm seriously wavering.

[moosemama]

Is that her on your profile pics? Beautiful face, really reminds me of my Border Collie x girl - something in her expression I think.

Pip's really surprised me at how quick he is compared to Lurcherboy. He's been really easy to clicker and whistle train. Unfortunately I think this has the converse effect of him also learning things I don't want him to very easily - such as signs that I might be leaving the house soon etc.

We'd also decided no more dogs, then it turned out Lurcherboy couldn't handle being an only dog. It took us a while to be ready and we weren't quite there when someone asked me if I'd take Pip on, but despite him being a proper pita we're really glad we decided to have him. (Although I might take that back if I don't get to leave the house for longer than half an hour sometime soon! )

LurcherLink and Evesham have some lovely dogs in at the moment.

[poachedeggs]

Yes that's her :)

Sssssssh I'm way up in Scotland, it's not practical! Not to mention it's virtually guaranteed that some waif will turn up at work in the next week hopefully

[moosemama]

[poachedeggs]

Omg Ryder on LL ... If he was a bitch I'd be there in a flash!

[moosemama]

Oh yes, he's gorgeous isn't he.

Would you only go for a bitch then? [nosey old caw emoticon]

Lurcherboy was a LL boy and Pip came to me from elsewhere via contact from another member. They're an amazing organisation.

[moosemama]

Jess is another Collie mix.

[poachedeggs]

I'm not dead set on a bitch, but I'd prefer one. Don't know why, I just get on better with them. DH's dog adores me but I only tolerate him, he's an irritating sod!

[poachedeggs]

Oooooooooooooh ....

Right now that's enough. I haven't got enough cash to take on a new dog. Hmph.

it's only a matter of time, let's be honest

[moosemama]

I'm the opposite, have had a few of each, but find bitches a bit too moody.

That said, I was open to either when we finally decided we were going to get another.

Funny thing is - like you saying a waif would turn up - in the end fate intervened and it became obvious that Pip was supposed to come to us. That always seems to be the way with my dogs, I start out thinking I know what I want, then one just turns up and tells me he/she's home.

After much soul-searching, we decided against adopting Lurcherboy when I saw him on LL, because we had two toddlers and already had two dogs. Then someone I knew adopted him, had a relationship breakdown almost immediately, came to stay with us for a while, he decided I was Mum and that was that.

I should know by now - I got the same feeling when I first saw Pip's photo that I did when I saw Lurcherboy's picture for the first time.

I fell in love with Seren when she was still in Ireland and a very poorly puppy. Decided not to apply, as not only did it look very likely that she was going to be a failed foster and end up staying with the woman that runs the rescue, she also had a strong offer of a home from someone who already had one of their hounds and was local to the UK rescue they work with. I can't believe she still hasn't found a home - in fact I cried when I saw her turn up on LL.

[moosemama]

You know the right dog will be there when the time's right - but sometimes you need to give fate a helpful little nudge in the right direction.

(I thought we had enough cash to take on Pip, but he's nigh on bankrupted us since we got him. Wouldn't have it any other way though.)

[tabulahrasa]

"Scrambled egg is one I haven't tried tabularhasa. Do you stuff it then refrigerate it, or just give it a few minutes after it's made up?"

I tend to do kongs in advance so I usually stick it in the fridge, but when I tested him with it (he's fussy) I just left it to cool enough to give him it. If you stick it in straight off the heat it solidifies as it cools into a kong shaped lump, the thought of it is very attractive, lol, but it makes it slightly more work to get it out without it being hard like a frozen one.