Kongs...

[Aria20]

My dog is now 17 months old, she likes wet food in a kong sometimes. But I hear people saying give dog a frozen kong it's really calming they'll spend ages licking it etc... not my dog! Apart from when she was a little pup and had kong puppy paste in it. Since then she doesn't lay calmly licking them - she throws/bounces the kong around to get the wet food out as quickly as possible. This doesn't make the kong last more than a few mins and it makes a big mess and it doesn't calm her, it hypes her as she then will throw the empty kong around.

Any suggestions on getting her to lay calmly and actual enjoy licking the kong rather than throwing it?! I've tried various fillings but she has some dietary issues ruling out things like yoghurt/cheese paste, chicken or beef pastes/pates. She doesn't like squashed bananas or sweet potato and isn't bothered by peanut butter...

The traditional shaped Kong makes mine the same - he just chucks it around crazily! I got one that is bone shaped and you fill the ends instead, keeps him entertained for a good 20 minutes and doesn’t throw it around. I stuff it with either cream cheese or pate type stuff

www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/goodie-bone-medium

Try a lickimat instead. No need for her to throw it around. I think you can get ones that suction on to windows/floors too so can’t be moved.

I do get a little bit envious when I hear of pups laying down nicely for half an hour with a frozen Kong. My pup will take it off you then abandon it two minutes later. Even not frozen with something like chicken in it, if it's packed too tightly she gives up!

My dog has to be on a hypoallergenic diet, so I soak his kibble in water for a few minutes before filling the kong, then freeze it. It takes him a good 15-20 minutes to finish it, and throwing it around doesn't dislodge the frozen kibble!

Only 1 out of 6 dogs have ever spent more than 30 seconds with a kong. The others just got bored after the easy stuff fell out.

They are touted as the magic cure to so much but, imo, they have limited appeal and so only useful with the kind of dog that suits them.

I think it is the intelligent dogs that throw kongs around.. Mine do the same bounce it eat the food that falls out then throw it and bounce it again.

Licky mats are the devil in our house as the dogs will throw them, chew the licky mat, no calm licking here. the ones with stickers on the back get pushed up the wall or window then peeled of and eaten if given the chance.

Frozen kongs are not worth the effort the dogs bury them until they defrost and then the bouncing and throwing starts.

The kong bone is excellent shape for throwing around better than the tradiotional bone in our house.

However sometimes after the kong throwing contest the dogs may settle down for a bit.

I tend to scatter feed or hide food so the hunt is the bit the dogs love and then they will sleep after a short session of hunt the food.

The interactive games where the dogs have to push pieces to get the food underneath are much more fun if thrown up and then all the pieces of food fall out in one go. I could sit an hold the toys and kong but that defeats the object of the dogs amusing themselves.

One of mine isn't interested in kongs to lick, but if I wedge dental chews in there he'll spend ages getting them out. It's a delicate balance of packing it tight enough that he can't just shake it out, and not so tight that its so stuck he gives up.

My previous Lab just chewed the red Kong into pieces! I replaced it with a black, strong chewer one but he ignored that.

Yip kong at our house is just a chew toy now

I just wedge a carrot in it tightly with a tiny bit sticking out.If your dog likes carrots like mine do it'll last at least five to ten minutes.

Try an ostrich Dino bone instead. Hypoallergenic, easy to digest, don’t splinter and there’s no point in throwing them about. Great for their teeth too. I give for about 30 mins at a time

I’ve given up on Kongs. Our idiot mutt just looks at it, pushes it around for a bit in a half hearted manner, barks at it and wanders off. He does like a deer leg or some other body part to chew on, and I have had some success with yogurt pots filled with water and chopped up treats then frozen and turned out of the pot - he will spend a while slurping away at that like a doggo ice lolly.

Mainly he just likes a digestive biscuit though. Oh, and tiny bits of doggie hot dog sausage (can dogs eat regular hot dog sausages? 🤷‍♀️) and other smelly treats hidden around the garden

I'm glad it's not just mine that chucks them around then 
We have a lick mat which she has most days, but it doesn't take her long at all. I just wish she'd enjoy the kong. She is not bothered by the ostrich bone unfortunately. She does like deer legs and other disgusting things but they are rare treats. She has a lamb braid or goat ear most days though they don't last long either.
@SirChenjins when you make the yoghurt dog lolly where do you give it as sounds very messy...

@Autumn101 I did look at bone shaped ones but thought she'd prob throw them too.

Anyone got a jumbo kong? I wondered if they were any better to put the whole meal in? And think they'd be too heavy to throw!

I don’t freeze the yoghurt although I know you can - I just fill an empty yogurt pot with water and freeze it with the treats etc in the water. I give it to him on an old towel or tea towel, or put it outside in the garden.

@Aria20 i have a jumbo kong and my spaniel is lethal with it - runs around shoving it and chasing while it crashes against the wall/kickboards/furniture and eventually gets stuck under something. He does play with it until all food is out though. It’s better out in the garden. With the ordinary kong he throws it to get food out and if that doesn’t work he drops it on my knee instead to tell me it’s broken and I need to fix it.

@MaryLennoxsScowl haha yes I imagine mine would be like that too - also a spaniel! I will have to try the yoghurt pot trick. I have snuffle mats and puzzle toys but she's not a fan of kibble on its own so she is not fussed about them or scatter feeding - unless it was scattered bits of sausage!