Kongs - I don’t get them

[AirborneElephant]

What am I missing? Everyone raves about kongs and how their dogs love them. I’ve tried two different sizes, stuffed with things pup likes (peanut butter, Greek yoghurt, dog pate) and both frozen and not. Pup licks the stuff out the top bit where she can get her nose in, which takes a few minutes, then walks off. So I get a sticky mess to clear up and then have to clean out half the filling from the narrow end.

What do your dogs actually do with a kong? Do they chew them?

I never use paste in mine.
Usually rinds off meat wedged in tightly.

Same here! Had to chuck ours away my schnauzer wasn’t interested at all - and she’s very food driven, her snuffle mat is a big hit though!

I tried with a pig ear wedged in - she gave up after one minute. How do yours get the rinds out?

I put dog biscuits in ours, keeps him amused for about 10 minutes if we're lucky. Does create a bit of crumb to be hoovered up. Better than smelly pate, though.

Your dog just doesn’t enjoy a Kong. Mine loves hers filled with treats and peanut butter. It takes her a good half an hour to empty it.

Try something else? My dog also loves a snuffle mat, where you hide small treats.

My pups.love them but older dog not fussed !
I fill with cheese corn beef carrots treats and the Kong stuff u squeeze in all sorts of stuff sometimes frozen sometimes not keeps them.occupied whilst I pop out and love lick mats

It's too messy when they're filled with wet stuff. Bits of kibble inside keeps pup occupied for about 30 seconds. We were given one of the gigantic scatter feeding Kongs and a Kong frisbee for our previous pup, I'm afraid I slung both in the bin. Ditto licki mats.

Ok, glad it’s not just me. I think I’ll give up trying. I’m not really very comfortable with constant feeding as a way of occupying her either if I’m honest. She has her natural chews and an occasional snuffle ball which she does enjoy, otherwise she plays with her toys, so I’ll stick with that. We had one trainer suggest scattering food on the floor as a way of “calming” her during witching hour, which just seems completely nuts to me.

It's not just you. I totally agree. I train mine without food. We had a few sessions with a trainer because previous pup was a lead biter, but all he wanted to do was shove sausages and Primula cheese in her face, so it achieved nothing. I refuse to do scatter feeding because I feel it encourages scavenging, which is something I don't want in my dogs.

I have had 2 labs. Lab 1 male, loved a Kong extreme ( the black ones) and I tried to be creative about stuffing it -kibble, wet food or paste, cheese etc. kept him entertained for a wee while. Lab 2 , female) half heartedly licked at hers, then left it for the male. Since we lost him, I have not bothered. She’s remarkably disinterested in food.

We had an issue with our two which meant that one always ended up with both Kongs and the one we were trying to entertain would walk away with nothing, bless him. A behaviourist advised scent games and we found two that he liked:

1. Away from your dog, drag a bone on a string (we did it in the kitchen or garden) in a big L shape and deposit treats on that path, hidden (under cups, jar lids or flowerpots) if possible. Let the dog follow the scent path and find the treats. If he’s good at it you can make it more difficult over time, varying the path and making it more challenging.

2. Put a cloth or towel flat on the floor, scatter treats on it, roll it up into a long roll, then roll that into a round and tuck in the ends, give to dog to figure it out.

Ours had poor eyesight and some games were beyond him but he loved these two and they wore him out.

Obviously if your dog is a chewer and might consume what the treats are concealed in use your judgement. Ours didn’t chew anything but the treats.

Scatter feeding to prevent witching hour is awesome!

Make it harder by hiding the food rather than just chucking it on the floor.

Get your dog sniffing for food and it will mentally tire them and make them feel fab (all the happy hormones are released when dogs sniff) they will be physically and mentally tired and sleep through the mad witching hour.

Dogs are contrafree loaders which means they prefer to work for their food rather than just be given it.

However some dogs need to be taught how to use kongs. I personally dont rate them as they are not encouraging dogs to search for food but just frustrate some dogs as the know where the food is but often too hard for them to get to it.

Encourage your dog to search for food and you will have a calmer dog. Chuck the kong (or use it as an odour for scentwork but without the food!)

Scatter feeding will not encourage scavanging. The dogs will do this anyway. If you put a cue to the start of the scatter feeding you can prevent them from just ramdonly eating anything. (Lab owner so this is tested to the full)

I used a kong to feed my dog some of his evening meal, mainly because he'd inhale everything and a kong slowed him down. But he enjoyed his kongs (as long as they weren't frozen - that frustrated him), if your dog doesn't enjoy them just don't bother.

My dog isn’t fussed either, and he loves dropping his toys on us/onto the floor and kongs are quite heavy!

I am never going to understand why people give their dogs food to calm them or stop witching hour...you're literally giving them energy? Just teach your dog to settle if you want a 'calm dog'...

Kongs, Scatter feeding, puzzle games etc are all the dog owners equivalent of shoving your child in front of an ipad instead of parenting. Just engage with your dog, train them and focus their attention on something constructive. No one will ever convince me that a kong or puzzle game - particularly if you're using the same ones all the time - is any form of stimulating for a dog. It's like reading the same book again and again and again.

Your trainer sounds like a complete idiot, OP! Dogs need to learn to settle in the evening, particularly puppies, without being entertained. Best thing anyone can do is teach their dog to relax and settle without a crutch - sounds like you've got your heard screwed on right, though! 😊

Toppls are better and safer. Easier for pups/ dogs to lick the frozen goodies and are a great calmer.

Totally disagree with regard to scatterfeeding. Hate puzzle games though due to frustration.

Scentwork possible scatter feeding will lower a dogs heart rate, will lower blood pressure will release happy hormones. Sniffing is a naturally callming behaviour. A few minutes of encouraging your dog to do something that is natural for them and helps them to be calm is usually seen as a positive. It is very constructive behaviour.

More like reading your child a bedtime story than shoving them infront of an ipad- if you must use child analogies

@TheHungryHungryLandsharks
I couldn't agree more.

The behaviourist/trainer I saw about the lead biting said she couldn't work with me because I refused to entertain scatter feeding and licki mats. My girl was already 16 months old at the time and had always been really good at settling quietly and calmly in the house, so I didn't see how it would benefit her.

Not going down that route with new pup either.

I'd love to see the research saying it will lower heart rate, blood pleasure and 'release happy hormones.'

Edit: not sure why it did italics 😅

It depends on the type of dog @SharpPeer . Scatter feeding wouldn't really be recommended for Livestock Guarding Dog breeds like mine.

I use "go hunt" to signal the start of The Sniffari ❤️

ETA - I dont do this to calm her though. It is for fun times

There is a lot of research demonstrating that activities such as licking, sniffing and chewing are calming and self soothing for dogs.

They need to be taught how to use one. You can’t just stuff it then expect them to understand. You need to start easy so loose treats then build it up especially with puppies who are still learning. That said, I prefer the toppl as it’s less frustrating and easier to fill and clean!

How old is she? My dog didn't really start to enjoy kongs, lickimats or scatter feeding until he was about a year old. Before that I just don't think he had the attention span for it.