Interactive food dispensing toys like the Kong can be filled with tasty treats and tempting ingredients to provide enrichment.
Finding the right toy
When choosing an interactive toy, make sure it is of an appropriate size for your dog, and if you have a very powerful chewer, make sure that the product is robust enough to withstand the forces that your dog may put on it.
Here at DQ, we find the design of a Kong ideal for filling with ingredients as it is very strong, easily cleaned, freezer friendly, comes in a variety of sizes and crucially has a hole at both ends.
NOTE: Some copies of the Kong only have one large hole through which to add fillings. These copies are extremely dangerous as they can lead to choking and also risk creating strong suction on the mouth and tongue, which can cause injury.
Alternatives to a Kong
For raw feeders, a lamb or beef trachea is a perfect hollow tube to stuff with tasty treats and can be placed in the freezer for later use if needed.
How to use the toy
To further add interest to the feeding, layer the ingredients and experiment with different textures, from crunchy fish skin cubes to soft blueberries. You can also hide the food dispenser in the garden to encourage your dog to follow the scent and claim their ‘prize’. All of these elements really add to the overall enrichment experience.
What to feed
Added to raw, kibble or cooked meat, you could include ingredients such as pumpkin, sweet potato, pear, banana, natural goat’s yoghurt, bone broth, papaya, quinoa or some of their favourite healthy treats.
If your dog is a little on the heavier side, then taking some of their daily food rations and placing it into the Kong, maybe with a few fresh steamed vegetables, can keep them occupied for longer and give them a bit of a workout at the same time.
Here are a couple of example recipes you can try with your Kong:
Recipe 1: Sprats galore
Ingredients
Sprats (dried or fresh)
Coconut oil
Chia seeds
Cherry tomatoes
Blueberries
Green beans
Directions
Chop up the ingredients and mix together to incorporate them all as evenly as possible. Squash them into the Kong and add a few whole sprats poking out of the end for added stimulation.
Recipe 2: The raw one
Ingredients
Grated carrot and courgette
Raw meal
Small cherry tomato, chopped
Directions
Stir the courgette, carrot and tomato into the raw meat and then spoon into the Kong until it is full. You can serve this Kong fresh or frozen.
