The Kong: Oldie but Goodie

You’re probably thinking Kong toys? Old news. Every dog owner has one. They’ve been around since the 70’s. So why am I taking up space on this trendy dog site with yesterday’s news? Because the Kong toy has saved me from insanity on more than one occasion.

I have two high-energy dogs, one of which hasn’t yet reached her first birthday and whose puppy power oftentimes spins her way out of control. She can turn a quiet movie night into puppy-palooza, and if my boyfriend and I aren’t feeling her vibe she begins to bark and playfully-yet-painfully bite at any appendage she can get her little teeth on.

But these outbursts don’t always occur during leisure time. Sleep is a necessity, but my dog is up and ready to party at 5:00am, cutting at least 2 hours out of my beauty rest. Perhaps the biggest dilemma here is that, as a writer, I need a quiet workspace, but when my dog begins her rambunctious barking, jumping, nipping, biting etc., she scares my muse right back to her secret-muse hiding spot.

Then, one day, during a rare cleaning frenzy, I was sweeping under the couch and out rolled the little red Kong toy we used to coax our 1st dog into her crate. I filled it with peanut-butter and stuck it in the freezer in preparation for the next puppy explosion. When the opportunity presented itself, I surprised my dog with the stuffed, frozen Kong, which calmed her down and kept her occupied for at least an hour.

These toys are so versatile, and are practically indestructible (there’s always an exception, but mine have endured the jaws of Pit Bulls and are still intact). They can be used simply as chew-and-fetch toys, or work as a kind of dog treat dispenser. The Kong company makes many treats that fit snugly into the toy so that your dog has to really work to get them out, but there are also numerous ingredients and recipes you can make at home to keep your dog both occupied and interested (see end of blog for recipes).

Stuffed Kong toys, however, can be messy. Whatever ingredients you stuff them with can certainly get into carpets, furniture, etc. Here’s a tip: tie a piece of string through the Kong and loop it under the leg of a chair in an easy-clean-up location. This also keeps your dog within your sight and stabilizes the toy so that your dog doesn’t end up licking it around the house and into a hard-to-reach place (like under the couch).

Some of these recipes are runny, so tape up the top (small hole) of Kong to avoid leakage. Remove the tape before giving Kong to your dog.

RECIPES

Peanut Butter Crunch: Mix some peanut-butter with dry cereal and freeze.

Kong Mash: Mix instant mashed potatoes with your dog’s kibble and freeze

Banana Cream Kong: Mix mashed bananas with plain yogurt and freeze.

Tuna Delight: Mix canned tuna with yogurt and freeze.

Honey Nut: Mix honey and peanut butter and freeze. You can also add banana or cereal.

Cheese Pleaser: Melt some cheese and mix with your dog’s kibble. Pour mixture into Kong and freeze.

Cheesecake Kong: Mix together cream cheese and graham or animal crackers and freeze.

Meat & Potatoes: Take leftover meats and mix with mashed potatoes or rice. Add melted cheese and freeze.

Bagel with Lox: Mix cream cheese and salmon (or any other fish) and freeze.

Komelet: Mix scrambled eggs, bread, meat and cheese and freeze.