What is Kong?
I first saw Kong after we got one for Toby Jr. Red and cylindrical, at first glance, they look similar to a small bath toy, roughly 3 inches. Picture a rubber duck. If you were to put the Kong in bathwater, it would function the same. Once filled, squeezing the toy expels water from either end of the toy’s top or bottom holes. However, with a Kong, the top hole is much smaller and narrower than the hole at the base.
Our idea was to stuff the small chew toy with peanut butter as a means of curbing some of our dog’s behaviors. In particular, by giving Toby Jr. Kong before we left for work during the day, we might mitigate or prevent altogether some of the ‘accidents’ that took place while we were away.
These chewers line the shelves of pet stores and appear in many colors as well as sizes. Kong has been around for over three decades. Dog trainers praise the toy for its utility in addressing a host of behavioral issues in dogs, making them a versatile addition to your doggie toy collection.
First, Kong comes in sizes ranging from 3 to 6 inches. Select a size based on your dog’s size and weight. The general recommendation is to select a size above what you think is appropriate. It’s also good to keep several handy. These items are also washable. Now, let’s talk about choosing a Kong and its multiple uses.
Choose Your Style
First, identify what type of chewer your dog is. This toy uses durable rubber, and there are four Kong types, each corresponding to a particular chewing style. The chew styles are teething, average, power, and aging.
A teething chewer helps reduce pain as developing adult teeth replace a dog’s baby teeth. The teething chewer is suitable for a puppy. Since the puppy’s teeth are still forming, soft, and easy to manage toys are best. The teething chewer is also suitable for dogs who like more delicate toys. It typically comes in a baby blue or pink colors.
The average chewer is, as the name implies, for dogs who play with a variety of toys. The average chewer is the right choice if your dog easily tears fluffy toys.
The power chewer is black. This chewer is for dogs who chew vigorously. If you find yourself continually replacing torn toys, the power chewer offers a friendly alternative.
The aging chewer is purple. This chewer is age-specific and made for the comfort of aging dogs with changing sensitivities.
Using Your Kong
We’ve bought toys for our dogs that end up never leaving their toy basket. Dogs do have their preferences. To get the most utilization from your Kong, you’ll want to warm your dog up to this new toy. Kong’s multiple functions can work to your advantage.
Regular walks and play are an excellent outlet for a dog’s energy. I often play with my dog with a tennis ball, rolling, tossing, or throwing and bouncing it in the backyard. Try substituting with the Kong.
They have an irregular bounce, which adds an exciting new element to play for dogs. Another option is to tie the Kong to a tree or other object, letting the Kong dangle freely as the dog plays with it.
Chewing is a natural behavior for dogs. If you’re introducing the toy, stuffing the Kong with food is an excellent way to provide the added motivation as they become familiar. Moreover, by stuffing Kong with food items, you give your dog something that doubles as a chew toy and treat.
Having Kong around can prevent dogs from unwanted chewing of other things.
Your chief aim is to capture their attention with the new item. Yet, there are still further uses you can learn.
Stuffing
You can stuff a Kong with whatever you like. Want to put a dog treat inside? Go for it! You may set the dog’s regular food inside, or if you’re going to explore, there are many recipes available for you to try. Kong even has premade flavored pastes you can squeeze inside.
Start gradually by placing a small amount of food inside so that the dog can easily extract it. The size you select is important because a dog could struggle to get the food out. Later, you can add more food. There is no limit regarding what you choose, although it may be easier to use the dog’s regular meal to start.
You can mix wet and dry foods or use them by themselves. You can add ingredients. If you like, seal off one of the open ends with peanut butter, cream cheese, yogurt, or another food of your choosing.
You may also freeze the Kong with the food inside. Freezing offers added challenges, as well as an incentive. The frozen Kong can keep your dog occupied for a while, and reward the dog for their efforts (at chewing) with the food it contains.
In this way, the toy helps curtail destructive chewing as they learn to associate stimulation and benefit from chewing Kong.
You may also opt to give regular meals to your dog with Kong. Try it in place of their daily feeding bowl, while still adhering to their routine feeding schedule. Since the dog has to exert more effort to get the food, feeding in this way can prevent them from quickly inhaling the food in large gulps, training them to chew.
Feeding with Kong can also be helpful to pets with weight issues. You can limit the amount of food placed inside, and they eat more slowly than with a traditional bowl.
Other Uses
Our dog starts trembling when he knows we’re leaving the house, and he can’t come along. If Toby Jr. is in the house and isolated from us, he barks and cries. Left alone, most dogs are anxious, and this is when accidents occur.
As mentioned before, habituate your dog to Kong. Try giving the Kong to them while at home as frequently as possible. Once familiar, you can opt to leave Kong for them when you are absent from home.
Once the dog acquires positive affinity, Kong is a perfect item to occupy their attention if you aren’t home and conditions them to feel more comfortable by themselves.
Another use of Kong is in crate training. Try placing the Kong inside the crate while allowing the dog to enter and exit freely. Let them identify the scent of food in the Kong.
They will begin to form a positive connection with the crate. Use Kong for as long as necessary until the dog feels comfortable. The more used to Kong they become, the more comfortable going inside.
Remember, stimulation is a critical factor in eliminating troublesome behaviors at their root: the more stimulation a dog receives, the less likely to fall prey to behavioral problems. How you use Kong is equally essential. Condition your dog with routine use of this item. Mainly, stuffing and freezing provide plenty of challenges to keep your dog busy.
Sources:
simpawtico dog training via youtube