# Kong for dummies



## Frida010 (Apr 24, 2020)

So Fred (13 weeks old) knows how to throw around the Kong filled with treats. But upgrading her to a higher difficulty is not really working out so well..

If I stuff the Kong with anything sticky, she doesn’t know what to do and leaves it lying there and she can get a little frustrated. 

I want to start giving her a Kong in the crate, but I have not found any recipe that is in between the “just a lot of treats” and “frozen banana” recipe.

I do not like the idea of giving her dried chews unsupervised.

Any ideas?


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## Gabica (Jan 20, 2018)

cooked and smashed sweet potato. once he gets older u can stir in some 100% peanut butter. i have some good frozen recipes too where i blend kefir, banana and some super-fruits like blueberries, strawberries and plug the bottom with a piece of peanut butter, is he generally not into frozen yet? u can also smash his kibble and mix it with kefir or cooked sweet potato, freeze it for a short time and try.


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## Frida010 (Apr 24, 2020)

Making a frozen version that is more liquid when melting is definitely worth a try. Smashed potato is too difficult I think, but I could try to cook it and put small pieces of it in the Kong I guess.

Do you give these recipes (without kibble) in addition to your dogs normal food? Or as a replacement?


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## Gabica (Jan 20, 2018)

i am an anti cook, so this is how i do it: i punch some holes into a sweet potato or yam (i never give normal potato for my dogs), put it into the microwave, cook it 5-8 minutes, depending on size, let it cool a bit, remove skin and smash with a fork. takes more to type than do. for puppies i would be careful what to add to their diet, and do it gradually in small increments. for my 2 and 4 year old ones, there is pretty much never enough food, so this is just a treat on top of their normal food. and i don`t give any of these daily.

have you tried putting the kibble into a treat ball? that can occupy them for a while too.


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## PinDave (Jul 1, 2020)

I met another Vizsla owner on a walk the other day, and she suggested plugging the small hole with peanut butter, then filling the Kong with kibble, adding water up to the level of the kibble, and then plugging the large hole with more peanut butter and sticking it in the freezer. She said she keeps 3 or 4 Kongs ready in the freezer.

Maui now gets his lunch and dinner like this. It takes him about an hour and a half to clean out an XL Kong. I also keep an L Kong ready in the freezer in case I have to go out and leave him in his crate. It’s cute... he’s so proud of himself when he’s cleaned out his Kong... he brings it over to show us, wiggling and wagging his tail!


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## Ana00 (Mar 21, 2014)

I put philadelphia cream cheese. Sometimes frozen.

Ada used to get frustrated before that, with an stickier type of cheese.


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## Frida010 (Apr 24, 2020)

Fred still doesn’t like Kong’s 😂 if there is anything sticky in there, she doesn’t know what to do and gives up in less than 2 mins. 

I never thought I’d say this, but I’m afraid I have to give up the kong.

All recipes are sticky, and the other option is kibble (yes even wet kibble is too difficult for Fred). She’s also just not very much into food altogether.


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## Gabica (Jan 20, 2018)

Frida010 said:


> Fred still doesn’t like Kong’s 😂 if there is anything sticky in there, she doesn’t know what to do and gives up in less than 2 mins.
> 
> I never thought I’d say this, but I’m afraid I have to give up the kong.
> 
> All recipes are sticky, and the other option is kibble (yes even wet kibble is too difficult for Fred). She’s also just not very much into food altogether.


or she is more picky and you would need to find something she really likes. it may come with time, fish usually is a smelly food many dogs love. i fill up our Kongs once a week with cooked or grilled (no seasoning) salmon. That is not really sticky, but can still take some time. Just and idea to get the hang of Kong usage fro Fred.


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## MaxB (Mar 11, 2019)

Baby food purée pouches. I buy sweet potato, carrot mash or apple and banana recipe, mix with cooked chicken, top with an Irish sprat and freeze. Easy to get into the Kong, and easy for the dog to lock out. 
Before Maggie got used to frozen, we gave them semi frozen. She loves them frozen now. Occasionally I swop the baby food pouch out for no fat Greek yogurt, also a hit. I find peanut butter too sticky, and dehydrating. The baby food pouches are no added salt/sugar and are generally ok to use. Just check the ingredients. I usually go for first weaning pouches as they are very mild.


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## Frida010 (Apr 24, 2020)

Nice recipes to try!

But what I’ve been wondering: where do you give your dog those?! Anything I give Fred, she’ll take to the living room (we have an open space) on the carpet.
Do you guys give Kongs in the crate? Won’t it get messy?


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## PawPatrol (Aug 17, 2020)

Yeah, it can get messy depending on how thick you mix it. 

I like to freeze the kong with a blend of canned pumpkin, cottage cheese, kibble chunks and some chicken broth if I have it and some freeze dried "base mix" (the stuff you mix with water and supplement with meat). The freeze dried mix is nice because you can make it as thick as you want depending on how much water you mix in.


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## derwos (Nov 10, 2019)

Great thread! Thanks for everyone sharing!! I'm going to use these ideas!!

I still have a hard time comprehending V's enjoying fruits and veggies so much!

A couple years ago, I stumbled onto a YouTube video that made me laugh!! I'll link it here (Rusty the jealous Vizsla- super funny! (vizla))

Rusty is a vGarbageCan!


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