Give Your Dog a Kong-a-rita!

One of my favorite dog interactive / treat dispensing toys is the Kong and I think every person with a dog in their lives should own at least two of these. They are a great way to mentally stimulate your dog, keep him busy, reduce his anxiety when left alone, and a nice way to curb his chewing away from your furniture and shoes.

Hold the tequila, heavy on the biscuits and yummy treats please! Let your dogs enjoy a "Kong-a-rita"!

I call them this because when I stick the appetizer on top such as a dog biscuit, carrot, or celery piece it looks, to me, like one of those fun colorful drinks you treat yourself to and sip on for a while while you chat with your friends. Plus its a fun name!


The Kong comes in different sizes and materials to cater to all size dogs with different chewing habits and ages, but they're all shaped like a hollow beehive. Now, although I've met dogs that are thrilled by just chasing, fetching, and chewing on an empty Kong, most dogs enjoy the stuffed version much better.

What size do you get? Which color do you buy? So how do you stuff a Kong? What do you put inside of it? How do you get your dog to love his Kong?

Sizing (according to the Kong Company's size chart):
            
Dog's Weight        Size
1-20lbs                 Small
15-35lbs               Medium
30-65lbs               Large
60-90lbs               X Large
85lbs+                  XX Large

Colors:
           
Classic Red is for your average chewer
Pink or Blue Swirl is the Puppy Kong and caters to a puppy's chewing needs
Black is the Extreme Kong with powerful rubber to cater "power chewers"
Purple Swirl is the Senior Kong for "aging teeth and jaws"

Stuffing a Kong:

Browsing the web I found this great image on several sites with a stuffed Kong diagram. I am not sure of the main source for the image, but I did get off the web. It was either this image or me scribbling a diagram and scanning it in. :) Just note when you're actually filling the Kong you're holding it with the larger hole on top. You could place the Kong in a cup to help you hold it in place as you're stuffing. The diagram below does an excellent job at showing you the main idea of how to stuff a Kong. However, I've included some Kong stuffing tips. Look out for some recipes in the near future.

Tips:

Tip #1
Introduce the Kong to your dog by stuffing loosely with small treats or just smearing some fat free cream cheese or peanut butter inside the the grooves of the Kong so your dog can lick it. Praise him as he's licking it and interactiing with the Kong. Once your dog has taken a liking to it you can begin stuffing it with yummy treats.

Tip #2
Use Cheez Whiz or a little bit of peanut butter or cream cheese as the tantalizer.

Tip #3
You can use a little bit of honey as a primer. Pour in a little amount and spread around inside the walls of the Kong with your finger. It helps keep everything together. Its also a great way to introduce the Kong to your dog.

Tip #4
Is your dog a Kong pro? Try adding a little sodium free chicken broth to the mix and freezing the contents. It'll take him longer to unstuff the kong.

Tip #5
Here are some ideas on what to use as an appetizer: raw baby carrot, thin slice of celery, a dog biscuit or cookie, a piece of apple or cap off with some mashed banana.

Tip #6
Does your dog have sensitive stomach? Or allergies? Please check with your vet first for a list of things your dog can eat. Here's a list of ingredients most dog's with sensitive stomach or food allergies are okay with: your dog's special diet, carrots, apples, sweet potatoes, and hypo allergenic dog treats.