Kong Recipes--Food You Can Stuff In Your Dog's Favorite Toy

It's important that you don't purchase a Kong that is too small for your puppy or dog. If you are unsure about what size is appropriate--always size up! Sizes include Small, Medium, Large, X-Large, and King. They also make Black Kongs which are made for super-aggeressive chewers.

Once again--always err on the side of caution and size up. I would recommend going to a pet store and viewing the different sized Kongs in person before you purchase one.

As with any other dog toy remember that your dog's safety is YOUR responsibility. Always supervise your dog's use of Kongs until you are confident they can be used safely without you!

At the clinic where I work we once saw a German Shepherd who swallowed a Kong and the owner didn't know it! They brought the dog in because he wasn't eating and was acting lethargic. He was able to maintain an open airway because the Kong contains holes on both ends.

Whew! Lucky dog!

Again, always choose a size bigger than what you'll think your dog will need.

Here's a neat photo on Flickr.com of one family's collection of Kongs. It's entitled
"Kongs Through the Ages."

Banana Rama
1 fresh banana
2 tablespoons wheat germ
1 tablespoon plain yogurt
In a bowl, mash up banana and then add remaining ingredients. Spoon into Kong. Freeze for 4 hours.

Scrambled Egg Delight
1 scrambled egg
shredded cheese
Scramble egg and put into Kong. Sprinkle cheese over the top of the egg inside the Kong and microwave for 10-20 seconds. Make sure to cool thoroughly before giving to dog.

Lickin Chicken
leftover chicken (or turkey) scraps
cream cheese (fat free is best!)
Place small scraps inside Kong Toy. Seal opening with a small amount of cream cheese to hold the scraps in.

PB Classic
Smear thin layer of peanut butter around the inside cavity of the Kong. That's it! (don't fill the whole Kong with peanut butter or else your pooch will get a tummy ache!)

Other items to put in Kong: dog kibble (many trainers don't feed their dogs from a dish--the dog eats from the Kong!), freeze dried liver, Cheerios, dried banana chips, dried apples, dried apricots, carrot sticks, or canned dog food.

The Kong company has gotten very clever and is now making treats specially made for Kong stuffing. They also make different flavored pastes that squirts out of a can into the Kong.

Is your pooch on a diet? No problem! For the bottom layer add a small amount of diet food kibble. Then add some diet canned food. Place a small milkbone so half of it is inside the Kong and the other half is sticking out. Then seal it in with more canned food. Voila! Low-cal Kong!

Also important to keep in mind that if your dog is getting a lot of Kongs you will need to adjust his caloric intake. That is, decrease the amount of regular food he eats. Otherwise he will start to look like a Kong!

In the beginning make it easy for the dog to remove the Kong stuffing. Pack it in loosely. If you pack it in too tight he will become frustrated. You want him to be rewarded for his hard work. As he becomes more experienced with the Kong you can begin to pack the stuffing tighter.

Every dog has a favorite recipe--finding your dog's will be fun! REMEMBER--some foods like grapes, raisins, and onions are not healthy for dogs. Please always check with your vet before experimenting.

If you found this lens useful please visit my website to learn more about dog nutrition. Right now I'm offering a free 8-week course on basic pet food nutrition so don't miss out!