The Kong is one of the best known of all dog toys and has rightly earnt its place as being one of the most useful ways of keeping a dog amused. Sticky, gooey foodstuffs are pushed inside the Kong so that the dog has to stretch its tongue into the hole at the bottom of the toy and try and get them out. For instance -

First smear the top and inside of the Kong with a small amount of something sticky (eg meat or fish paste, pate, peanut butter, honey, cheese spread, butter or margerine - just a little will go a long way and will do very little harm to your dog's weight or health!). This stickly stuff will be the hardest to empty from the Kong.

Then pack the Kong with larger treats and biscuits which will get jammed inside and hard to pull out. Why not try a slice of bread with something sticky spread on it - or tinned dog food. Left overs from your meals can also be stuffed into the Kong so that your dog has to work hard to enjoy these high value rewards. Whatever flavours you choose, there is no need to fill the Kong all the way - too much of a good thing can be fattening!

For other suggestions on how to stuff Kongs - Click here

Once the Kong is stuffed it can be kept in a plastic bag in the fridge until the moment when you want to distract your dog and give it a Kong to occupy its mind (eg when you are going our and leaving it alone for an hour or two).

The Kong can also be frozen so that the contents have to soften and thaw while they are being licked out.

Try to avoid preparing the Kong in front of your dog and giving it to them straight away as this can lead to over excitement, frustrated barking etc.

Some dogs enjoy the challenge of having a Kong slightly longer than their tongue can reach, so that they have to bounce and chew the Kong in order to dislodge the elusive tasty moresel at the far end. Therefore we strongly recommend offering your dog a variety of sizes to make licking a Kong more interesting.

Please take care not to give your dog too small a Kong - it may swallow or choke on it
IF IN DOUBT CHOOSE A BIGGER SIZE

Click here for the manufacturers guidelines for breeds of dogs and Kong sizes.