Rachel’s dogs:  Ellen (as a puppy) and Alice (who thinks she still is a puppy).

By Rachel Shadle

For my two big dogs, finding a toy that can withstand their chewing power and keep them entertained for longer than a couple minutes can be quite the feat.

Any toy with stitching gets ripped open and a toy with stuffing–forget it. My golden doodle, Alice, has a personal record of breaking a tennis ball in half in under 15 seconds.

One solution I use is a Kong toy filled with yogurt, treat pieces, and kibble. Kong toys are great to keep dogs stimulated and give them a good outlet for chewing. For very powerful chewers, I recommend the black Kong over the regular red one.

Although built to endure strong chewers, I still don’t leave my dogs unattended with a Kong.

Kong Treat Recipe

Here is my simple Kong treat recipe I use to fill their Kong toys and to keep them occupied.

Supply list:

• Kong toys
• Plastic cups (large enough for the Kong)
• Butter knife
• Plain Greek yogurt
• Kibble and broken up treat pieces

I turn the Kongs upside down and put it in the cup so it stays upright when I’m getting everything prepared. I add in a knife-full of Greek yogurt, and then the kibble and broken up pieces of treats. My dogs get plain Greek yogurt because it is lower in sugar than the flavored varieties, and they still go crazy over it.

I use the butter knife to stir and cover all the kibble with yogurt, as well as to keep everything pushed to the bottom. Anything to make this Kong treat last a little longer!

Finally, I place these in the freezer overnight. I keep the Kongs in the plastic cup so it stays upright and everything freezes at the bottom. Plus, if anything drips out it will all be contained.

 

Satisfaction

This will last Alice about 25 minutes, while Ellen will take at least 45 minutes to finish hers. I do wash the Kongs with soap and water after every use.

Mix it up!

There are many different ingredients you can use to change up the flavor. Instead of yogurt you can also use mashed up bananas, applesauce, canned pumpkin, cooked sweet potato, or a canned version of their dog food (just water it down a bit into a gruel). You could add green beans or diced bits of carrots along with their kibble instead of commercial treats.

No need to go overboard on the Kong treat mixture, a little goes a long way!

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Rachel Shadle is a multi-talented team member here at Den Herder Veterinary Hospital located in the Waterloo – Cedar Falls area. She works in both the front office and as an assistant to the doctors with outpatients and lab work. Rachel is also a licensed wildlife rehabber. She knows her stuff and is willing to share her knowledge with others–a fact we are most grateful for! If you are ever playing a trivia game, you want her on your team.