Small Steps Create Big Shifts
Below is a list of easy do it yourself interactive toys and games :):
1.Put treats or kibble in the bottom of a cupcake or muffin pan. Then cover the muffin space with a tennis ball.
2.Take a big beach towel down and wrap treats in the middle of it and wrap them up so that the dog has to unfold the towel to get to them.
3.Take a paper towel or TP roles, punch holes in them, then fold the ends closed with some tape and let the pup work to get the kibble or treat out.
4.Have the pup search for the stuffed food toy - Kong, Bento Ball, etc
5.Take a shaggy bath matt and hide kibble treats in it creating a game similar to the snuffle mat.
6.Recycling is great to use for a buried treasure box. Take an old cereal box, cut holes in it, throw some treat in and tape it shut. Let your dog work to get the treats out.
7.Or find a box in the recycling and add crumbled paper to it filling it full. Then hide the kibble and treats underneath.
8.The Find it game. Just scatter kibble, let them sniff and find each bit. Slowly hide the treats or kibble in more challenging locations.
9.T-shirt wrapped an empty water bottle. Dogs love the crinkle. Milk jugs work great too.
10.Make a rope tug toy from old socks by braiding them together.
11.Take an old towel and make a knot out of it for a tug toy or one to toss and retrieve.
12.Take a butter dish or small to medium bowl/dish of recycling. Flip it over so that the inside of the bowl/dish is upside down. Put a treat underneath for your pup to try to get too.
13.Make some pupsicles. If you have a popsicle tray, fill them with water. Then drop treats and kibble into the water to freeze altogether. You can even put a bully stick in the popsicle for the handle. And if you don’t have a popsicle tray, use a small cup or mug or tupperware tray. Be sure to supervise large pieces of ice as dogs can damage their teeth.
14.Empty peanut butter jars are a great way to keep your dog entertained without even having to stuff a Kong.
15.Make an obstacle course for the pup to have to figure out how to walk through for a treat reward. The obstacles can be made from furniture, laundry pins, couch cushions, etc.
16.Play a game of Hide and Seek.
17.Play the Three Cup or Shell Game with your dog.
18.Make your own adventure box. Take a large cardboard box and cut several holes in it. Stuff another box with pre-cut holes inside it that contains a high value smelly chewy or treat.
Here are the frozen treats and kong ideas: ***As always, give your dog new foods in small amounts to see if their stomach can handle it**
Peanut butter (only ingredient is peanuts!)
- Almond Butter
- Pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
- Apple sauce (unsweetened)
- Baby food purees (beef, chicken, turkey, pumpkin, squash, apple, blueberry, banana, oats, rice, green beans, carrots etc)
- Liverwurst (can be too rich for some dogs so try a little bit first!)
- Greek yogurt (plain, unsweetened is best)
- Smashed ripe banana or plantain
- Cream cheese (can be too rich for some dogs so use a little bit)
- Canned wet dog food
- Rehydrated dog food (I love honest kitchen!)
- Cottage cheese
- Squeeze cheese (not exactly a health food, but a little bit can really get some dogs excited!)
- Kibble soaked in low sodium chicken or beef stock with no garlic or onion seasoning (a great way to feed their meal!)
- Tuna (plain, in water)
- Mashed sweet potato
- Mashed white potatoes
- Cooked oatmeal, quinoa, or rice
Solid foods:
- Your dog's kibble
- Freeze dried treats (liver, white fish, chicken etc)
- Cheese cubes
- Chunks of ripe fruits and veggies such as:
*apples (no skin/seeds), banana, blueberries, watermelon (no skin/seeds), cantaloupe, dried unsweetened cranberries
*green beans, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, spinach, sweet potato, zucchini, celery
- Any variety of crunchy cookie type treats
- Chunks of ground meats such as chicken, ground beef, turkey etc.
- Ziwipeak air-dried dog food
Chewies for the hole:
- Bully sticks
- Dehydrated fish skins
- Happy Howie Sausages
- Dehydrated sweet potato skins, apple slices, blueberries
- Big cookie-style treats like Kong Stuff n snacks
- Whimzees chews
-Good lovin’ puppy pack assortment
-Smartbones
-N-bones
Vegetarian Kong Stuffing Recipes
Bananas, peanut butter and apples
Peas, carrots and cottage cheese
Shredded cheese, pumpkin and carrots
Green beans, cream cheese and corn
Blueberries, raspberries or strawberries and plain unsweetened yogurt
Kong Stuffing Recipes With Meat
Peas, carrots, shredded cheese and chicken
Boiled or baked chicken breast
Pumpkin, shredded cheese and chicken
Blueberries, raspberries and chicken
Turkey breast, sweet potato, dried cranberries (unsweetened/chopped/softened)
Low Cal Kong Stuffing Ideas
Low fat cottage cheese and cucumber
Apples and low fat plain unsweetened yogurt
Pears, low fat cottage cheese and egg white
Watermelon, low fat plain unsweetened yogurt and mango
soak and mix the sticky kibble with something higher value (mashed banana, yogurt, wet dog food, shredded chicken) and really pack the kong solid then freeze overnight. The mix should look like a moisty/soggy Thanksgiving stuffing. This way the kong is not a treat and the consistency of the filling makes it a little harder than a spoonful of peanut butter or a loose filler.