Thursday 12 July 2012

Kong appeal

Our dogs are in need of some new Kongs and activity toys. Can you help?

Activity toys are widely used and recommended for therapy and the prevention of under-stimulation, boredom, separation and other behavioural needs; but above all are fun for dogs!

There are many types of toys available including Kongs, Buster Cubes, Nylabones, chew toys, knotted ropes, Goodie Ships and dental toys.

Why we use activity toys?

Activity toys keep our dogs entertained if we have to leave them alone.

They are useful when our dogs need some time out or a chance to calm down if they are over-excited.

When a dog eats from a Kong instead of from his bowl, he has to engage the thinking part of his brain and it is also much healthier to eat slowly.

The process of playing and thinking about activity toys will help to tire your dog out.

How we use Kongs

Kongs are ideal for dogs who are food-motivated.

To stuff a Kong, place something really tasty like dried liver, peanut butter or cheese into the hole at the top and fill the cavity with your dog’s daily dried food. Leave a titbit out of the opening to provide an immediate pay off and entice your dog to get stuck in.

It is important for dogs to succeed at their work so make it easy to remove the stuffing at first. As they become more experienced, make it more challenging by packing them tighter or freezing them.