The New Toy for Dogs - Kong

Human-made advances in all fields never cease to amaze us. The same goes for our pets. More and more accessories are coming out that make their lives happier and our lives easier. This is the case of the Kong toys. Do you want to find out more?

What is the Kong toy?

The Kong is a pear-shaped toy with Michelin Man-style rolls and comes in different colors. It is very popular because of its hardness. It is a resistant, almost indestructible toy that won’t hurt the animal’s teeth. 

The most interesting feature of this toy is that you can put food inside it. This will attract the pet’s attention and they will want to spend the day playing with it, trying to get the food out.

Why Kong is beneficial for dogs

Besides being durable and reliable, this toy will exercise the dog’s mind. He will try a thousand and one ways to get out the food that’s inside.

In addition, it will prevent our pet from getting bored, especially if he spends a lot of time alone at home.

However, despite all these benefits, many owners that have bought this toy have realized that the dog gets excited about it for a few days and then forgets about it. This happens because the Kong should come with an instruction manual. 

In order to use this toy properly, you need training. Otherwise, the animal will lose interest.

How to use the Kong correctly

The problem is that if the dog fights and fights to get  the food  out  and  can’t do it, he will get frustrated and give up. So, there are several steps to follow in order to use this toy correctly.

Step 1

To start, it’s best that we put a little bit of loose food inside the toy when we give it to our pet for the first time. If we put the food in very tight, he will have a hard time getting it, and that could  stress him out.

Some pieces of dog food that dance around inside the Kong will be more than enough to start. It doesn’t matter if it takes him a while to get it out – let him play and learn. 

Step 2

The second step is wetting the dog food or putting a bit of sticky food inside. We want to make it a little more difficult for him to get the food out.

Do this for a few days. Each time there will be less effort, and then we will be able to move onto the next step.

Step 3

Instead of putting several small pieces of food inside, we will put in only one large piece, like a cookie. It shouldn’t be so big that he can’t get it out, but it should be more difficult than the previous steps.

Step 4

This is the final step. Your animal will already be obsessed with this toy. You won’t have to worry while you’re at work about what your pet is doing. He’ll be playing with his Kong. 

The final step is filling half of the Kong with dog food and the other half with water. Let it sit for a few minutes so that the food swells up, and then give it to the animal. This is maximum difficulty, but since he has already learned what he can do with it from the previous times, he will keep trying until he gets the food out.

Reward your animal for every step that he does well during the learning period. Remember that positive reinforcement is always the best way to teach your pet.

If you want, leave a treat inside his Kong every once in awhile. He will surely love it!

Source of the images: KONG Facebook