5 Fun Ways to Use a Kong Toy for Dogs

A Kong toy for dogs is far more than a simple treat filled toy to occupy your pet. A Kong treat toy for dogs is an almost certain way to keep your dog occupied! Did you know all the ways you can use your dog's Kong toy to keep them active and occupied? Ranging from more complicated do-it-yourself training exercises to simple puppy applications, your Kong toy for dogs is a versatile tool in both training and play. Here's just five of the most popular ways that you can use your Kong toy that your dog is sure to love.

Trying Freezing Your Kong Toy

Have a new puppy? Your Kong toy for dogs can be frozen either filled or unfilled to help relieve teething pain. Puppies are notorious chewers and much of that has to do with teething. You can fill your Kong with treats (or even peanut butter or pumpkin) and pop it in the freezer for a couple of hours before giving it to your puppy. The cool Kong will relieve teething pain and they'll still get their reward (bonus if it keeps them occupied!). This is also great for adult dogs on hot days as it's a nice cooling treat during the summer.

(Image Credit: Stumps and Rumps)

Use Your Kong as a Dental Chew

While you shouldn't use the Kong treat toy for dogs to replace regular teeth brushing, you can use it to help keep your dog's teeth clean and their breath fresh. The chewing action itself helps to produce saliva, clean teeth and massage gums. However, for a useful twist, simply smear some oral gel or paste on the Kong toy, then your dog will be brushing their own teeth while they enjoy their toy. This could get a bit messy, this one's best done outside!

Use as a Slow Feeder

If your dog is prone to gulping down their food, then you've probably done everything from using slow-feed bowls to portioning out their dinner to feed in stages. You can use your Kong treat toy to slow your pets feeding for healthy digestion. All you have to do is fill the Kong toy with your dog's regular dinner - be sure you get a size that you can stuff full enough that they have to work for the food - and give it to them in lieu of handing them a bowl of food. Slower eating aids in digestion and helps get as much nutrition from their food as possible, so this is a great trick even for dogs who don't gulp their food down. It can also give you precious time to eat your dinner without your dog begging for yours!

Hide Medication in Your Kong

Getting a dog to take a pill can sometimes be a huge headache, but if your dog loves their Kong treat toy, it just became easier. First, you need to make sure that their medications can be taken with food, then you hide the medication in wet food or peanut butter in the Kong treat toy. (You can even cut the pills into smaller pieces if you think that they might be able to pick out the pill.)

(Image Credit: Homes Alive Pets Blog)

Teach Your Dog Scent Work With a Kong

Kong treat toys for dogs are a great training tool, especially for scent work. You'll need high value treats - bacon or fish or something else that they love that has a strong scent. Stuff the Kong treat toy and hide it somewhere in your home. For your first few times working on this, you'll want an easy to find place; perhaps under a pillow or behind a chair is perfect. Keep a piece of the treat with you and let them both get a taste and a good sniff on it. You'll have to help them find it the first few times. Before long they'll have the game down and you'll have taught them the basics of scent work.

The Kong treat toy is a versatile and fun tool that you can use in a variety of ways to keep your dog entertained and strengthen the bond between you and your dog.