Kong stuffing recipes

by | Jun 19, 2012 | 7 comments

KONG FILLER RECIPES

The art of kong stuffing is not difficult to learn, but there are requirements for them to work, both for the dog and the human to be satisfied. First you need to decide what the kong is for. Is it a meal in itself? A reward for being good? A treat to be left with when you go out between meals? Whatever it’s function there are some rules to follow.

1.  The filling has to be at the correct consistency. If it is too hard to get out dog will become frustrated and bored with it. If it is too soft then it will go too fast and the dog will be left feeling unsatisfied and bored …these apply especially if given one to amuse while you are out and the object was to keep dog occupied to prevent destruction etc.

2. It has to be the correct kong, as in the correct size for the dog’s mouth and tongue and of the right hardness and density. You do not want the dog to eat the kong…you will end up with a huge vet bill.

3. Until the dog understands the concept of eating from a kong, never leave alone and unsupervised and if your dog has guarding tendencies then you need to work on the ‘mine’ ‘yours’ training with it…a kong, like a bone is a high resource.

4. A kong is not a toy: you wouldn’t allow your dog to play with his/her food dish…don’t allow the dog to play with a kong. It is yours not the dog’s and is given at your say so and as such a powerful training and bonding aid.

5. It has to taste good…be appealing to the dog and have healthy ingredients; the less commercial junk in the better.  Below are tasty and delicious dog food ideas to fill your dog’s Kong.

banana with ends cut off
Every dog needs a Kong.
Click image to buy one on Amazon.

Kong Stuffing Consistency

The stuffing needs to be firm but not hard…about the consistency of pate of soft cheese to begin with. It is easier to make them up while the filling is still warm or at least at room temperature; you can then leave them in the fridge overnight to firm up to the consistency of firm chilled pate. As the dog works at the filling it will soften with the warmth of his/her paws and the action of the saliva. Frozen kongs (we call them doggy lollies in this house) are good as a treat on hot days and help add more fluids into the system. My dogs love frozen fruity kongs on a hot day…but you might want to give those outside.

Size and Type

Check the information on the packet…manufacturers give indications of ‘toughness’ but you know the power of your own dogs jaw…if your dog can destroy hard substances then you will need the heavy black kong. If you have a puppy you are kong training then the soft light blue one will be best. If it is in substitute of a meal then it will need to be large enough to take the equivalent of what would normally go in a dish.

Kong filler ideas

Banana and Honey

banana with ends cut off
Cut of the end of a ripe banana (2 if using the large kong) and block the small hole at the bottom of the kong. Slice 3 or 4 thin pieces and put to one side.
mashed banana
Mash the remaining banana in a bowl
add olive oil
Add a tablespoon of olive oil to bowl
add honey
Add a tablespoon of honey and mix
kong filled with mashed banana
Fill kong with banana mash
close kong with banana slices
Place the sliced pieces on the top sealing the large end. Smear with a little oil and put in fridge to set for an hour.

Cream Cheese and Apple

dice apple
Dice an apple into very small bits
cream cheese and apple
Mix with cream cheese until soft enough to pack into kong
kong filled with cream cheese and apple
Fill kong and refrigerate until firm
dog eating a kong
Flo with her apple and cream cheese kong

Peanut Butter and Meat Paste Layer

peanut butter spread in kong
Seal the small hole with peanut butter then smear peanut butter all around the insides.
peanut butter and meat paste in kong
Create layers of the butter and meat paste until it is full, ending with a peanut butter layer
kong in egg box
Refrigerate until firm
labrador with kong
Buddy with his peanut butter and meat paste Kong

Savoury Variety

kong in egg box
After sealing the small end using peanut butter, cream cheese or butter, stand the kong in an egg carton
kong filled with rice
Fill with a little cooked rice, couscous or cooked lentils or barley
bone broth in kong

Fill with bone broth and freeze for 24 hours

(click for bone broth recipe)

Dairy Variety

stand kong in egg box

After sealing the small end using peanut butter, cream cheese or butter, stand the kong in an egg carton

pour goats milk in kong

Fill the kong 3/4 full with goats milk

add yoghurt to kong

Fill the remainder of the kong with plain yoghurt… you can also add some pureed fruit and/or honey to the yoghurt if you wish. Freeze for 24 hours.

Quick Kong Recipe Ideas

add yogurt to kong

Mash a tin of sardines in oil into the Kong for an instant delicious ready to eat Kong. Freeze to make it last even longer.

pate spread inside kong

Fill kong with Brussels Pâté and give straight to dog or put in freezer to keep the dog busy for longer

westie eating a kong

Jack with his Brussels Pâté kong

Check out the other recipes I have including the internet’s most popular dog treat recipe: Liver cake for dogs, the best dog treat recipe you can make at home.

How to store

As a general guide if meat protein is present in recipe then it will last around 3 to 5 days stored in a cool place.  If it has second class protein in it eg. cheese, lentils, eggs, etc, then they will store for about 10 days in a cool place. You can use cake tins lined with baking paper – greaseproof. If there is no meat or second class proteins present then it will last around 3 weeks before they go soft like human biscuits.

Buy the book!

These dog treat recipes are now available to buy in book on Amazon.   An ideal gift!

dog treat recipe book

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raw pig ears

By Jamie Shanks

BDWS is owned and run by me, Jamie Shanks. I’ve been a professional dog walker since 2010. When I’m not walking dogs, I’m usually at home entertaining my three dogs and attending to five hens and my vegetable garden. 

7 Comments

  1. great, thanks for sharing it

    Reply
  2. Hi Jamie,

    Love your recipes and have tried numerous ones and they have all been very well received. Was just wondering if there are ‘printer friendly’ versions available. I’ve just printed the Kong one and it’s taken 19 pages with only 2 images and 2 lines of text on most of the pages. Would be great if this was consolidated more as it makes them more difficult to follow. Many Thanks

    Reply
  3. Just made the liver cake for our new puppy for a training aid Training should go very well based on how much he loves them! Now for the tuna cake!

    Reply
  4. not very technically literate.lease is there a book Of these recipes I could but so I could make them.

    Reply
    • Afraid not. Best bet, is to print them out.

  5. You refer to saving the melon seeds for natural worming… How does that work please?
    I have tried the liver cake and sardine oatcakes recipes with great success, thank you! My family are a bit sceptical about them, but I love the idea of knowing exactly what the dogs are consuming, so will continue.

    Reply

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