Did you know that most dogs prefer to receive their food in a puzzle over receiving the same food in a bowl? Food puzzles make eating more interesting for your dog, and also have a number of benefits. Dogs who have to work for their food tend to feel fuller after eating, have fewer boredom related behavior issues, and may have a reduced chance of bloat.

Recently, our dog Tank had to be put on crate rest  for several weeks while a soft tissue injury healed. During that time we used food puzzles to help make him feel less bored in the kennel.

Consequently, we learned the value of having different KONG stuffings at our disposal. Here is a complete list of Kong stuffing ideas, including premade solutions as well as stuff you might find in your pantry.

Please note: The below list are items that fit well into the KONG and are generally dog safe ingredients. Feel free to mix and match these (Apple, banana and yogurt for example.) If your dog is allergic to one of these ingredients, you should avoid that ingredient.

Kibble

If your dog has never had a food puzzle before, it’s best to start on “easy mode.” Kibble is dry and easily spills out of the puzzle. It helps your dog realize that there is something to be gained from messing around with the puzzle, before moving on to harder puzzles.

The other benefit to starting out with kibble is that it is nutritionally balanced. Veterinarians recommend that treats make up only about 10% of your dog’s diet to avoid deficiencies. With Kibble, there’s no concern about overdoing it.

Small Dry Treats

If your dog doesn’t eat kibble, small dry treats can work just as well. Make sure you choose something that is small enough to easily rattle out of the kong at first (like these liver treats) so the dog has no problem getting them. Don’t worry, you can always make it harder later!

Canned Dog Food

Once your pup knows food can be gained if the kong is just worked on, it’s time to make things a little harder! Canned food, and other soft items, can’t be worked out as easily as kibble. At first, you can try just the dry treats with a canned food “cork” at first, and then move on to completely stuffing the kong with canned food.

Once your pup has the idea of stuffers, you can combine most of these items to create your own fun mix!

Peanut Butter

If your dog loves peanut butter, adding a little into the kong is a great stuffing option. If you want a wide range of choices all at once, these peanut butter pouches have combo flavors like bacon peanut butter or pumpkin peanut butter that may appeal to your pet.

Applesauce

Some dogs have a sweet tooth and really enjoy sweet things like fruits. Applesauce is a bit thin on its own, but mixed together with firmer things (like safe fruits) or to flavor plain yogurt, it can be a very safe filling.

Just check to make sure it isn’t sweetened with Xylitol, which is not safe for dogs.

Fruits

Many fruits are safe for dogs and work great chopped or smashed as a filling for the KONG. These include whole apples, banana, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, watermelon and pears. You’ll have to experiment to see what your pup likes.

Vegetables

Most dogs prefer savory foods over sweets. Vegetables are usually more favored by dogs. Safe vegetables to add to your stuffing mixture include: broccoli, Brussel sprouts, green beans, carrots, celery, sweet potato, and peas.

Easy Treat Kong Filling

The KONG company provides a number of spray-cheese style fillings that are safe for dogs. Flavors include liver, pepperoni, bacon and cheese and peanut butter. Use this to make it hold solid foods inside the kong, or as a flavor all on its own.

Yogurt

As long as your dog isn’t lactose intolerant, plain yogurt can be a delicious treat for your pet. Flavored yogurts with dog safe fruit may be fine, but check to make sure it is not sweetened with xylitol first.

Canned Pumpkin

Canned pumpkin is often well liked by dogs, and it has the side benefit of helping with anal gland issues. Make sure the canned pumpkin is 100% pure canned pumpkin and not a pumpkin pie mix, which may contain spices that isn’t good for your dog.

Cooked ground meat

What dog doesn’t love meat? Plain, unseasoned ground meat can be a great addition to the KONG. Make sure the meat is thoroughly cooked before serving.

Cheese (no blue cheese)

Cheese can be a great flavor enhancer for the kong, as long as your dog isn’t lactose intolerant. Feel free to experiment with different cheeses – my dogs went wild for swiss! The only cheese that is off the menu for dogs is blue cheese. The mold used to create it is very bad for dogs.

Eggs

Eggs are another great option for dogs! Try making an ‘omelete’ KONG for your pet with cooked scrambled eggs, mixed vegetables, and a little cheese.

Kong Hard Treats

Once your dog becomes a pro at extracting both dry treats and wet treats from the KONG, it’s time to make it harder! Kong makes special hard treats you can add in along with the liquid mix to challenge your pet.

For a real challenge, try their marathon treat, which you use like a cork to block access to the stuffings.

Rolled Foods

Finally, rolled foods make a good semi-moist option for dogs. We like this one by red barn. There’s an assortment of flavors available in this roll form, making them a convenient choice.

How to Stuff a KONG

Not sure what to do with all these goodies? Mix and match these safe items to your hearts content! If it’s thanksgiving, how about ground turkey, pumpkin and sweet potato? Try a fruit medley with bits of chopped apple held together with applesauce and yogurt.

If the dogs are unable to unstuff the entire thing, try just small dry pieces at first, then move to dry pieces with a wet ‘cork’ to hold it in, and then mixtures.

Be careful to choose the right sized KONG for your dog. If you’re not sure, bigger is better. We use the small, senior KONG for our chihuahuas.

That’s pretty much it! KONG’s are great as boredom busters, to entertain a dog on crate rest, and to help your dog feel fuller. If you haven’t tried them yet, you should!

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