A KONG should not be missing in any dog household. Because the great toy can be used universally and is great for boredom or restlessness. Because with different KONG fillings, you challenge your four-legged friend’s ability to solve new problems. That makes you satisfied, tired, and happy.
Here you will find various ideas with which you can fill a KONG :
From easy to challenging KONG recipes to KONG ice cream for summer refreshments, there’s a bit of everything here. By the way: If you want to save time, it is best to prepare several KONGS at the same time so that you always have a filling snack ball in stock.
KONG fillings
You have treated your four-legged friend to a KONG or are thinking about it ( do it !).
Now you’re faced with the question: what kind of KONG are we actually going to fill with?
Basically, you can put pretty much anything in the KONG that your dog likes and tolerates.
The dog toy for filling is also ideal for recycling leftovers. Provided, of course, that your dog is actually allowed to eat the ingredients.
Here is a list of foods that are suitable for dogs.
- You don’t need to buy the ready-made fillings for the KONG! This expensive dog junk food is certainly tasty, but not really valuable.
So feel free to get creative with the filling for your new KONG toy.
You do not have to.
This is one of the great advantages of the KONG intelligence toy:
You can keep your dog busy for a long time even with simple fillings.
Simple KONG fillings
Filling a Kong for dogs should be easy. After all, it’s all about keeping the dog busy. And not you.
So if you’re looking for easy and quick ideas to fill a dog kong with, then we recommend the following ingredients:
KONG fill with peanut butter
When looking for ideas on what to fill the KONG with, there’s no getting around the peanut butter! My dogs also love this delicious treat and tolerate it without any problems.
Make sure to buy good quality peanut butter that is unsalted and free of artificial sweeteners. Commercial varieties sometimes contain a little bit of sugar and the fat content cannot be denied, of course.
No, diet food is definitely not peanut butter! So don’t fill the whole KONG to the brim!
KONG fill with yogurt
Unsweetened yogurt is very popular with many dogs and can be wonderfully combined with all kinds of treats.
We like to spread the inside of the KONG with yogurt (for sizes M to XL, this works great with a normal blunt butter knife). That gives the dogs a lot to do.
If you want to fill a KONG with yogurt, don’t overdo it. Because so much fits into a large KONG filling it to the brim with dairy products could be a bit much.
Also, keep in mind that yogurt is a bit runny and will leak out of the bottom of the KONG if you don’t block the opening.
You can of course use a slightly thicker ingredient like Greek yogurt or cottage cheese.
KONG fill with wet food
Another classic to fill the KONG. Perfect from a dog’s point of view.
And a good choice to make the KONG palatable to dogs that are not so greedy for food.
KONG fill with dry food
Dry food in KONG may sound a bit boring, but for many furry friends, it is enough to make KONG interesting.
Alternatively, you can also fill the KONG with (homemade) dog treats or small chews (sprats, gizzards, cubes, etc.).
Because it’s actually a bit impractical that round chunks of food quickly tumble out of the KONG.
Here you can increase the challenge a bit by blocking the opening with a wedged dry cookie or a spoonful of peanut butter.
If you put the KONG in a cup or a flower vase, you can fill it with water and let the TroFu swell in the KONG. This will soften the lining and completely fill the KONG.
KONG fill with banana
The favorite of all sweet tooths!
Many dogs love bananas and tolerate the delicious fruit very well in moderation.
That’s great because you can easily stuff bananas into a KONG as a puree or in pieces!
And even frozen and mixed with other ingredients, bananas are loved by all dogs who love sweet foods.
KONG fill with baby jars
Another soft ingredient that dogs love: is baby food.
From pure fruit and vegetable purees to spaghetti in sauce, everyone will find a flavor that the dog likes. And often even in organic quality.
KONG fill with liverwurst
A KONG filled with liver sausage will probably go down well with all four-legged friends!
If you regularly use liverwurst as a reward and now also want to fill the KONG with liverwurst, you should make sure to use good liverwurst without spices and with a high salt content.
If you Bart and have a good mixer for dog food, you can of course mince liver yourself as a slightly less unhealthy alternative.
KONG fill with leftovers
If you have leftovers that are suitable for the dog, there is nothing wrong with adding a tablespoon of scrambled eggs, rice or pasta, some mashed potatoes, or a dollop of sauce to the KONG.
Even leftovers from the fridge, such as a lonely slice of cheese, regularly end up in the KONG and still do a good job there.
Even old rusks can be turned into a great activity at the KONG.
However, avoid spicy foods and foods that are too spicy. Here is a link to the large food checklist.
KONG fill with cheese
Various types of cheese do very well in KONG.
Convenience preparations are such as American spray cheese spread cheese or toast cheese slices are also very popular with our dogs.
And you can also easily feed granulated cottage cheese and cream cheese into such toys.
One of my dogs’ absolute favorites is when I stick a piece of soft cheese in the KONG and spread the inside of the rim with a butter knife before filling the KONG.
Healthy fillings for the KONG
Would you like to fill a KONG for sensitive dogs that don’t tolerate everything?
Maybe your dog also has a sensitive stomach. Or you watch the calories because your dog has been put on a diet or bed rest.
All good reasons to look for healthy fillings for the KONG that are not so heavy on the stomach!
It also makes sense to pay attention to variety when filling the KONG and not to constantly use fatty foods such as sausage, cheese, or peanut butter. Especially if you use the KONG very regularly or even daily.
Here are a few ideas for healthy KONG fillings :
KONG fill with oatmeal
Yes, oats are a grain.
Since a healthy dog uses grain without any problems, this is not a problem at all. But on the contrary.
Oatmeal is a healthy whole-grain food that, in addition to carbohydrates, also provides proteins, unsaturated fatty acids, soluble fiber, vitamins, and many micronutrients.
And when filling KONG, tender oatmeal comes in very handy as it swells easily in water.
The resulting oatmeal/porridge mixture fills the KONG, can be enhanced with pieces of fruit, half a teaspoon of honey, or a few chunks of food, fills the dog up, and is very gentle on the gastrointestinal tract thanks to the oatmeal.
But of course, grains are high in calories and not meant for daily feeding when your dog needs to lose weight!
If you think your dog can be fed grain-free, just scroll to the other ideas.
KONG fill with fruit
Does your dog like fruit? Then it’s easy for you here!
Because you can use your favorite varieties as a healthy filling for the KONG.
We also like to fill fruit purees like unsweetened apple sauce or frozen pieces of fruit in the KONG.
We already mentioned bananas as a classic KONG filling above.
But berries, apple slices, or watermelon are also popular snacks for some dogs. You can also feed small amounts of pineapple, pear, kiwi, mango, or stone fruit (without the stone, of course).
- Your dog must not be given grapes and raisins! Because these can trigger life-threatening symptoms in some dogs.
KONG fill with vegetables
There are some types of vegetables that are more popular with our four-legged friends than others.
Sweet snacks such as pumpkin puree, cooked sweet potatoes, individual peas, or, of course, carrot pieces or puree are particularly popular. Less popular are parsnips or leafy greens.
And as a tip for freezing, cucumber comes to mind here.
KONG fill with cottage cheese
Dairy products can be wonderfully spread in KONG.
Due to its stability, quark is more suitable than kefir or buttermilk for smearing the inside of the KONG.
Then simply press a few biscuits into the soft mass, done.
KONG fill with coconut cream
Is your dog not allowed to have dairy products? Also no problem!
As a creamy alternative, you can prepare coconut cream for him. You can easily fill this into the KONG and spoil your dog with a delicious plant-based snack!
Simply store a can of coconut milk in the fridge overnight.
As a result, part of the contents of the can solidifies and can be easily whipped up (you can use the watery part for something else).
KONG fill with fish
Fish in the KONG?
Yes, a lot of dogs like that. Whether it’s homemade fish treats, dried sprats, or canned tuna.
KONG fill with dog food
The KONG works with all forms of feeding and can be coated with both TroFu and canned food.
Turkey necks don’t really fit in, but of course, you can spread minced BARF in a KONG!
As part of a diet (also with special veterinary food), the KONG is also ideal for use.
KONG fillings
A few foods fill up your KONG and add variety to it on a regular basis. With these KONG fillings, your darling always has something to do and you never run out of ideas!
Accessories
Ingredients
Fruit Vegetable
- Banana
- Carrots
- Apple
- Watermelon
- Cucumber
- Sweet potato, puree
- Pumpkin, puree
- Berry
Dairy products
- Yogurt
- Grainy cottage cheese
- cream cheese
- Buttermilk
- Quark
- Cheese
Dog Food
- wet food
- Dry food possibly allows for swelling
- Treats, also homemade ones
- Dry chews, eg small chewing sticks
Miscellaneous
- Peanut butter
- Liverwurst
- Tuna
- Egg
- Minced
- Baby food
- Porridge
- Broth
- Coconut cream
- Rice
- Pasta
- Leftovers that the dog is allowed to have!
Preparation
- If you want to put liquid ingredients like egg, broth, or yogurt into your KONG (to freeze it), you must first plug the small hole at the bottom. Simply stuff a piece of cheese or a generous spoonful of peanut butter into the bottom of the KONG. If that doesn’t work, you can attach a piece of cling film to the narrow end of your KONG.
- ▢It is best to place your KONG upright for easy filling. A mug or a small muffin tin can be useful. If you fill several KONGS, it is best to place them upright next to each other in the box, in which you can then leave everything and put it directly in the fridge or freezer.
- ▢Choose one or more of the ingredients from the list above and fill in your KONG. If you’re feeling creative, you can mix the ingredients together or add them to the KONG in separate layers, one on top of the other. You can also brush the edges from the inside with a wet ingredient. A butter knife is helpful for this.
- ▢If your KONG is full of loose chunks of food, you can close it at the top so that it doesn’t all fall out again immediately. You can do this by rubbing a spoonful of peanut butter over the opening, for example. Or you stuff a large biscuit or chew stick into the opening.
Recipe Tips
- You can put anything in the KONG that your dog likes and is allowed to have.
- Make it easy for your dog to start with and fill the KONG with a few loose chunks of food and only loosely close the KONG with a spoonful of peanut butter, for example. So your dog can first develop the best strategy and make friends with his new activity toy.
- Don’t stuff food down too hard in KONG. Because then your dog will find it very difficult to get it out again and you will make more work for yourself when cleaning.
- In order to gradually increase the level of difficulty, you can fill the KONG a little more and close the opening, for example with a large dry biscuit or a piece of fruit or vegetable.
- The KONG can be frozen. So you can offer your dog a great refreshment in summer.
- To clean the KONG, you can soak it in water, loosen the dried residue with a brush, or place the KONG in the top rack of your dishwasher.
PROPERTIES |Lining Ball | KONG | snack toys
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Dog KONG: 6 recipes
Please don’t think you need any special recipes for the KONG!
The desire to make the KONG filling yourself is great. But it really isn’t necessary.
However, if you enjoy it, then of course let off steam to your heart’s content and get creative and surprise your fur nose with new fillings for his dog KONGS:
1. Tuna & Quark
Coat the inside of the KONG with a quark and use it to seal the small opening. Squeeze canned tuna into the batter. Freezes wonderfully.
2. Microwave Cheese KONG
Tip for long-licking fun!
Mix cheese with some kibble and fill your KONG with the mixture. Place the KONG in a microwavable mug and heat your creation in 20-second increments until the cheese is melted. But please let it cool down really long, long, the cheese mass can be hot inside for a very long time.
3. Applesauce & Oatmeal
Would you like a sweet KONG? Spread the inside of your KONG with applesauce and squeeze some swollen rolled oats into the mixture.
4. Berries & Banana
Are berries too sour for your dog? Then puree your berries with a sweet banana and spread the mixture into the KONG (possibly with a teaspoon of honey).
5. Peanut Butter & Yogurt
I love mixing peanut butter with a little yogurt. Because the mass is not quite as greasy and can be easily spread.
6. Vegetable scrambled eggs with cheese
Whisk an egg with your choice of vegetables (diced or grated. Pour the mixture into the KONG and press cheese into the opening. Microwave the KONG for 20 seconds. Very hot, allow it to cool first!
KONG ice cream for dogs
Freezing the KONG makes perfect sense not only in summer. Because with KONG ice cream, our dogs are always busy for a particularly long time.
Tip: To ensure that liquid ingredients actually remain in the KONG, it has proven useful to close the small opening with peanut butter or cheese and fill the KONG upright in a cup.
Prepare several KONGs at the same time and place them halfway upright next to each other in a bowl.
What can you freeze in KONG?
Pretty much all of the ingredients you discovered here can be frozen.
- Canned food is best suited for dog ice cream from KONG. Because the consistency is just right to fill the KONG. And wet food is so popular with dogs that they are motivated enough to spend a long time with the filled KONG.
- If you want to use dry food, you can put the KONG in a cup and fill it with water. Once the dry food in the KONG has swollen, YOU can drain the remaining water and freeze your KONG.
- Dairy products are of course a good basis for dog ice cream. Always mix a solid ingredient (e.g. chunks of food or treats) with yogurt, quark, or cottage cheese. Due to the structured surface, your dog cannot lick everything up immediately but rather devotes itself to individual chunks of food.
- Peanut butter also freezes really well and is easy to spread in KONG. Coat the inside edges of your KONG and squeeze some solid treats into the batter.
- For KONG popsicles, you can squeeze a carrot or stick into your filled KONG. This poses a particular challenge when thawing.
- Squeezed bananas, baby food jars, and other purees are made for KONG ice cream and are often a slightly healthier alternative to greasy fillings.
- Watery fruits and vegetables are great to lick frozen, for example, watermelon is easy to process here.
- Watery ingredients such as broth, smoothies, or liquid fruit purees can only be frozen in the KONG with a little effort. First, you have to seal the small opening with a generous portion of soft cheese or peanut butter. Some also stretch a piece of foil over the opening from the outside.
Fill up KONG for dogs
Here are a few general hints and tips for filling your KONG food toy:
There are no rules as to how you should properly fill out a KONG.
So let your imagination run wild when you fill your KONG dog toy.
We usually do it like this:
KONG guide
- I coat the inner walls of the KONG with something sticky. My favorites are wet food, peanut butter, or yogurt.
- Next, I fill the KONG with solid ingredients, such as a few chunks of food.
- Now I close the opening with a thick biscuit by squeezing the opening a bit.
The best filling for KONGs also depends a bit on the intended use:
- Don’t make it too difficult for the dog at first! I know you bought the KONG to keep your dog busy. But unless your dog is hugely food-motivated, introduce him to the new toy slowly. Because many four-legged friends give up in frustration because the KONG was filled with too much difficulty right from the start.
- Always mix a hard ingredient with a soft ingredient, such as yogurt with kibble or peanut butter with oatmeal. this gives your dog more to do and has also proven itself with frozen KONG.
- Would you like to use the KONG on the go, eg for ceiling training? Remember that you also need to be able to transport the KONG easily. Do not use fillings that are too liquid, but rather solid pastes and chunks of food, and simply take two KONGs with you.
- Depending on the size, different amounts fit in the KONG, that’s quite obvious. The smaller sizes hardly fit more than 1-2 tablespoons of food, while the larger sizes can accommodate a decent snack. If in doubt, opt for the larger version, because this way the opening for filling and emptying is larger.
- Some KONG fillings are more recommended outdoors. Especially since some dogs develop the tactic of making the KONG dodge in order to throw the food out of the KONG in large chunks. In the living room, however, this is rather impractical if the KONG has been filled with red berries or dog ice cream. You should also consider the drool factor of your dog.
- Refreshing foods are available in summer. Some dogs love watery fruits and vegetables like melon or cucumber. Others love frozen KONGs with yogurt or peanut butter.
- Filling a dog KONG takes some practice. So don’t give up right away. You’ll find another tactic that keeps your dog busy longer than you! My favorite tool is a dull butter knife.
- You can tie a rope through the KONG before filling and freezing. This way you can “leash” the KONG later. This makes emptying extra challenging for the dog and can help prevent the dog from dragging the KONG away. But please always try something like this under supervision!
- Do you want to fill a KONG Extreme? You can fill it up just like a KONG Classic! The only difference: the black KONG Extreme’s natural rubber has a less elastic formulation for heavy chewers.
KONG fill for puppies
You don’t really have to do much when filling a KONG for puppies. Because there are no special KONG recipes for puppies!
- Choose the right size! A large opening makes the KONG easier to fill and easier to empty. And you reduce the risk of your dog getting his jaw stuck in the opening, sucking himself on, or trying to swallow the KONG!
- The KONG Puppy is made of slightly softer natural rubber and is therefore particularly easy for the dog child to work with. In my experience, however, it’s not really worth buying, so I recommend buying a KONG Classic or Extreme straight away (or two or three…).
- If you have one who wants to stuff a KONG Puppy, you can use the same KONG stuffing for puppies as for adult dogs.
- Make sure to make it a little easier for the little dog at the beginning and only gradually increase the difficulty. This way, even dogs that are not that gluttonous have a chance to become enthusiastic about their KONG.
- You should only put foods in the Pup KONG that a pup is allowed to eat. Among other things, pay attention to the size and consistency of individual chunks of food and use new KONG fillings for your puppy, preferably under supervision.
KONG difficulty levels
Remember that the fun of sucking out a KONG often has to be learned first.
If you do it right, you’ll create a situation where your dog will have quick success at first and every interaction with the KONG will be worthwhile. The harder he works, the more fodder he gets in return.
Through the autoshaping effect, your dog literally teaches itself to stay on the ball.
Depending on the consistency of the food, it is difficult for your dog to get the food out of the kong. Of course, loose dry food falls out of the opening faster than solid sticky canned food.
Your four-legged friend is food-motivated or already a KONG pro and you want to fill a KONG for long-term employment?
Now you can then increase the difficulty. For example, use one of these tactics:
- Paint the opening of your filled KONG with cottage cheese or peanut butter.
- Fill your KONG and seal the opening with a flat slice of cheese. You can also separate several layers in the KONG in this way.
- Fill your KONG and stuff a large dry cookie into the opening.
- A bulging KONG is difficult to empty. Swelling foods like TroFu or oatmeal and melting foods like cheese are great for filling in any gaps.
- Freezing obviously makes emptying the KONG more difficult. Wet food with pieces in it (vegetables, treats) is a quick option with a good effect.
- Wedge appropriate dog treats into your KONG and fills the gaps with a soft ingredient like yogurt or wet food. Trapezoidal snacks, which you can easily bake yourself, are well suited for this.
But be careful not to make it absurdly difficult. Apart from the frustration for the dog: Also remember that you have to fish out everything that your dog couldn’t manage.
Listen to someone who’s had to fish for half a chicken neck with a spoon more than once…
Troubleshoot
What, your dog doesn’t like the KONG? You try your best, but your dog doesn’t understand the KONG?
Then increase his motivation with these tips:
- If your dog doesn’t really know what to do, it’s enough to coat the opening with something tasty. So he can first fine-tune his strategy on how best to hold the KONG in his paws.
- Did you choose the right size? Of course, if the dog doesn’t get the KONG empty, it’s frustrating and the dog gives up. Choose the KONG one size bigger. Especially flat noses often have the problem that an opening that is too small reduces the fun of playing.
- Sprinkle a few chunks of food loosely into the KONG and seal the opening with a spoonful of liverwurst or wet food.
FAQ: Fill Kong
Here are a few sorted questions and answers about filling out the KONG:
How to fill the kong correctly?
To achieve the best effect, you should put something in the KONG that your dog likes, such as yogurt, wet food, or peanut butter. And you should make sure to reach a reasonable level of difficulty. This includes a KONG of the right size and a filling that the dog can work out piece by piece with a little effort.
What to fill the KONG with?
You can fill the KONG with any food that your dog likes and is allowed to have. Simple KONG fillings such as soaked dry food, wet food, yogurt, peanut butter, fruit, vegetables, rice, potatoes, purees, baby jars, cottage cheese, quark, liver sausage, or ground BARF are often sufficient for long-term activities.
The fuller you fill the KONG, the more difficult it will be for the dog to gradually digest the food. In summer you can also freeze the KONG without any problems.
How to clean the KONG?
The KONG is dishwasher safe and can be cleaned in the top rack of the dishwasher. It is best to stand it upright so that no water remains in the KONG. If there is dried food residue that does not come off easily, you can soak the KONG and loosen it with a small bottle brush or an old toothbrush.