If you are struggling with crate training your puppy, with puppy boredom or with an overactive puppy or dog, this blog post is for you! All dogs and puppies are happier, healthier and easier to train when they are mentally stimulated. One easy way to challenge your puppy is to have them work for their food. Every time we set down a bowl of food, we are missing a great opportunity to entertain and stimulate our puppy. These are also great for fast eaters, dogs that suffer from separation anxiety (offer when leaving) and for in crate entertainment. Oh, and in case you have lacked any "intimate time" since purchasing your puppy, these are also great for escaping to your room in peace for long enough . . . 

Not sure how to make your puppy work for their food? Here are some examples: 

LEVEL ONE - SNUFFLE MATS AND SLOW FEEDERS
Many breeders use snuffle mats with puppies as a part of the weaning and play process. Start by hiding a few high value treats in this mat and work up to feeding an entire meal. Placing a high quality kibble in the mat will slow your dogs eating, entertain them in a crate or pen and allow your dog or puppy to learn to work to find their food. Most LierChonPoo puppies and dogs will have been exposed to one of these options: 

Small Snuffle Mat - This mat is inexpensive and travels easily. It's suitable for both puppies and adults. 

Medium Snuffle & Play Mat - We love this medium mat with multiple places to hide treats and food for entire litters, households with more than one small dog or larger breeds. We also love that it's easy to wash and we recommend doing so weekly. 

Slow feeders are similar but are simply a mechanism to slow a fast eater and are not as stimulating as a snuffle mat. You can increase the entertainment value of a slow feeder by mixing your kibble with a quality wet food which takes significantly longer to eat when spread on the walls of the feeder. 

LEVEL TWO - SNOOPS
Snoops are advertised as being an interactive treat dispenser but we regularly use them as a bowl to feed and entertain puppies by placing a mixture of kibble and other food inside and using it as a bowl. We start these before feeding in Kongs because they are easier for the puppy to manipulate. To make it tougher, you can purchase the smiley face insert; however, we've found it easier to simply put a mixture of food and larger components in the Snoop to make it more challenging. For example, we will introduce these with a small amount of kibble mixed with a few high value treats. Once the dog has acclimated we will replace the treats with some larger pieces of cooked chicken or jerky that make getting to the food more difficult. Plugging the whole in the bottom with a treat or kibble or adding something like peanut butter (never with artificial sweetener) or plain yogurt can also increase the challenge. Snoops can be placed in the dishwasher (top rack) and we love that they are coated with a mint oil to help keep breath fresh. Our young dogs will work on these for 20-30 minutes which is great entertainment while we clean their space, sneak out the door for errands, etc. 

LEVEL THREE - KONGS 
The Kong is perhaps the most popular "work for food" toy on the market. For puppies, you want to begin with the small binkie Kong and get the multi-pack as you will need multiple kongs in order to keep them cleaned and stuffed. As your puppy progresses and grows (or to feed entire meals), move up to the medium. We have done an entire blog post HERE on how to stuff a kong from simple to more complex. What we will repeat here is that the Kong is a great way to make a puppy work for food and a great way to reward and entertain a puppy in the crate. 

LEVEL FOUR - PUZZLES & INTERACTIVE TOYS
​It is rare that we use a puzzle or toy to feed an entire meal but it can be done. If you are feeding a high calorie dense kibble such as PawTree, you can actually fit an entire meal in one of these toys. 

Bob-A-Lot Interactive Dog Toy and Tug-A-Jug are very popular with our puppies but we don't use them as often as they can be difficult to clean and are really only suitable for kibble or treats (no option of mixing in wet or raw ingredients). They can also be a little loud depending on how the dog learns to dispense the treats. Again, if using these frequently, please make sure you are only using high quality single ingredient treats and are factoring in these calories so your puppy or dog doesn't end up overweight. 

Puzzle Toys are also fun but with a few warnings. You MUST supervise both dogs and puppies with these type toys as most of them have pieces that can be chewed and even swallowed if care is not taken. They can also be a hassle to clean. 

Lick Mats - These popular lick mats are also a hit with our puppies and dogs. We generally pull these out only for special occasions where we want to both reward and entertain the dogs for a while (think furniture being delivered, neighbor stopping by, etc.). In order to successfully use these mats you must find a combination to spread on the mat that is both healthy and irresistible to your pooch. Several of the suggestions we've discussed in Kong stuffing can also work here. For our dogs, we take it up a notch and keep these in the freezer already prepared with one of the following: natural peanut butter mixed with plain greek yogurt, puree pumpkin mixed with peanut butter or yogurt, Ollie dog food spread and re-frozen or Ollie mixed with yogurt.

We hope this post has been helpful and that you'll let us know what works and what doesn't, Please remember that any toy or bowl which doesn't entertain your pet can be donated to your local shelter for a dog in need so it's never a waste to experiment. 

We've mentioned in prior posts that we are a fan of the Kong for training and occupying puppies; however, we've also found that people can be confused about what to do with the Kong and exactly how to get a puppy interested in playing with it. We also know there are a lot of products available at pet stores to stuff Kongs but they aren't necessarily healthy options or good for young puppies. Here are a few basic ideas and recipes to get you started on Kong stuffing and to give you the confidence to start creating your own recipes and strategies. 

BASIC TIPS: 

• Start with simply using your dogs own food in the Kong. Offer the Kong BEFORE any meal when the dog is hungry and willing to work to get his/her food out. This helps the puppy understand the general concept. If you feed a soft food, consider using a high grade kibble for this initial project.
• Once your puppy understands the basic concept of working to get his/her food from the Kong, increase difficulty by placing an edible plug in the hole for them to work out before getting the food. Based on the size of your Kong, you might consider a blueberry, a little peanut butter, a piece of cheese or even a moldable treat such as Little Jacks Dog Training Treats .
• Your puppy will quickly master the basics of a Kong at which time you can get more creative. Keep your dog's interest with the following: 
  • Layer the Kong with some kibble, a treat, soft food and a plug such as peanut butter.
  • Consider freezing the Kong to force your dog to work even harder at releasing the food. If your dog seems frustrated, try packing it with loose kibble and using a freezable plug (see recipes below). 
  • Put your dog's favorite treat at the bottom of the Kong to get them working to release it. 
  • Look at your leftovers and see if they might make a delicious stuffed Kong for tomorrow!

SHOPPING LIST: You don't need all of these items but will want a combination of dry goods and "mashable" healthy foods to layer your Kong:

1. KONG - A Kong based on your dog's size and age. For new puppies we recommend the Kong Puppy Binkie as they are smaller and softer for puppy teeth. For grown Cavaliers, Cavachons or Cavapoos, we recommend a standard Small Kong for dogs up to 20lbs and a Medium Kong for dogs above 20 lbs. or for those wanting to use this as meal replacement. 
2. KIBBLE - If you feed raw, home cooked or a fresh delivery food such as Ollie, you may want to get some high quality kibble for your Kong. We recommend choosing kibble for your puppy or dog from this posts on nutrition. 
3. HEALTHY FOOD - Natural peanut butter (look for low sugar and avoid any with sugar replacements which can be dangerous for dogs), non-processed cheese, bananas, blueberries, eggs, bone broth and plain yogurt (Greek is best) are all good choices but any food that's approved for dogs will work. 
4. SOFT FOOD - It's also good to have some soft food on hand when you're ready to make the Kong more of a challenge. You can again refer to Dog Food Advisor, make your own pup loaf or consider a home delivery food such as Ollie. Other options are pumpkin and mashed sweet potatoes. 

RECIPES: 

1. Beginner - Plug bottom hole of Kong if needed. Fill with dry kibble. Plug top with small spoonful of any of the following: yogurt mixed with peanut butter, mashed sweet potato, mashed banana or a couple of small blueberries. Freeze to increase challenge or removing plug. 
2. Intermediate / Advanced - Plug bottom hole of Kong if needed. Combine with any of the following: 
   1. Shredded carrots and/or zucchini. Mix with mashed sweet potato. Top with peanut butter or peanut butter mixed with yogurt. Freeze to increase challenge. 
   2. Place 1-2 favorite treats in the bottom of Kong. Top with mixed dry and wet kibble. Plug with mashed banana or peanut butter. Freeze to increase challenge. 
   3. Mix yogurt with fresh fruit such as strawberry or blueberries. Fill bottom and edges of Kong. Fill remaining space with kibble. Roll to stick kibble. Freeze to increase challenge. 
   4. Place shredded chicken or turkey in bottom of Kong, top with pumpkin (not pie filling) and plug with a soft treat. To increase challenge, mix pumpkin with meat and freeze. 
   5. Firmly plug bottom of Kong. Fill with kibble and bone broth. Freeze. Raw goat milk is another liquid option. 

These are just a few ideas to help you understand the progression of Kong stuffing and how it can occupy your puppy. Don't be afraid to experiment with different recipes to find a few favorites that your dog will love. Just be aware of the added calories and sugar and consider stuffed Kong when making sure your dog gets a balanced diet. 

​Does your dog have a favorite Kong recipe? We'd love for you to share it here!