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♪ the reward will taste the best ♪
♫ It’s time to work our brains ♫
♪ Let’s woof together ♪
Ever since Felix came home and I was a young pup, the Mama served all our kibbles in a variety of treat dispensing toys. Not only did it slow me down so I couldn’t inhale my meals (helping to prevent bloat and indigestion), it kept me busy and above all, it made my mind work.
Dogs need jobs.
Back in the day, any self respecting canine had work to do: herding sheep, hunting rabbits, all sorts of fun. Some dogs, like search and rescue dogs, therapy dogs or K9 Officers, still have jobs. But if you’re like me, the common haus hund, and your only job is to be cute for the common haus frau, then chances are you are only using your brain to manipulate your humans.
Many trainers teach that busy dogs are happier and well behaved and often have better relationships with their people. We believe in this at Casa de Kolchak. I was always much better behaved after a nice long wrassle with my KONG (affiliate link, but it’s a smokin’ deal!). Seriously, if you are a kibble fed dog, I highly recommend a treat toy to serve your meals. It’s absolutely woofing awesome.
I love my raw diet, but you can’t stuff raw in a treat toy.
Unless it was a Kong, it just wouldn’t work. It would get stuck. Just try knocking bits of raw food out of a KONG Wobbler. Good luck. So, for a while now, our favourite treat toys have been languishing on the shelf. The Mama seriously considered donating them to a rescue, but our obvious excitement every time she got got them out pushed her to find new and interesting ways to help us enjoy our favourite toys again.
Treat toys aren’t just for kibbles anymore.
Seriously, since the Mama has been out of commission this weekend with an itchy, icky illness, she has been filling our toys over and over again, as a way of apologizing for our lack of walks. Here are some fun ways to fill your toy – even if you aren’t a Kibble-fed K9:
- Diced fresh carrot
- dehydrated sweet potato chunks (Dice SP into 1/4″ cubes, bake all day at 150F)
- Lean & Green treats
- Frozen Peas
- Fresh sweet peppers
- Tuna Tasties (make sure they’re small!)
- Fresh broccoli stem
- Broken up liver chips
- Frozen blueberries
- Fresh apple chunks
- dehydrated meat chunks (Dice SP into 1/4″ cubes, bake all day at 150F)
the Mama’s note: Total 80’s cool points if you know what song I’ve been singing all day. Need a hint: It’s by my 2nd favouite Jackson.