Creative Feeding Part 1 - Fillable Rubber Toys and Boxes!

Dogs love to work their minds, and they love food. Mix the two and it makes a fantastic activity for your pet!

There are 3 main types of creative feeding games that we use for our dogs -

1. Fillable Rubber Toys and Boxes
2. Puzzle and Interactive Toys 
3. Scatter and Hide-and-seek Feeding

These three methods are all suitable for pets of all sizes and ages, but must be scaled up or down to make sure you use a safe sized toy or box for your pet. Too small a toy can be choked on by a larger dog, or too large a toy could get stuck on a smaller pets head or jaw, which may sound funny but could be extremely dangerous. Always make sure the size you choose is the right size for your pet, and is undamaged before giving it to them.

In part 1, I will focus on the fillable rubber toys and filled boxes.

Stuffed Rubber Toys and Filled Boxes

The most common stuffed rubber toy is a Kong. This is a pyramid shaped, rubber dog toy with an opening at the bottom, and a small opening at the top to ensure air flow for safety. You can get other brands but Kong is the most popular. They have several different types, but the main ones are -

• Puppy Kongs, which come in blue or pink, and are softer rubber to allow for chewing when puppies are teething. This is also perfect for dogs who enjoy working for their food but do not chew their toys.
• Senior Kongs, which are usually purple and also made of the softer rubber to make sure older dogs teeth and gums are not harmed, as some veteran dogs can have weakened teeth due to their age or health conditions. This is also ideal for light chewers.
• Red "Classic" Kongs, which are their main ones. It is made from tough red rubber, and comes in multiple sizes to suit different breeds. This is their oldest and most popular type for adult dogs. Most dogs find this is the ideal pick when choosing a fillable toy.
• Black "Extreme" Kongs, which are designed for adult dogs with powerful jaws and those who are strong chewers. These are ideal for breeds like Staffordshire Bull Terriers, German Shepherds and other powerful chewers. If you are worried your dog will chew their Kong, try the Black rather than going for the Red for that added toughness.

Puppy, Senior, Classic Red, Extreme Black.

Kongs come in a massive range of sizes from XS which is perfect for a Chihuahua puppy, all the way up to XXL for extra large breeds like Mastiffs and Great Danes!

You can buy similar toys by other companies which should work as well, however I personally prefer Kong as they have been reliable for me for years. We had a red Kong that was still in excellent condition after 7 years of regular use and was only replaced as it was lost during a move.

Black Kong Extreme and Red Kongs - XS to XXL!

How to use Fillable Toys

Fillable toys are very simple - you stuff them with something yummy and put them down for your pet! You can buy specially made pastes and biscuits designed to be used with them but you can use just about anything!

I have used tuna, chunks of cooked chicken, cheese paste, grain-free biscuits, banana, peanut butter, raw mince, tripe, canned dog food, and all sorts of other yummy treats. I often use them to give my dogs their dinner, especially when they have their raw minces. All the different flavours make Kongs a real favourite as they never know what they will find in them next.

You can also freeze filled Kongs to make them last even longer, or as the perfect summer treat to keep your pet cool. Just remember whatever you put in them outside of their daily meals, to reduce their meals by the same amount calories wise, so you don't end up overfeeding.

Fillable Rubber Toy Alternative - Boxes!

A good alternative to filling a Kong or other rubber toy, is to find small cardboard boxes, put dry foods and treats inside, and re-seal so your dog has to get into the box to get to the treats. Most dogs decide to shred the box and make a big mess, but its a simple clean up and the dogs love it. When first attempting this, you should use strong smelling treats in a thin box so they can smell that there is something interesting in the box. 

Once they understand that this is a fun game, you can then use thicker boxes and food or treats that don't have such a strong scent. You can even stack boxes inside each other or use several boxes to make it more challenging and more fun for your pet. 

Boxes are not recommended for wet or raw foods as the food sticks to the cardboard and can be eaten by the dogs, but is pefect if you feed dry food (kibble) or for treats. It is excellent mental stimulation so an ideal game for when its cold and wet out! 

We play these games very often with our dogs and teach them to any new fosters that come in. We even fill boxes with vegetables and hay for our rabbits, so if you have other small pets you can try this game with them too!

Shelby with her favourite Kong

Fearful Pets and how to help

Fearful pets and ways to help!

One of a pets main fears are fireworks, storms and other loud noises. Around this time of year there are so many people using fireworks its unbelievable. Even throughout the day some people are letting them off and so many pets are terrified of them, so here are some tips to make things easier on them, and some suggestions to help them ready for new year!

For when there are fireworks, storms or other scary noises going on - 

Create a safe den for your pets to hide in. It should be somewhere indoors and should be comfortable and dark, ideally with plenty of normal household noises to drown out some of the noise outside.

Some suggestions for dens - 

• Crate covered with blankets.
• A table with sheets draped over.
• An unused cupboard.
• A wardrobe or closet.

If possible these should be available before any expected events that you know will scare your dog. A crate is especially good for keeping up all the time as you can leave the door open and use it as a bed or put their toys in there. If this if for a cat, then putting a cardboard box in there is a great way of getting your pet to use it.

Drowning out the noise -

• Turn on the radio or television.
• Play some music.
• Leave on a video or DVD.
• Sing along to songs.
• Play a game with your children.

These things are all helpful to try and calm your pet during and after fearful events, and can be combined with herbal/natural remedies and homeopathic aids such as Adaptil plug-ins, Calming collars, and pet shop calming tablets. There are also coats available which work along the same lines of acupressure, pressing on certain points along the dogs body which has a relaxing effect (available to buy here).  If none of these remedies work then it may be worth speaking to your vet about a sedative. Being asleep is better than being extremely stressed but of course these medications have risks.

Preventing and training out fears!

Prevention is always better than a cure, so if you have a young pet exposing them to everything slowly and confidently is much better than trying to calm them after they are afraid. This isnt always possible though but there are ways to simulate these situations before they experience it in real life.

To expose them to "scary" sounds without frightening them, or to re-train your pet to not be afraid of these sounds, the best thing to let them hear the sounds very quietly in a safe place. Using this method in combination with treats or toys turns a scary situation in to an exciting one for your pet! 

I highly recommend the CLIX Noises and Sounds DVD - it exposes your pet to the noises, while you either feed them treats or give them toys to make it fun. You start off very slowly with the sound down low, and over the days and weeks you slowly increase the volume until it can be played loudly without fear. This is similar to the way clicker training works, the noise makes your pet think they will get a treat or a toy, so therefor the noise they hear is now a positive one. 

I hope this helps your pets not to be so afraid, or prevents your young animal from developing the fear. These tips are all things that have helped my pets over the years, and I would love to hear of any more tips and tricks to make things easier. Feel free to comments and I will add any new advice to my list :)