Dog Park: A Worthy Investment

I spent $30 on a membership for my dog Katy to become a member of the Louisville Dog Parks. She is a very nervous dog who is afraid of everything. People, other dogs, loud noises and the car all make her cower on the ground and shake. So, I have been working on introducing her to more people and now have decided that she needs to be socialized with other dogs. The dog park membership allows me access to four dog parks around town, but so far I have only visited the one closest to my home. We have been going every afternoon for a week and already she is playing with other dogs and will run around instead of hiding under the bench where I am sitting or between my legs.
I have even noticed that on our walks she is more confident and seems curious about new situations. She is still afraid of the car and gets carsick, but hopefully with time she will get over that too. for now, I am just happy that she has room to run around off leash and play.

Kong Tips for the New User

If you are thinking of using Kongs, here are some tips that I have learned the hard way or others have shared with me. Hope they help you as much as they have me!

Always supervise your dog the first few times you give them a new chew toy of any kind, especially if you have a dog who is an aggressive chewer such as a Pitt Bulls or Rottweilers. Kongs are very durable, but no dog toy is indestructible.

Make sure to get to correct size Kong. If you are not sure about what size is good for your dog, check out the official Kong sizing chart. Don't go with a smaller size than is recommended for your dog's size and weight. They might swallow it whole, causing a possibly life threatening situation, not to mention a very expensive vet bill!

The sales lady at the Feeder's Supply gave me some great advice. She told me if you are trying to decide between two sizes, go with the larger size. They hold more food which means less work packing food inside!

If you intend to feed your dog using only Kongs, buy enough Kongs to hold 2 days worth of food. This allows you freeze one day's Kongs so you don't have to repack them every day, or multiple times a day. Buying different kids of Kongs, not just the Classic, will help keep Fido entertained. We bought 2 Activity Balls (also called Stuff-A-Balls) which are great. The normal Kongs don't take long to be emptied out, but the Activity balls filled with Kibble keep your pet playing for longer. We also like the Genius Kong, it's the Mike. The large size holds an entire day's worth of food for our dog, which is great.

After filling a Kong with too much peanut butter for my dog one day, I was left with a challenge: how to clean the sticky gooey mess out. After a little bit of Googling, I found an easy solution: a baby bottle brush. This works like a charm and it is so much easier than anything else I tried. Now, I can put peanut butter, honey, or any other stick substance without dreading having to clean it out. They are dishwasher safe, so once a week or so I put them through on the top rack.

Hope these tips help you!

Christina 

Kongs - Fad or Useful Tool?

If you own a dog, or are considering adopting one, you will probably hear about Kongs. They are rubber chew toys that come in different sizes and strengths that allow you to pick which one is best for your dog. They came highly recommended to us by our vet, but I wasn't sure how they would help us with Katy.

When we brought home our little Beagle Katy, she serious issues with confidence. We were told that she was most likely abused before she was found the pound. She had serious separation anxiety and whenever my husband and I left her alone in the house, she would bark, whine, roll her cage and tear up anything she could get a hold of. Once I came home to find her bloody where she had worked herself into such a frenzy that she destroyed the plastic base in her crate.

After my husband left for training with the Army at Ft. Benning, the symptoms only worsened. In desperation I called our vet and they recommended hiring a trainer from a company called Bark Busters, and only feeding her using the Kongs. I bought the Kongs on the way home, after all what did I have to lose, and started packing her kibble in them.

It took her a few days to really get into using the Kong, but after that she grew to love them! After 3 months of use, the Kongs I have purchased for around $8 each don't show any signs of wear and tear. I highly recommend the Classic Kongs, although we also use the Activity Balls, and Genius Kong regularly. as a chew toy and as a method of feeding your four legged friend. For an investment of less than $10 and a little creativity you can keep your pet entertained and happy for hours on end. It's well worth it to me to know that when I leave the house and put Katy in her crate, she has something fun to do to keep her happy.

For more information about stuffing your Kongs, visit the Kong Recipes Page.

Chopsticks and Baby Bottle Brushes

I believe the phrase, "Work smart, not hard." If you do things the smart way, you can move on to the fun things that much sooner. So, I am pleased that I have found two really easy ways to clean out my dog's Kongs with minimal effort. If you have a big treat stuck inside one of your Kongs that your dog cannot get it out, there is a very simple solution. Chopstiks! I use a chopstick and stick it through the small hole of the Kong and push the treat out. My father in law has a Chinese restaurant, so we always have chopsticks in the house.
I also have a problem with peanut butter and other sticky substances being stuck in the bottom of the Kong. A baby bottle brush takes care of that with no problems. Afterward I throw the Kongs in the top rack of the dishwasher and they are good as new!