Kong Time

[Serket]

So lately OH & I have been working some pretty long hours during the week, and Gypsy is left home alone for about 10-12 hours at a time 2-3 days a week (I'm home 3-4 days a week, including weekends, most weeks so it's not every day). She has obedience once a week and puppy agility once a week, and we do short training sessions most days and short walks around the block as she's only 7months old.

She's not normally destructive when we're not home, only when we are (ironically), but I came home tonight to find she's destroyed a $300 pair of reading glasses - this is the 2nd pair she's destroyed and I can't afford to keep replacing them - it's not just the frames, but the lenses are quite expensive too, I already bought a cheap ugly frame after the first time. She climbed up onto a bench to get them - they were (in theory) out of her reach, I did learn after the last pair., but obviously not well enough. The next pair will be either be being worn, or in a drawer (hopefully the drawers are still dog-proof).

Anyway, we leave her with a treat ball, a kong or a bob a lot thing when we leave in the morning, but obviously none of those lasts more than an hour at best. I've seen the 'kong time' dispensers advertised at vetnpet direct, and wondered if they're worth getting? It dispenses 4 large kongs at random intervals over a set period of time.

If anyone has one, do you find they're sturdy? Where do you keep it? Has your dog tried to 'break in' or chew on it?

[Rainy]

I haven't got one but it looks like a good idea I would just have the problem that 4 large kongs would be most of his dayley meal but I guess they are graze in the wild so maybe better then one meal

[wagsalot]

I wonder if the ants would get in them??

I had a food bowl for our cat with 4 different compartments. We put biscuits only in it as we weren't going to be there in the morning, but all the ants got into it!

[GoldenWei]

It looks cool. But I would think if she could smell it then she'd try to get into it??? Maybe you could put it up really high, like on a mantle piece, book shelf or something???

OT: But where do you do puppy agility, sounds cool!

[Serket]

I think the idea is they go up somewhere high and the kongs drop out....except that clearly she likes to bench surf and can get up pretty high herself, possibly knocking the whole thing down

Ants should be ok :D haven't had them anywhere near her food yet

4 large kongs would essentially be her food for the day, but I have two medium ones here so maybe I could use those instead, and/or put something different in then, like vegies so it's not so much food. I normally fill the kongs with her dry food + yoghurt or similar anyway, so they're not too unhealthy. Instead of breakfast she'd just get left at home with the first kong, and then when we get home from work she might get a small dinner just so she doesn't think she's been deprived. Hmm.

GoldenWei - It's not really called puppy agility as such, it's just a local (Central Coast) agility class that's more agility for fun, rather than serious competition, although the instructor does compete in trials with her own dogs. I call it puppy agility on here as the way they run it its suitable for younger dogs as the jumps are basically set up as frames with the poles on the ground if there's a puppy/young dog in the class and we do tunnels and weave poles, but none of the bigger equipment. We sometimes run through youngest/smallest to oldest so the bigger adult dogs get to jump the proper height. It's good fun - Gypsy absolutely adores running through tunnels, as soon as she sees a tunnel she heads right for it, no instructions required

[all that glitters]

I've also wondered about the Kong dispenser! Shy is home alone for 9hrs 2 or 3 days a week.

Whats a bob a lot thing?

[dee lee]

Do you think if you left 4 separate kongs lying around the house that would work just as well or would she eat them all at once?

Have you tried freezing your kongs to make them last longer?

My staffy X used to have a couple of frozen ones out the back with her when we went out and it took her a while to get through them. Of course she wasnt as food obsessed as a GR. :D But then its harder for GRs to get the food out of Kongs than staffies.

Edited February 27, 2010 by ✽deelee

[SmoothieGirl]

What about a Home Alone Tug Ball? She can tug and play and wear herself out, and get the occasional treat at the same time. You just need somewhere to hang it outdoors.

[Serket]

I've also wondered about the Kong dispenser! Shy is home alone for 9hrs 2 or 3 days a week.

Whats a bob a lot thing?

This.. it rocks back and forth rather than rolling like the normal treat balls do, she hated it at first because she couldn't make it work, but now she's got it all figured out

The kong time is expensive, but it comes with the 4 large kongs so it's actually not too bad given how expensive they are by themselves, the problem is she's just cost me $300 in new glasses, so not the best time for an expensive new toy

Do you think if you left 4 separate kongs lying around the house that would work just as well or would she eat them all at once?

Have you tried freezing your kongs to make them last longer?

My staffy X used to have a couple of frozen ones out the back with her when we went out and it took her a while to get through them. Of course she wasnt as food obsessed as a GR. :D But then its harder for GRs to get the food out of Kongs than staffies.

She'd eat them all at once She's quite strategic - she bounces the kong off things to get food out, then chews, bounces, etc. Same with the treat balls she has - it doesn't take her very long at all to get the food out. Haven't tried freezing them yet because I never remember to do it, I'll try to be more organised this week and see how it goes.

What about a Home Alone Tug Ball? She can tug and play and wear herself out, and get the occasional treat at the same time. You just need somewhere to hang it outdoors.

Thought about that but I can't think of anywhere we can hang it, not a very useful backyard, no trees, just brick walls, colourbond fence. It looks like it needs to be overhead, rather than hanging down off a wall

ETA: Just looked at the price for those and for a golden retriever sized one

Edited February 27, 2010 by Serket

[Serket]

Update:

Kong Time arrived yesterday It has a 'demo' button, so I loaded it up (with empty kongs) and set it to go on demo - whir, whir, whir, beep - kong falls out on the floor, Gypsy pounces, bats it, picks it up and bolts out the back door with her "prize) (empty, remember) it kept going with the rest of the kongs straight after (being on demo mode) but she was oblivious as she already had one. I put the rest of them away and left her with the first one, which she's still carrying around today and bringing in to show me

I think it might just be a success

Edited March 11, 2010 by Serket

[Nic oh lah]

Update:

Kong Time arrived yesterday It has a 'demo' button, so I loaded it up (with empty kongs) and set it to go on demo - whir, whir, whir, beep - kong falls out on the floor, Gypsy pounces, bats it, picks it up and bolts out the back door with her "prize) (empty, remember) it kept going with the rest of the kongs straight after (being on demo mode) but she was oblivious as she already had one. I put the rest of them away and left her with the first one, which she's still carrying around today and bringing in to show me

I think it might just be a success

Cool! We need to see photos!

[KristenLovesLabs]

Does it come with black Kongs? If it doesn't, then it's no good for my lab, he'd shred them

[kiesha09]

I have one of these too and I think they're great. On the days I use it (not every day because I don't want them getting bored of it) that is their meal for the entire day, no extras. Don't worry they won't feel deprived.

I would also recommend making it a bit harder for Gypsy to get the food out. My two get up high and throw the kong down to get the food out which happens very quickly in general. So I mixed the kibble with mince meat which is quite sticky and freeze it. Probably takes them now an hour to eat one. So thats 4 hours a day with the kong time that the dog is occupied for. That tuckers them out and for the rest of the day they sleep.

[Serket]

Does it come with black Kongs? If it doesn't, then it's no good for my lab, he'd shred them

No, just red ones - fine for Gypsy as she just likes to bounce them around empty (or bounce them around and chew a bit if they have food), but not good if your dog likes to shred them

I have one of these too and I think they're great. On the days I use it (not every day because I don't want them getting bored of it) that is their meal for the entire day, no extras. Don't worry they won't feel deprived.

I would also recommend making it a bit harder for Gypsy to get the food out. My two get up high and throw the kong down to get the food out which happens very quickly in general. So I mixed the kibble with mince meat which is quite sticky and freeze it. Probably takes them now an hour to eat one. So thats 4 hours a day with the kong time that the dog is occupied for. That tuckers them out and for the rest of the day they sleep.

I used it today for the first time - crammed 2 full of mince/veg mix one with just peanut butter smeared on the inside, and one with some dry food, peanut butter mixed together. She picks them up and drops them/bounces them too, so it doesn't last long if it's not packed in. I keep meaning to freeze things, never have the time/foresight though.

She's still running around with an empty kong bouncing it in the hope more food will appear So they definitely keep her entertained, even empty