stonecutter Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 Hi all, Our new 13 wk old JS pup is doing great - only getting up once during the night, getting there with toileting on command - however - the real issue is chewing. I know dogs love to chew She started ripping up newspaper in her emergency toilet (litter box in her play pen - she never urinates in there - she actually prefers sitting it it with soft chew toys!) and I distracted her with some training and tug with a Kong wubba - eventually she chewed herself out on a bit of lamb bone. I've read Dr Dunbar's book on chew toy training using Kongs etc stuffed with food while she's in her crate, but I just can't seem to get her to chew them. She doesn't have food overnight - in the morning we go outside to eliminate, play a little bit and then I put her in her playpen with small puppy kongs stuffed with a bit of dried liver at the end (which she loves), kibble and then put a bigger biscuit in the end. She's happy to chew the end of the biscuit that is sticking out and any kibble that falls out. But then she gets lazy - attempts to roll the Kong once or twice but she won't chew or move it around to get the rest of the kibble out. Even if I don't give her any more food for the day, she won't work for the food in the Kong (she knows that eventually we'll do some training for kibble). Prefering to chew a soft toy or newspaper. If I take out the soft toys, then she chews newspaper or bars of her pen (one of the Bunnings compost bins) or crate. Any suggestions to teach her to chew a rubber treat toy? Stop feeding her kibble for training for a day to force her to go to the Kong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Panzer Attack! Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 A few tips - - Pack the kibble very loosely so she doesn't have trouble getting it out the first few times. You want it to be rewarding and somewhat easy for her from the get-go so she is motivated to keep going. - Spread something like peanut butter or wet canned food on the lip of the kong to get her interested in it, so she can lick at it and maybe that will encourage her to keep going. - Try stuffing it with something more interesting than kibble. I stuffed Scootie's first couple of kongs with Eagle Pack kibble and he didn't really care, but when I put some 4Legs in there he became verrrry interested!! Of course, now I have created a monster I got him a ball toy with one bigger hole in it and some smaller holes, with a piece of rope extending from it incase the dog gets bored of chewing the ball. Put some Advance (the kibble he was raised on and seems to prefer) in it along with 3 or 4 chunks of 4Legs roll. Checked on him after a minute and he had emptied the kibble, stockpiling the 4Legs in a seperate corner of his pen and was slowly eating the yummiest bits!! E x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Rumour~ Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 With our boy we started off by making it really easy. Like kibble that fell out as soon as he started playing with it or just some penut butter smeared around the opening. Then gradually making it harder and harder for him to get treats out. We can now freeze mince in it and he works to get it all out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stonecutter Posted April 8, 2011 Author Share Posted April 8, 2011 Ta - the kibble is really loose - shake the Kong and you can hear it - I've tried showing her to roll it and shake it - but she doesn't like putting the chew toy in her mouth - prefering soft stuff (the wubba is a fleecy material and a stuffing-free duck) I'll try the PB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W Sibs Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 Emmy has no interest in Kong. Doesn't like chewing on anything hard either. This is what I did: I get a used (but clean) sock, put some kibbles in there and tie the sock up and give it to her. She likes biting on the sock and eventually the sock gets soaks and I untie the sock for her so she can eat the very soggy kibbles. Or Get (or make) a small box and put some kibbles in there... punch holes into it so she can smell it and give it to her. She loves boxes and loves tearing them apart... so this way she has to destroy the box to get the kibbles. Or Frozen chicken neck or freeze some mince in an ice block and give it to her. It's messy but it keeps her busy for a few hours. Or Get a face wash, soak it in some meat juice, freeze it and then give it to her. This also helps when they are teething. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stonecutter Posted April 8, 2011 Author Share Posted April 8, 2011 Thanks CW! She likes toilet rolls closed at one end and lightly folded at the other filled with kibble - maybe it's something about the rubber smell? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W Sibs Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 Thanks CW! She likes toilet rolls closed at one end and lightly folded at the other filled with kibble - maybe it's something about the rubber smell? Yeah but I think cause it's too hard for them. Emmy is all about soft and furry... When I do training with Emmy and we do tug rewards, and Emmy is nuts about tugging. But won't tug on anything that's hard. I have a leather tug toy for her and she won't tug on it. She will mouth it and hold it, but as soon as we begin to tug, she will let go and find something else to tug on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 remember many pups will be or starting teething and wont be keen on chewing hard things which can knock their teeth about. Saying that some dogs just hate kongs I can tell you even my high drive dogs can't be bothered with them really when there is something else to shred Must be something about the taste or smell of the rubber Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stonecutter Posted April 8, 2011 Author Share Posted April 8, 2011 remember many pups will be or starting teething and wont be keen on chewing hard things which can knock their teeth about. Saying that some dogs just hate kongs I can tell you even my high drive dogs can't be bothered with them really when there is something else to shred Must be something about the taste or smell of the rubber I am getting a stronger feeling it's teething - though she's really liking chewing a stick she picked up from the garden, the steel bars of her pen, a rope toy, and a soft toy! We removed the emergency newspaper (since she goes out to eliminate every 2-3 hrs) and now she's just chilling in her crate. A friend is bringing a tug a jug, squirrel dude and a few other treat toys home from the USA in a few weeks - hopefully she likes one of them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stonecutter Posted April 10, 2011 Author Share Posted April 10, 2011 Update - we're feeding ourselves and then feeding the dog to preserve our leadership so last night Ziva was really hungry and did swat the kong until all the food came out no chewing just yet but glad she's partially got it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nushie Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 We used to put Jager's breakfast in the kong, that way if he was hungry (which he always is) that was the only way he was going to get his food. Started off with loose kibble so that as soon as he touched it, be it with a food or his face, food came out. Once he started to know that and went straight to it and go it all out pretty much straight away, we started soaking the kibble so that it would stick a little and not just tumble out. Still put it in loose though. From there we started packing the wet kibble in so that he had to work a little harder, then we put in some chicken and veg. Now he gets meat and veg in it but we freeze it and he lays on the ground with it sticking up between his paws and uses his front teeth and tongue to get the first bit out and then he starts picking it up and dropping it to loosen the bit that gets stuck at the other end. He repeatedly drops it over and over until it falls loose. Once all the food is gone, it gets ignored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 None of my dogs chew kongs. They bounce them-they pat them with their feet , they carry them.. they lick inside them ..they hold them in their mouths while they lick.. but none have ever chewed a kong. maybe she never will chew on one .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussielover Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 Have you got a puppy kong? There are different types- puppy which is the softest, regular and extra strong. The puppy ones are really chewy and soft. I personally think the regular kongs are too hard for a lot of puppies, unless they are really keen chewers. My 1 year old is still on a puppy kong as she is not much of a chewer and prefers to chew soft things (apart from bones!) I think things like bones are better for chewing. I don't use a kong as a chew toy but just something to entertain her for a while and to stop her inhaling food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 I don't use a kong as a chew toy but just something to entertain her for a while and to stop her inhaling food. same here our pups enjoy chewing those crackly toys ..the ones with plastic bottles or whatever inside, and a tough cover Also bones ,apples,Oh, and bones . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stonecutter Posted April 13, 2011 Author Share Posted April 13, 2011 We used to put Jager's breakfast in the kong, that way if he was hungry (which he always is) that was the only way he was going to get his food. Started off with loose kibble so that as soon as he touched it, be it with a food or his face, food came out. Once he started to know that and went straight to it and go it all out pretty much straight away, we started soaking the kibble so that it would stick a little and not just tumble out. Still put it in loose though. From there we started packing the wet kibble in so that he had to work a little harder, then we put in some chicken and veg. Now he gets meat and veg in it but we freeze it and he lays on the ground with it sticking up between his paws and uses his front teeth and tongue to get the first bit out and then he starts picking it up and dropping it to loosen the bit that gets stuck at the other end. He repeatedly drops it over and over until it falls loose. Once all the food is gone, it gets ignored. Cool - thanks! I'll soak some kibble and give it a go - perhaps put some peanut butter at the end to stop it falling out so easily as well. Have you got a puppy kong?There are different types- puppy which is the softest, regular and extra strong. The puppy ones are really chewy and soft. I personally think the regular kongs are too hard for a lot of puppies, unless they are really keen chewers. My 1 year old is still on a puppy kong as she is not much of a chewer and prefers to chew soft things (apart from bones!) I think things like bones are better for chewing. I don't use a kong as a chew toy but just something to entertain her for a while and to stop her inhaling food. Yep - we have 2 x small puppy ones. I also find that bones are good for chewing - lamb and chicken necks. But she needs soft chew things when we're trying to settle her down but don't want to feed her with a bone (I use the bones when I leave for work!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussielover Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 Maybe you could put a bit of peanut butter or something yummy in the top to encourage her? Also, Kong makes a special stuffing. I am sure it is not that healthy for them but if you're only using it initially to get her interested i'm sure it will be fine. It comes in a can and is foamy. I have seen a number of pet supply stores that have it, even some vets have it kong stuffing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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