Question about feeding from chew toys - ref Ian Dunbar advice

[karla215]

So I've read Ian Dunbar books before, but am re-reading before I get my puppy on Friday. I didn't have great luck with kong stuffing with my last dog, but I know I must have done it wrong (we needed him to eat and poo before we went to work, so waiting on him to roll the kong around and get all the food out was painful!). Also it seemed like the english bulldog tongue was useless in getting anything out!

Did anyone feed their puppy exclusively from these chew toys in the pups den or kennel during the day? I'd like to try this, and am looking for experience from others. Greatly appreciate any input! I'll def try it either way, as I want the puppy to be busy when I am gone, not bored. And as long as she's got the toilet in the pen (DoggieLawn), it seems more fair for her to be eating and maybe having to poop during the day - it didn't feel that way when I would kennel my dogs with the stuffed kong.

Sorry, I'm reposting from the Ian Dunbar recommended reading thread, because I thought not enough people may see it there!

Thank you!! Karla

 

[2bullymama]

I have always just feed meals in a bowl. But I do use Kongs stuffed with peanut butter and frozen as a treat, but always supervised as I am paranoid about choking on anything at all

 

[Schimpfy]

marrow bones, ice cubes with kibble in beef stock, lamb bones but all should be supervised a carrot all great for teething and treats good luck hope you find what your looking for

 

[Kris Thomas LaBounty]

I wouldn't feed a Frenchie anything unsupervised. You can't come home at lunch? How old is this puppy? You could moisten some kibble and leave it for her lunch. Once she's 6 months you only have to divide her daily allowance into 2 meals. My dog has a Kong but he chokes on the Kong stuffing and once it gets small I throw it out because he'd choke for sure. I don't even bother stuffing it anymore. This book tells you to "feed" from a Kong? If I read that correctly I must assume it's a gimmick to sell a lot of books. Why would you make a dog work that hard for a meal?

 

[lkclark]

I wouldn't feed a Frenchie anything unsupervised. You can't come home at lunch? How old is this puppy? You could moisten some kibble and leave it for her lunch. Once she's 6 months you only have to divide her daily allowance into 2 meals. My dog has a Kong but he chokes on the Kong stuffing and once it gets small I throw it out because he'd choke for sure. I don't even bother stuffing it anymore. This book tells you to "feed" from a Kong? If I read that correctly I must assume it's a gimmick to sell a lot of books. Why would you make a dog work that hard for a meal?

Quite a few people I know recommend feeding dogs from foraging toys. Forces them to eat slower and reduces the gas they get when they scarf down their meals straight out of a bowl.

I don't think that the idea is to stuff an entire meal into one, but to give part of the meal in a toy at some other part of the day.

 

[davidh]

We feed from a bowl, and with pups, they need to be fed 3 times a day, until about 6 months of age. The kongs are for chew toys and you can put some peanut butter in there if you with. We don't put anything in them.