dogon Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 (edited) Hi all, My pup - 9 1/2 weeks, isn't interested in kongs or kibble style treats. I have tried stuffing kongs with kibble, cheese, peanut butter and even frozen chicken stock into a kong but he just aint buying it! I also have a puzzle ball for him and even though I've tried to encourage him by showing him that treats fall out if you roll it, he tends to avoid it. Too hard for him maybe? He also couldn't give a toss about liver treats either. What he loves is roast lamb! an exy taste! so I use this for training in tiny, tiny amounts. I realise that he's still very little but I would like to try to find what he likes so that I can leave him in his pen and know that he's being somewhat entertained. I've read here that things like chicken necks are ok but then i've also read that they can choke a pup. Can I feed a chicken neck to him as a treat while I leave him in his pen? Edited January 5, 2009 by dogon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
becks Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 How long are you leaving him in the pen for? For training, I use boiled chicken, all the pups love it and I get mugged at puppy classes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puggy_puggy Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 When is the kong & puzzle ball for? He probably doesn't need them if he has enough other toys and you are not leaving him for hours and hours alone by himself. Does he play with other toys? How long ar eyou leaving him in his pen? Puppies sleep alot so maybe the times that he is in his pen he doesn't need to be stimulated, he just needs to sleep, as he has done his running around whilst out of the pen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogon Posted January 6, 2009 Author Share Posted January 6, 2009 (edited) At the moment I'm on holidays and will be for the next 3 weeks. Then I'll be back at work. I want to give him time in his pen in general so that he gets used to being on his own. If he had his way he'd follow me everywhere and sit/lie on my feet but I don't think letting him do this all the time is going to be good for him in the long term. So I'm weaning him slowly. I'm leaving him everyday for a couple of hours and sometimes during times when at home I put him in his pen. He hates this, when I'm home, but seems to settle ok when I'm out because when I return he's quiet and calm. My usual routine is to feed him in his pen (this is where I feed him always) and then as he's eating I leave. This morning I didnt leave right away and he was fretting when I left. When I returned he had upturned his water and managed to drag the tarp off the floorboards as well and water was all over them It got me to thinking about the kongs. He never seems to have touched them and I thought that if I could make things more exciting in the pen he would not get so distressed. I have other chew toys for him (raw hide pigs ears) maybe this is enough? I do always play with him before I go out - to tire him. Can I throw a bone in? I know it should be uncooked. What types of bones? Thanks Becks, I'll try boiled chicken. He loves cheese when training but doesnt seem interested when alone in his pen ETA for extra thoughts. Yes maybe it's a sleeping thing when I'm away and that's why he doesnt touch the kongs. Then again, he doesnt touch them much when he's playing in general out of the pen. Maybe I need to encourage it more. Overall, I guess I need to know if bones are ok to give him - just as an extra thing for him. So sorry for this ramble. Am I making sense? Edited January 6, 2009 by dogon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke W Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 It took Barkly ages to have an interest in Kongs. He still doesn't really chew them unless they've got food in them. I feed Barkly all his meals in a Kong and he occasionally gets an 'icey kong' (kibble soaked in chicken stock, plug with cream cheese). I started with an easy treat ball and feed all his meals in that. If he likes lamb - he might like lambs hearts. Hi all,My pup - 9 1/2 weeks, isn't interested in kongs or kibble style treats. I have tried stuffing kongs with kibble, cheese, peanut butter and even frozen chicken stock into a kong but he just aint buying it! I also have a puzzle ball for him and even though I've tried to encourage him by showing him that treats fall out if you roll it, he tends to avoid it. Too hard for him maybe? He also couldn't give a toss about liver treats either. What he loves is roast lamb! an exy taste! so I use this for training in tiny, tiny amounts. I realise that he's still very little but I would like to try to find what he likes so that I can leave him in his pen and know that he's being somewhat entertained. I've read here that things like chicken necks are ok but then i've also read that they can choke a pup. Can I feed a chicken neck to him as a treat while I leave him in his pen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixie's mum Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Our dogs only like the kongs when they are full of something yummy - but they absolutely love their nylabones and will chew on them for about an hour or so before having a nap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke W Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Our dogs only like the kongs when they are full of something yummy - but they absolutely love their nylabones and will chew on them for about an hour or so before having a nap. Oh yeah - Bakly loves chewing on this: http://www.vetproductsdirect.com.au/itemdesc.asp?ic=PRM33 There have been threads about these on DOL before - dogs love 'em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bozthepup Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Hi all,My pup - 9 1/2 weeks, isn't interested in kongs or kibble style treats. I have tried stuffing kongs with kibble, cheese, peanut butter and even frozen chicken stock into a kong but he just aint buying it! I also have a puzzle ball for him and even though I've tried to encourage him by showing him that treats fall out if you roll it, he tends to avoid it. Too hard for him maybe? He also couldn't give a toss about liver treats either. What he loves is roast lamb! an exy taste! so I use this for training in tiny, tiny amounts. I realise that he's still very little but I would like to try to find what he likes so that I can leave him in his pen and know that he's being somewhat entertained. I've read here that things like chicken necks are ok but then i've also read that they can choke a pup. Can I feed a chicken neck to him as a treat while I leave him in his pen? 10 week old Boz loves chasing his kong when it bounces around, so we thought he'd be ecstatic when we stuff it with yummy chook and veges - we froze it and eagerly anticpated his reaction - nada .. or very little. I think he just needs / wants something UNBELIEVABLE to get into it. Does he play with other toys in pen ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesanddean Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 When we bought our puppy home we had all the things ready for him but he has never been interested in his Kong toy (or the $220 fake grass toilet which we will not go on!). He has also lost interest in pig's ears now as well. There will be something that he will enjoy playing with and it is all about experimenting until you find the right thing. Our Golden Retriever loves his treats but has never been into toys where they have to get them out. He is just as happy with anything that squeeks or he can thrash around in his mouth hitting himself in the head in the process - very funny to watch. He also is just as happy playing with an old plastic soft drink bottle with the plastic cap and attachment removed. I found frozen raw chicken wings good in the hot weather and they kept him busy for an hour initially, now it is about down to 5 mins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogon Posted January 6, 2009 Author Share Posted January 6, 2009 Thanks everyone for your replies. He has plenty of toys which I rotate. To be honest though, I'm a little cheesed off having spent money on fancy things such as kongs ( Luke, yes I have a busy bouncing buddy and he could take it or leave it ) but I will persist since he's only young. I bought some chicken necks but he won't eat it since I wont let him drag it inside. Sheeesh. He loves my son's 3 dollar plastic toy though I will definitely try a plastic bottle with cap removed. With the hot weather at present all wants is a tray of water to go nuts in. You gotta love em Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fbaudry Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Thanks everyone for your replies. He has plenty of toys which I rotate. To be honest though, I'm a little cheesed off having spent money on fancy things such as kongs ( Luke, yes I have a busy bouncing buddy and he could take it or leave it ) but I will persist since he's only young.I bought some chicken necks but he won't eat it since I wont let him drag it inside. Sheeesh. He loves my son's 3 dollar plastic toy though I will definitely try a plastic bottle with cap removed. With the hot weather at present all wants is a tray of water to go nuts in. You gotta love em Maybe it's a cocker thing..... Olaf, my older one, has never been really interested in kongs (will toss and turn it to get kibble out, but wouldnt chew on it), and before getting Archie the puppy I bought quite a few baby kongs. Same story... he's happy to push them to get kibble out, but won't chew on them if there is something interesting stuck in them. Bottomline: I have got a nice collection of kongs stored away. They get their breakfast in treat balls and crunched up bottles (they're not chewers thus no risk with swallowing plastic), which are much cheaper and seem more fun for them. Nylabones are completely ignored by both my cockers. On the other hand, the busy bouncy bone that Luke recommended has been a real hit and Archie has really taken to his. Maybe it's a matter of time before he gets more interested in these anyway, at nine weeks he is still very young. Re chicken necks, I guess it's all down to his eating habits... Archie never had raw food until i got him and had not idea what chewing meant... he swallowed his first neck whole . It took me a while to teach him to chew on them, just by holding them for him.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Got Spots Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 I found a good trick for hot weather and dogs Ice cubes in drinking water - my pup snorkels and blows bubbles for them both of the whippies love them to lick Also have resorted to frozen chicken wings so they last longer and are cool on hot days. My whippes aren't very food orientated at all. Pigs ears or the strips keep the pup happy for ages, they love them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyWestie Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 My Miley doesnt like kongs either, or many other doggy toys. She got a schmackos roll thingo with this meaty stuff inside for Christmas, you can get them from the supermarket, its called a chompit or something like that. She loves it heaps and plays with it for half an hour or so each time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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