When I adopted Gretel she had really bad separation anxiety. We tried a bunch of things to help appease her but the thing that worked the best and the quickest was leaving her a stuffed Kong as we walked out the door. She is so focused on the goodies inside that she wouldn’t even notice we were leaving.
I filled the Kong with Kong Stuffing I bought at the pet store. It was easy and the squirt tube made it not messy but I was suspect because the “peanut butter” flavor had some other complicated words besides “peanut butter” on the label. I wasn’t totally sure the stuff was natural.
The Kong Stuffing didn’t seem that bad though and remained our go-to filling. When we would run out we would stick a big glob of real peanut butter inside the Kong.
Gretel is by no means overweight. However, I have noticed she has a softer belly lately and contribute it to all the peanut butter stuffed Kongs she gets (that Chester doesn’t). I thought I would explore lower calorie alternatives and decided to try and whip something up myself. I decided to dust off the food processor and give it a go.
Before I started, I did a search online for Kong Stuffing recopies. I found a whole bunch but they all seemed to incorporate dog treats or kibble.I wanted something natural, human-grade and made of real food. I wanted to add supplements to the mix so the stuffed Kong could actually have some benefit. I decided to create my own mixture.
I started with a base of canned, pureed pumpkin (unsweetened…not the kind used for pies) and started throwing stuff in there. I added shredded carrot, blueberries, fresh-ground flaxseed, yogurt, a glucosamine supplement, fish oil, banana and some other things I forgot (I was literally just throwing stuff in there).
Sounds yummy right (at least for a dog)?. Well…
The first day I gave Gretel this new stuffing she went to town on the Kong and didn’t notice when I walked out of the door. The second day I noticed that there was a bit of the stuffing left in the Kong when I got back…which is totally not like her. The third day I gave her the Kong, all I got was a blank stare.
Gretel has always eaten everything and anything. It’s always been hard to tell what she likes more than others because she gobbles everything edible with equal gusto….or so I thought.
Apparently my homemade Kong stuffing was so bad that even my food-obsessed dog wouldn’t eat it!
I cried uncle and admitted that this is going to be harder than I thought! It’s going to be harder to create something she likes as much as the peanut butter. I also encountered difficulties determining the calorie content of the stuffing because several pet supplements I used did not include that information (couldn’t even find it on their website).
I am giving it another go. I have already made two more mixtures that had a marginally better level of success. I plan to keep going and once I hit on something that sufficiently occupies Gretel I will be sure to share the recipe.
We are participating in the Tasty Tuesday Blog Hop hosted by our pals Sugar the Golden Retriever and Kol’s Notes.
Ann Paws says
Lol – sounds like she caught onto you! I’m sure you can find something she’ll like… did you know that the companies that make dog treats are not actually required to add the calories on the label? I just learned that a few weeks ago.
Jessica Rhae says
Yes, I did know that. I wish that they did have to. A lot of companies are choosing to list it though…at least the more quality ones. Some list on the package, some list online and some don’t at all. Unfortunately, I am finding that most supplements fall into the latter category.
Sue at Talking Dogs says
Stopping by on the hop and looking forward to seeing what you come up with that Gretel really loves 🙂
Jessica Rhae says
I think I am moving in the right direction so hopefully I will have something within the month.
Amy says
So funny! Can’t wait to hear what you come up with that will please Gretel. If you find recipe success I’ll have to go get Toby a new kong toy and wipe the cobwebs off my own food processor. He too hates being left alone. We tried kong toys long ago but when he finished the stuffing he went to town on the toy!
Jessica Rhae says
Gretel doesn’t eat the Kong itself which is good. Some of our Doxie friends or ones we sit have destroyed even the toughest (black) Kongs in minutes. Dachshunds have such strong jaws! Gretel and Chester HAVE made quick work of other treat toys that claim to be virtually indestructible. I know what a challenge it can be to find a toy they won’t chew.
Chris Knowles says
Charlie loves Kongs too, but he is particular. I have found that putting the Kong in the freezer with peanut butter and once it has frozen he is actually interested in it. If the peanut butter isn’t frozen he doesn’t care at all!
Jessica Rhae says
That’s interesting. Gretel LOVES peanut butter whether it is frozen or not. I find that Chester isn’t as interested in frozen stuff. I suspect because the smell isn’t as strong.
SlimDoggy says
Good luck on this – our guys have never shown the patience to work with a kong, although maybe with the right treasure inside I can convince them!
Jessica Rhae says
OMG…Gretel loves her Kong! She will work on it for hours, even when all visible food is gone. It makes her mouth smell like rubber 🙂
When I get home and let her out of the kennel to potty she tries to carry it outside with her. I don’t let her anymore though because she sets it down and then forgets to bring it back in. I am tired of having to go pick them up 🙂
SUGAR: Golden Woofs says
Woof! Woof! Golden LAUGHS! Just reading your blog title. The canned pumpkin is a bit hard cause of its texture. Mixing it with yogurt will make it worst. Next time, make a small batch, yogurt will be the last ingredient you should add. Instead of shredded carrots, boil some carrots (or microwave) smash it with fork (the sweetness and juice will help on the taste). You can also use a sweet potato (boiled/smashed) instead of the canned pumpkin. Hope this help out. Good Luck! Happy Tasty Tuesday. Lots of Golden Woofs, Sugar
Jessica Rhae says
My dogs are small so I always make a small batch! Ha, ha.
I was trying to go for raw with the carrots but realized that the canned pumpkin I was using was cooked. Jokes on me. I will try cooked carrots and switch to sweet potatoes. I used butternut squash in the last batch and Gretel liked it better.
Thanks for the tips! As I said, this is my first venture into making stuff for them.
Roxy the traveling dog says
LOL, it might have been you everything but the kitchen sink approach.
Jessica Rhae says
I make half of my own meals that way and it works 🙂 I DID omit the moldy applesauce I left in the back of the fridge. Maybe I shouldn’t have. ha, ha.
lindsey says
Ha ha!
Elizabeth says
Good luck on your research! 🙂
Jodi says
I was using pumpkin, unsweetened pineapple chunks and a little low fat yogurt in our kongs. They were big kongs though and it got pricey, but for a little gal it might work. The trick is to let the yogurt drip down a bit then freeze it. My guys are gaga for this stuff. 😉
Jessica Rhae says
Hmmm…so you put the yogurt in first, froze it and then added the other stuff? It might be worth a try but our Kongs are so small “the bottom” is practically the top. ha, ha.
Jodi says
No, what I do is put the pumpkin in first to block the little hole. I let that freeze for a bit, then add anything else to it and freeze that too. You could actually ‘frost’ the tiny hole from the outside, give it a few minutes to freeze before adding anything really loose in there. But if you’re using pineapple or yogurt just a dusting of pumpkin on the bottom should be fine.
Jessica Rhae says
Gotcha.
Kirby the Dorkie says
Kudos for trying! Many of my recipes first end in the garbage can cos he will sniff and walk away. A dog’s nose knows! You will come up with the perfect recipe soon enough and then share!
Jessica Rhae says
Well, good to know I am not alone. I thought they would eat whatever I made so I was surprised when they didn’t. Now I know I have to try harder 🙂
Roberta says
LOL – when the Beagle Brigade called me years ago about Shiloh, a new young Beagle, they asked if he was food-obsessed. Unlike MOST Beagles (and Gretel), Shiloh is not – he will eat, slowly, but is not food driven. Dang – he would have been a super sleuth dog.
Jessica Rhae says
Oh, Gretel IS food obsessed. That’s the thing. Even a food obsessed dog wouldn’t eat what I made!
Jessica Rhae says
Oh, wait…I read that wrong. Sorry. Most Dachshunds are food obsessed too 🙂
Champ's mom says
Aw, Elsie thinks some of my frozen Kong stuffings are more boring than mud. And that is a girl who will usually eat anything! You’re not alone here!
–Champ’s mom
Jessica Rhae says
Thanks for making me feel better 🙂
Crystal says
I do a really simple mixture of yogurt and canned pumpkin that the dogs like a lot. Or I put a few crunchy cookies in there (I found a kind that fit perfectly inside the Kong size we use that makes it really hard for the dogs to get them out) if I am in a hurry. But my all time favorite stuffing for the Kong or our other stuffable food toys is meat. When I get ground meat for a great deal, I stuff the toys with it raw and freeze them solid. The dogs love it, and I just calculate in the amount of meat they get from the toy when I go to feed them the rest of their meat that day.
Jessica Rhae says
Because they are small they don’t get much food at meals (two a day). Taking some away would result in no dinner 🙁 The yogurt and pumpkin sounds like an option but I am pretty sure the meat-only has nearly the same calories as the peanut butter.
Crystal says
Peanut butter has about 94 calories per tablespoon (which will vary depending on the variety). Ground beef, even the 70% lean, 30% fat, has half that, at least according to the stats I was able to find. Leaner ground beef, or ground chicken or turkey (which are both naturally leaner) has even fewer calories.
Also, I don’t worry about my dogs getting actual meals. They get fed once a day, generally. They often also get food toys of various kinds. If they get food toys, large treats like bully sticks, and lots of training treats all in one day, they don’t get their meal, or only get a small snack. They don’t seem to mind (though I’m sure they would happily eat more!). Since we can go through a full cup or more of chopped treats when training in a single day, many of them high in fat, I would have to choose between training or feeding the dogs’ meals. I think all of us prefer the training!
Jessica Rhae says
Oh, My…Chester and Gretel would most certainly miss their meal! They literally bite and bark us at every day like clockwork no matter how many snackies they get during the day.
I’ll have to look more into calories of meats. I was aiming for 25 to 30 calories per Kong. Our little Kongs can hold 2 tbs of whatever. And, yes, they must be full. Gretel can blast through half of it in the seconds before I head out the door 🙂
Jen says
Wow, what a critic! You can grind your own peanut butter, though I’m unsure of the specific steps to take. Another thing to consider is whipping up one of your lovely homemade stuffings (because really, that does sound great; i know Elka would’ve loved it!) and just plug the opening with a knife ful of peanut butter. It might “trick” her just enough?
Jessica Rhae says
The health food store down the road has a grind-your-own peanut butter machine. Our issue is that peanut butter has too many calories. I am definitely going to try just putting a dab in the bottom, underneath my stuffing, though.
2 brown dawgs says
Gretel sounds like my cat who likes no treats and the only treat she likes is American cheese. I don’t like to give her that so she usually ends up with nothing. 🙂
GizmoGeodog says
I’ve had some flops myself, but I always enjoy the creative part a lot and it sounds like you did too
Dolly the Doxie says
Have you tried reduced fat peanut butter or all natural peanut butter? Dolly has very bad separation anxiety also but not as bad. I can leave her no problem but she is overly excited when I come home. And watch at BlogPaws with my husband & I both there, she won’t let us separate at all!
Jessica Rhae says
I haven’t tried reduced fat but all-natural PB has the same calories. Even the reduced fat I have seen is more calories than I am hoping for. I am shooting for about 25 calories per Kong and “nutritional value” from vitamins and supplements. I might look into reduced fat PB and put a little dab in the bottom though.
KateS says
Wow! You guys are so inspired with your recipes! I have to confess, I just use a good quality grain free canned food in Buster and Willie’s Kongs. They get dry kibble twice a day, so on the days I work I reduce the amount they get for breakfast and then give them the Kongs. I used to freeze the Kongs, but then Willie figured out how to wait til it thawed a little, and then bounce the Kong off the floor until the little frozen nugget of dog food fell out!
Bethany Vinton says
Carter also suffers from bad separation anxiety, but I cant get him to take a kong no matter what when he is alone. Though when I am home and give him a kong I always stuff it with the wet version of his food. This way I know what he is getting is healthy, and plus it doesn’t upset him stomach.
Tifany says
Have you tried PB2, the powdered peanut butter? It’s much lower in fat and calories. You reconstitute it with water and it tastes delicious. Best f both worlds? Havig your cake and eating it too? I’d say give it a try. She will never know its not the real deal.
Jessica Rhae says
Yes. I am experimenting with it right now. The taste is not as strong as real peanut butter. At least Gretel doesn’t like it as much….so I have to use a little more…which may negate calorie savings 🙂
Lauren p. says
I also give both of my dachshunds a kong when I leave for work every day. I noticed the same problem, Cali the mini was gaining weight. I now use only raw green beans for treats. I fill the kong with cut up raw green beans, cut up raw carrots, mixed with yogurt and a small amount of peanut butter for flavor. They both love them but I think my girls will eat anything!