Jerica
02-17-2007, 09:30 PM
I've been trying to come up with ways of keeping my dogs entertained since while I'm at college they have to live in an outdoor kennel (have to board them in this kennel that is a little ways from the college cause I live in the dorms). Anyway, the things I've been doing since I first came to college with my dogs are of course walking them everyday and giving them lots of petting and trying to play with them if they want (every once in awhile they like tug o war, but normally don't play a lot, Willow will catch sometimes). Since I came here I've also given them knuclebones every once in a while cause they love them and I work on training them obedience and tricks almost every day, I at least make them sit and wait for their food. I recently decided to buy them each a kong, I don't know why I never bought them before. But I did just find a great place to buy kongs pretty cheap, for 2 medium sized red kongs its only $13.93 with shipping, so thats a pretty great deal, I've just got to get the money in my paypal account. (ordering from Vet America) Anyway, I also scatter food around the kennel every once in awhile and they get to sniff all around to find the little pieces, with the hay on the floor around the kennel they actually have to search and sniff the food out. I do this before I leave so they can work on it when I'm gone.
I try to spend at least an hour with them everyday, somedays its 2 hours it just varies. Occasionally when weather is good I can spend hours and hours with them. We go on a long walk past this cemetary (probably a mile walk or so) and I let them go in a field and run around till they tire out and they come back to me ready to go. This hasn't been happening this during the winter since its too cold and wet, but when its really nice we do this. With the kongs I'm getting I'm hoping to use some of the peanut butter we have (my friend just got a bunch given to her lol) and put that in the kongs sometimes along with maybe some kibble. I might try some other things too. I'd also like to try the "kong on the rope" I've read about. Apparently someone came up with the idea to tie a rope through the middle of a kong, the knot on the small end pointing to the ground and the other end of the rope will be tied to the kennel roof (its only like a 4 ft ceiling) and then in the kong I'll put kibble or treat pieces, I guess its supposed to work like when they grab it or whatever some kibble falls out for them and they keep doing this until the kibble runs out. I hope this works. I've read some recipes for kongs too. I think buying these kongs will be a great investment, just wish I would have bought them sooner.
I am trying to figure out what I can do about their greediness though. They are both big pigs and steal each others food, mostly Shiloh stealing Willow's, he's really bad about it so I have to sometimes watch them when I feed them. So I need to figure out how its going to work with the kongs, cause I don't want them to fight, if Shiloh finishes emptying his kong before Willow, then he'll try to steal hers and I don't want them to get in a big fight when I'm not there, they never really hurt each other, but I still worry. Also trying to think of other ideas for enrichment, so besides the things I'm already doing any suggestions on how I can give them any more enrichment? Kongs are only entertaining as long as there is food in it.
I try to spend at least an hour with them everyday, somedays its 2 hours it just varies. Occasionally when weather is good I can spend hours and hours with them. We go on a long walk past this cemetary (probably a mile walk or so) and I let them go in a field and run around till they tire out and they come back to me ready to go. This hasn't been happening this during the winter since its too cold and wet, but when its really nice we do this. With the kongs I'm getting I'm hoping to use some of the peanut butter we have (my friend just got a bunch given to her lol) and put that in the kongs sometimes along with maybe some kibble. I might try some other things too. I'd also like to try the "kong on the rope" I've read about. Apparently someone came up with the idea to tie a rope through the middle of a kong, the knot on the small end pointing to the ground and the other end of the rope will be tied to the kennel roof (its only like a 4 ft ceiling) and then in the kong I'll put kibble or treat pieces, I guess its supposed to work like when they grab it or whatever some kibble falls out for them and they keep doing this until the kibble runs out. I hope this works. I've read some recipes for kongs too. I think buying these kongs will be a great investment, just wish I would have bought them sooner.
I am trying to figure out what I can do about their greediness though. They are both big pigs and steal each others food, mostly Shiloh stealing Willow's, he's really bad about it so I have to sometimes watch them when I feed them. So I need to figure out how its going to work with the kongs, cause I don't want them to fight, if Shiloh finishes emptying his kong before Willow, then he'll try to steal hers and I don't want them to get in a big fight when I'm not there, they never really hurt each other, but I still worry. Also trying to think of other ideas for enrichment, so besides the things I'm already doing any suggestions on how I can give them any more enrichment? Kongs are only entertaining as long as there is food in it.