Dog toys serve more than just entertainment for our furry friends—they can also be used to provide mental stimulation, encourage problem-solving abilities while offering a tasty reward. Here at Clever Canine Co. we recommended that ALL your dog's meals are fed via enrichment toys such as Kongs, Toppls, go-slow bowls, lick mats, snuffle mats, puzzle feeders or even just scatter feeding. The simple change from your basic dog bowl to a go-slow bowl can have amazing benefits for your dog's behaviour and increase their drive to work for food.
You have the option to incorporate your dog's daily food portion into these items, but occasionally, you might want to add a playful twist by using alternatives such as human foods. When stuffing their toys with various human foods, it is important that you opt for all-natural, unsalted, no added sugars or artificial sweeteners versions.
Remember that xylitol (also known as birch sugar) is toxic to dogs.
Always ensure any ingredients from the pantry are safe for dogs to consume.
Here are some safe ingredients that you can try!
Peanut Butter
Greek Yogurt (Not "Greek Flavoured Yogurt")
Boiled/Steamed Pumpkin/Sweet Potato
Zucchini
Banana
Blueberries
Broth
Sardines
Don't forget that you can use various dog foods (wet, dry and raw) to fill these toys, not just human foods. If you feed mostly dry food, then soak it in water or bone broth for a few minutes before stuffing.
As your dog becomes proficient in solving food-based challenges, you can introduce the additional element of freezing the toys. The hamburger bowl above goes into the freezer at my house and provides entertainment for an entire hour!
Purchase products here!
Zippy Paws Hamburger Bowl: https://www.clevercanineco.com.au/product-page/zippy-paw-humburger-bowl
Zippy Paws Donut Bowl: https://www.clevercanineco.com.au/product-page/zippy-paws-donut-bowl
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