A frozen Kong (or any hollow rubber food toy) turns a meal into 20 to 40 minutes of licking and chewing, which is one of the most calming things a dog can do. Below are 12 recipes, from easy to hard, built mostly from your dog's normal food so they don't add extra calories.
New to stuffed toys? Start with our frozen food enrichment guide, which covers choosing a toy size and getting a beginner hooked.
How to stuff a Kong in three layers
- Plug the small hole with a dab of something sticky, like mashed banana or plain wet food, so the filling can't leak out.
- Fill the middle with soaked kibble mixed with a little wet food. Soaked kibble is the base of nearly every recipe here: cover dry food with warm water for 10 to 15 minutes until soft.
- Cap the top with something tasty and easy, so your dog gets an instant reward and keeps going.
- Freeze standing up in a mug for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Easy recipes (for first-timers and puppies)
| Recipe | Middle | Top |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Breakfast layer | Soaked kibble | A few dry kibble pieces pushed in loosely |
| 2. Banana and kibble | Soaked kibble mashed with ripe banana | Banana slice |
| 3. Pumpkin pie | Soaked kibble with plain cooked pumpkin | Spoon of pumpkin |
| 4. Wet food swirl | Half wet food, half soaked kibble | Smear of wet food |
For a first-timer, don't freeze it at all, or only freeze it for an hour. The goal is to make it easy enough that they succeed.
Medium recipes
| Recipe | Middle | Top |
|---|---|---|
| 5. Yoghurt and blueberry | Soaked kibble mixed with plain unsweetened yoghurt | A few blueberries pressed in |
| 6. Chicken and rice | Plain cooked chicken (no bones, no seasoning) with plain rice | Small piece of chicken |
| 7. Sardine surprise | Soaked kibble with a mashed sardine in spring water | Sardine flakes |
| 8. Apple crunch | Soaked kibble with diced apple (no core or seeds) | Apple cube |
Hard recipes (for experienced lickers)
| Recipe | How to make it harder |
|---|---|
| 9. Packed and frozen solid | Press the soaked kibble in tightly, all the way down, and freeze overnight. |
| 10. Broth ice plug | Fill, then stand it in a mug and top up with low-salt, onion-free broth before freezing. |
| 11. Hidden centre | Bury one high-value treat deep in the middle, so the best bit comes last. |
| 12. Two-toy relay | Freeze two different recipes and give the second as soon as the first is finished. |
Portions: keep it part of the daily food
Count everything in the toy as part of your dog's daily food. The simplest way is to use a portion of their normal kibble as the base, and keep extras like banana, yoghurt or sardine to a spoonful. Treats and extras should be a small part of a dog's diet, so if your dog is overweight, ask your vet how much to use.
Foods to avoid in a Kong
- Xylitol (also called birch sugar), found in some peanut butters, yoghurts and sugar-free foods. It is highly toxic to dogs.
- Grapes, raisins and sultanas.
- Onion, garlic and chives, including in stock and gravy.
- Chocolate, coffee and macadamia nuts.
- Cooked bones, which can splinter.
- Fatty foods like ham or sausage, which can upset tummies.
Sources and further reading
Nikola lives with Henry, a Hungarian Vizsla, and wrote his weekly enrichment plan by hand for months before turning it into this app. Not a vet or a qualified behaviourist: the guides draw on everyday experience with a high-drive gundog and on published guidance from animal welfare organisations, which is linked where it is used.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a frozen Kong last?+
Anything from 10 minutes for a beginner to 40 or more for an experienced dog with a tightly packed, fully frozen toy. If it's finished in two minutes, pack it tighter or freeze it longer.
Can I use peanut butter in a Kong?+
Yes, in small amounts, if the label shows no xylitol (sometimes called birch sugar). It is high in fat, so use a thin layer rather than filling the toy with it.
Is a frozen Kong good for puppies?+
Yes. Use a puppy-sized toy and an easy, soft recipe made from their normal food. See our puppy enrichment guide.
Can I give my dog a Kong every day?+
Yes, as long as the filling comes out of their daily food. Many owners feed one meal a day this way.
