Fill their bone, fill their time

stuffable deli items on table
 
 

We often think about ways we can enrich our dog’s environment with activities, sights and sounds. But did you know that enrichment also applies to scent and taste? Even eating can be enriching for your dog! Food can be used to get your dog to interact with their surroundings, challenge their brain, and relieve stress and boredom.

One of the best ways to use food for enrichment is to tap into their instinctual desire to hunt and forage for food. Turn treats and snacks into an enrichment opportunity by using stuffable bones and chews.

Our dogs' favorite recipes



Cooper's Pick of Stuffable Deli Items




How to Get Stuffing

Step 1: Choose Your Bone or Chew

There are many different types of bones and chews with hollow cavities that are perfect for stuffing. These products can be used at various difficulty levels, depending on the dog and contents used for stuffing.

Bone & Chew options:

Step 2: Choose Your Stuffing

There are endless stuffing options for your dog! Changing up the stuffing options will keep your dog excited about training and meal times. Change the texture or presentation of the food by freezing moist or mushy foods. Plain yogurt, cottage cheese, banana and pumpkin can all be frozen to present an extra challenge. Pet safe peanut butter is one of the more popular stuffing options. We recommend choosing a limited ingredient, xylitol free peanut butter, like Green Coast Pet Pawnut Butter.

Stuffing options:

For more of a challenge, use the 4-layer method for stuffing your bone or chew (depending on the size). This method will keep your dog enriched as they make their way through all the tantalizing layers. Below are suggested layers, but be creative and change up the ingredients as you please!

  • Layer One: Peanut butter or another thick “paste”.
  • Layer Two: Your dog’s favorite biscuit or freeze dried treat.
  • Layer Three: Canned food, hydrated raw, meat roll or kibble.
  • Layer Four: An enticing, easy treat to draw your dog into the process. Try a bully stick, hot dog or salmon stick.

Pre-stuffed bones come filled with natural flavors that will entice even the pickiest eaters: peanut butter or cheese/bacon.

Step 3: Eating & Enrichment

Feeding your dog part of their meal out of a chew or bone, gives you the opportunity to run them through some tricks or training behaviors. You can also hide the chew somewhere in your house for a game of hide-n-seek. Hiding the stuffed chew encourages your dog to use their natural hunting and foraging instincts. They still get their full dinner, but over a longer period of time, learning and problem solving while they’re doing it. It also gives you and your pup valuable bonding time.

Cats Too

Enrich your cat’s snack times too. Salmon skin, steer sticks and tendons are small and easy to chew. To make them even more enticing, coat or stuff your cat’s favorite chew with their preferred wet or dry food!

Pets should be monitored and supervised when enjoying a stuffed bone or chew.