Kong Recipe

Interactive food dispensing toys such as a Kong and various puzzle games can be filled with tasty treats and tempting ingredients to provide mental stimulation and carry out natural behaviour such as chewing, licking, and a desire to seek and find.

When choosing an interactive toy make sure it is of an appropriate size for your dog and if you have a very powerful chewer, that the product is robust enough to withstand the forces that are going to be put upon it. The design of a Kong is ideal for filling with ingredients as it is very strong, easily cleaned, freezer friendly, comes in a variety of sizes, and crucially has a hole at both ends.

To add further interest, layer the ingredients used and experiment with different textures from crunchy fish skin cubes to soft blueberries. You can also hide the food dispenser in the garden to encourage your dog to follow the scent and claim their prize. As dogs are natural scavengers this adds to the overall enrichment experience.

If your dog needs to shed a few pounds, then taking some of their daily food ration and placing it into the Kong maybe with a few fresh steamed vegetables can keep them occupied for longer and give them a bit of a workout at the same time.

Added to raw, kibble, or cooked meat you could include ingredients such as pumpkin, sweet potato, pear, banana, natural goats’ yogurt, bone broth, pumpkin seeds, papaya, quinoa, or some of their favorite healthy treats.

Consider some of the following ingredients and add them in layers for a taste sensation.

Grated courgette and carrot,

Complete raw meal (meat, bone & offal) or cooked boneless meat of choice.

Squashed blueberries, raspberries or blackberries

Pizzle or tripe stick.

How to:

Stir the courgette, and carrot, into the raw meat and then spoon into the Kong until 2/3rds full. Insert the pizzle stick then pack the remaining wet ingredients around it. It can be served fresh or frozen.

 For a Fishy treat try:

Sprats (dried or fresh)

Small tin of drained pilchards in spring water

Half a teaspoon of Coconut oil

Tablespoon of Soaked chia seeds.

Blackberries or Blueberries

Cooked Green Beans

How to:

Chop up the ingredients and stir to incorporate. Squish the ingredients into your Kong and add a few whole sprats so they are poking out of the end for added interest.

This can be placed in the freezer for 1-2 hours for long-lasting enrichment.

Caroline Hearn

www.hedgerowhounds.co.uk

Liver Brownie Training Treats

These irresistible liver treats are very high value but be mindful that they are moorish and rich so too many will can loose stools.

Delicious, tempting liver brownies will make even the cheekiest hound pay attention!

For the Liver Brownie recipe you will need:

Raw liver 250g (lamb, chicken or beef)

Flour 200g (buckwheat , spelt or flour of choice)

Free range beaten eggs x 3 medium

Oatmeal or gluten free porridge oats 100g

Softened coconut oil x 1 teaspoon

Baking tray 10 inch

Baking parchment

Food processor

Mixing bowl

Sealed container or freezer bags

Preheat the oven 180c/ fan 160c or gas 4

Line a 10 inch baking tray with very lightly oiled baking parchment. In the food processor add the liver, eggs, coconut oil and pulse until it forms a smooth pate consistency.

Either add the flour and oats into the processor or if you prefer tip out the wet ingredients into a bowl and then fold in the flour and oats with a spoon. If you feel the mixture is a little too dry then a splash of warm water will loosen it slightly.

Pour the ingredients into the prepared tin, level off with a palate knife or the back of a large spoon. Place on the middle shelf of a preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and while still in the tray, leave on a wire rack to cool.

Cut to the required size to suit your dog and if using as training treats then squares are best. You can then break off tiny amounts to use as a reward, they have a strong taste and aroma, so a little goes a long way!

Keep the brownies in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week. They can be frozen in bags so you just take out what you need for that day and they defrost quickly.

Head Chef ~ Hedgerow Hounds

Fresh Breath Treats

Mint, parsley & fennel are a great choice for this fresh breath treat recipe.

This recipe uses fresh herbs, which hopefully you`ll have growing in the garden. Dried herbs can also be used to replace one or all of the ingredients.

250g Buckwheat or Spelt Flour

Half a dessert spoon of softened coconut oil

If using fresh herbs, they need to be finely chopped before adding to the flour.

Parsley - fresh or dried, approximately 1 dessert spoon

Mint -    fresh or dried, approximately 1 dessert spoon

Fennel - fresh or dried, approx. 1 dessert spoon

1 medium free-range egg- beaten

Half a small, grated apple

An optional quarter teaspoon of fennel seeds

50ml water

Baking tray

Rolling pin

A cookie cutter that is appropriate to your dog’s size.

Baking parchment to line the tray

 How to:

Pre-heat your oven to 180c/ Fan 160c or Gas 4

Place the flour, seeds (if using), and finely chopped herbs into a large bowl and stir together. Add the softened coconut oil, beaten egg, and grated apple, and stir while slowly adding the water until the mixture forms a dough. Add a little more water if necessary. Knead for 2 minutes, then place the dough on a lightly floured surface.

Roll out to an even thickness, around a quarter of an inch thick. Then cut out with your chosen shaped cutter and put onto a baking tray, which is lined with baking parchment.

Place onto the middle shelf of a preheated oven and bake for around 20 minutes or until lightly golden. Lift out of the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.

The treats must be completely cold before storing in an airtight container, or they will go mouldy. Use within 2 weeks, or alternatively, freeze and take out what you need each day. Frozen treats will need to be used within 4 months.

 Caroline Hearn - Hedgerow Hounds