Tag Archives: kong

09/19/12

Separation Anxiety According to Dunbar

This post is part of the series in response to Dunbar’s 2012 Australian seminars. See index.

Photo © Ruthless Photos.

To me, Dunbar’s approach to separation anxiety was a little simplistic, but I think this is because Dunbar believes most separation anxiety is actually “separation fun”.  When dogs are left alone, they often find things that they enjoy doing.  Or, if they are used to owners coming home and punishing them, dogs may also have anxiety regarding the reuniting with the owner, and not so much the separation itself.

Regardless, Dunbar believes separation anxiety can be fixed.  His tool is, unsurprisingly, a Kong.  He suggests getting a dog into a Kong routine, where Kongs are associated with good things (not the owner leaving!).  The basic principle is to start a dog in a crate next to you with a Kong, and gradually move the crate further away from you, further away from the room you’re in, and slowly increase distance – all the while the dog having a Kong to enjoy.

For normal dogs, it’s okay to give a Kong as you leave the house.  Upon return, Dunbar suggests you encourage play with the Kong.  The idea that your dog, upon anticipation of your return, may pick up the Kong instead of choosing more destructive avenues for their enthusiasm! (This is one of the best bits of advice I got from Dunbar over the weekend.)

ThatMutt posted on owner-causes of Separation Anxiety and, if Dunbar’s approach seems workable to you, then you may enjoy the strategies put forward in their post.

03/27/12

Praise Kongs!

This post is part of the series in response to Dunbar’s 2012 Australian seminars. See index.

You didn’t have to be at Ian Dunbar’s seminar long to understand that Dunbar had a pretty big crush on Kong toys!  To me, I think he was a bit biased – I think there’s a bunch of other chew toys highly appropriate for a similar purpose.  But Dunbar mostly focused his attention on Kongs.

He suggested that every household, especially puppy households, should have Kongs, and advised that the largest dog in the household should determine the size of the Kong.

Brittany chewing a toy.

Photo © Ruthless Photos.

Why use Kongs?

Dogs who eat Kongs will automatically perform a bunch of desirable behaviours (and cease to display undesirable behaviours) by being given a Kong that serves as a distraction of sorts.

When dogs are eating from a Kong, they can’t be barking, they’re normally laying down, and the motion of eating decreases their stress.  Eating from a food toy increases a dog’s confidence in being alone.  Basically, they reduce behaviour problems by training your dog to create ‘good habits’.

Dunbar also argues that Kongs increase food drive, and encourage the dog to only chew ‘food wielding items’ (summed up in, “Why would I chew the furniture? It doesn’t have food in it.”). Continue reading →