[snailrat]

I've seen mixed advice on this. I was originally planning to feed my puppy 3 times a day from her bowl, but then I read something that suggested using Kongs and other similar toys to stuff food into so the dog has something to do and satisfies their "hunting and gathering" instinct, as well as giving them something productive to do which discourages other problem behaviors. Which one have you guys done and which would you recommend?

 

[Lillith]

Are you talking a bitty baby puppy or an older puppy, like 6+ months? For baby puppy I would probably feed mostly from the bowl because they often lack the concentration it takes to work at a food toy for a while. For baby puppies, if you need to give them a treat while you leave or to occupy them for a bit, smearing a bit of peanut butter inside a Kong is a good choice.

For an older puppy, you can get a bit more creative. My dog got his breakfast from food toys like Wobblers, Buster Cubes, and other food toys since he was about 6 or 7 months old, and still eats from them today. He gets his supper in a bowl, though because he has to take some supplements and medication. I stuff a Kong with a bit of hot dog, some wet dog food, and then some peanut butter, freeze it, and then give that to him when I leave for work.

 

[gingerkid]

Baby puppies get fed either out of a bowl (in their crate) or from hand by using their kibble for training. It was often a mix of both for one meal - a handful of kibbles for training, and then the rest in a bowl or scattered on the ground where it was easily reachable.

I feed my adults mainly out of food toys.