I would love to know any ideas you have for keeping my 17 month old lab busy when I go out.  He has a companion - our 5 year old lab - , toys and kongs, but still resorts to chewing our furniture on occasion.  Any good kong recipes or ideas for keeping him occupied would be great.

If I need an extra bit of distraction, I'll pop their Kong's in the freezer for a while before I have to go out-this means it not only lasts them longer but keeps them occupied whilst trying to get out the frozen stuffing! 

Have you tried treat balls or a buster cube.  Cube shaped with holes in that you put biscuits (mine have their usual kibble in it) and they have to turn it over to get the food out.

A tip to stop eating furniture is to cover it in vicks vapor rub.  It works a treat as they cant stand the smell of it.  Olbas oil works just as well.

Claire

Thanks for the suggestions Claire, I have not tried treat balls.  Is there a type which is particularly indestructable - they are the type of dogs to just chew through the ball to get to the treat.  I will give Vicks vapour rub a try.

The buster cubes are good especially the large ones as they cant get their teeth around them as they are cube shaped so these might be a good idea.  Also a boomer ball might be a good idea.  It is just a sold platic ball but I believe is supposed to be indestructible.  Well we have had ours now for two years and it still is going strong.

Claire

Thanks spaniel-lover, freezing them is new to me - I have just started this week.  I have tried banana and chicken soup (separately!) so far.  I got these ideas from a kong site.  What do you put in yours?  Do you have any other good suggestions for fillings?

Try typing -  Kong+recipes - into Google. You will find heaps :-)

i used to put yoghurt with a dash of honey into a kong and freeze it, last for hours :-)

I find the treat balls to be pretty indestructable, having a staffie who has destroyed everything BUT her treat ball :)  u can also get treat balls where u can record ur voice on it which goes off when they move it :)  seen those at pets at home.

I usually put my dogs meal (biscuits) into the treat ball, keeps her busy for hours.

Can i come in here and ask what a KONG is (sorry if i sound daft) but i truly dont know!

kong

hollow rubber dome thingies which you can stuff with food treats. your dog has to work to get the food out.. click on the link to see more 

:-)

i also freeze my gsds kongs, fill it with abit of dried food, pate, cheese spread peanut butter and he absolutly loves it and being frozzen makes it last a long time

Where can you get these things? ie cubes and treat balls?

u can get them from your local pet shop.  Otherwise if u do a search on yahoo or google you will find places on the internet that sell them.

You can get massive kongs that u can put a whole meal in for them :-)

well i don't know about distractions but you van buy a spray from pet shops that tastes fowl that you can spray on the furniture that does not harm them or the furniture, i have to say it has worked with all 3 of my dogs through the puppy stage failing that have you thought about caging him just while your out until he is out of chewing?