With the end of the semester coming up deadlines start hitting hard. I would play with Lilly all day every day if I could, but unfortunately research papers but be written, tests must be studied for, and discussion posts must be typed. Ah, the life of a full time college student. One of the perks (just kidding it's not a perk) of being college students is that we can't afford housing that includes a yard. Apartment balconies don't exactly work well for play time and unfortunately, while our apartment complex does allow "aggressive" breeds, it does NOT allow dogs to be on the balconies. So what do I do when Lilly is jumping into my lap while I'm trying to work on a paper or standing by my side and barking like crazy? I usually get one of her squeaky balls and throw it with my left hand while I finish up my work with my right. She brings the ball back and either drops it into my lap or my hand and I throw it again. It's not ideal but it keeps her tail wagging and keeps my GPA from tanking. If I need both of my hands her Kong comes to the rescue. If you don't know what a Kong is I highly recommend checking them out. A quick Google search or trip to PetCo's website should answer all of your questions. What do I put in her Kong to keep her busy for a little bit? Well...a variety of things.
I've filled her Kong with peanut butter, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, puppy ice cream, chicken, crackers...you get the picture. She might be just a tad spoiled. I recently came across "Better Than" brand pig ear substitute and decided to give them a try. I read some reviews online and most reviews said that one "ear" kept their dog busy for around 30 minutes. 30 minutes? Awesome! I can get quite a bit of work done in 30 minutes. I gave one to Lilly and she finished it off (crumbs and all) in one minute and 29 seconds according to the stopwatch on my iPhone. Holy crap. I figured out that if I cut the "ear" into thirds and place one piece flush with the inside of her Kong it takes her around 10 minutes to finish it off. So one "ear" does end up lasting her 30 minutes, it just takes a little adjusting on my part. She seems to enjoy the taste of them but they aren't her absolute favorite treat.
One treat that she really likes (and is constantly trying to jump onto the kitchen table/counter to get) is "Full Moon" brand Chicken Jerky. The stuff is a little pricey (the bag I bought a few days ago was $8.99 for a 6 oz bag). It is made with 100% human grade ingredients and it is made in here in the States. If I put a piece into her Kong and push it as far down to the bottom as I can it lasts (if I'm lucky) about 10 minutes. I don't put this in her Kong much. Instead, I use it as a bedtime treat when she goes in her crate for the night.
Love, Lilly Bug