So, part of the stuff you are supposed get a dog used to for Diabetic Alert Dog trainings is Kong feeding.
You feed them about 1/3 of their daily food with a Kong. Mix their dry food with some water or wet food, put it in one of those Kong things with and enticing treat in the open end and freeze it. Then in the morning you are supposed to pull it out of the freezer and give it to them.
Having to work and play with the kong to get their food is supposed to teach them they have to work for everything and don't get anything for nothing. At least while you are doing the new behavior training. That's what the trainer for DA dogs says. After DA dog training I can go back to free feeding. Interesting. Say this lets you use their regular food for treats instead of giving them way too many dog treats.
Thought it might be a bit of a struggle since sometimes Pepper puts off eating her regular food for two or three days. Gave her first kong to her this evening when I usually fill her bowl then sit down and eat my dinner. She usually waits until I am thru eating (I give her my last bite) then finishes off the food in her bowl. With the kong she went right to working on getting her regular food out of the kong and eating it instead of waiting for my last bite. It took her about 30 minutes. She usually gobbples her bowl down in 5.
She walked away from the kong and I thought she was finished. Went to pick it up and she rushed in and grabbed it and went to work getting out the last couple of morsels. When empty she brought it to me. Sometimes she just seems to do everything right. That is when you are supposed to praise them big time!
Filled the kong back up with soggy food and stuck it in the freezer. Will see how it goes in the morning.