Puppies & Training

Training With Frozen Toys: 5 Clever Ways to Use a Freezbone

Settle on a mat, crate time, drop it, leave it and recall: make a frozen toy your best reward.

By Updated 5 min read
Training With Frozen Toys: 5 Clever Ways to Use a Freezbone

Good training comes down to one simple thing: a reward only works if your dog actually wants it. A frozen, filled Freezbone is about as high-value as rewards get, which makes it one of the most useful bits of kit you can own, whether you are teaching a settle in the kitchen, getting a puppy used to the crate or practising recall in the garden.

Here are five ways to put a frozen toy to work in your dog's training, plus a word on taking one along to puppy class.

Use a frozen Freezbone as your jackpot reward. Pair it with a mat to teach a settle, put it in the crate so the crate becomes a den, trade it for whatever is in your dog's mouth to teach "drop it", use it as the temptation for "leave it", and make it the end-of-session prize for recall and play.

1. How do I teach my dog to settle on a mat?

A settle means lying down calmly and staying put while life carries on around them. It earns its keep everywhere, from the kitchen at teatime to the vet's waiting room. A frozen toy is the perfect partner, because it rewards calm for minutes at a time instead of seconds.

  1. Put a mat or folded blanket down somewhere quiet.
  2. Hold the toy up and wait for a moment of eye contact. Say "yes" the instant you get it. This builds focus: your dog learns that looking at you is what makes good things happen.
  3. Lure or wait for your dog to step onto the mat and lie down, then place the frozen toy between their paws.
  4. Sit nearby and be boring. When the food is finished, pick the toy up calmly.
  5. Over a few weeks, move the mat to busier rooms, then try it away from home.
“She love it as this is the only time she sits still.”
Sian M., verified buyer

2. How can a frozen toy help with crate training?

A crate should feel like a den, never a punishment. A filled Freezbone at the back of the crate gives your dog a reason to walk in on their own, and a long, satisfying job once they are there.

  • Start with the door open. Let your dog wander in, lick and wander out as they please.
  • Once they are relaxed, close the door for a few minutes while they work on the toy, and open it again before they finish.
  • Build up gradually. You are aiming for a dog who chooses the crate.

Over time your dog links the crate with comfort and reward, which makes calm crate time far easier for everyone.

“Crate time is fun time with Freezbone products. The blue one hold 1 cup of food so I can feed a meal in the crate.”
Marie M., verified buyer

3. How do I teach "drop it" with a Freezbone?

"Drop it" is one of the most useful things any dog can learn, especially the dog who hoovers up everything on the pavement. The secret is a swap your dog thinks is worth making.

Play a gentle game of tug or fetch with an empty Freezbone. When it is in your dog's mouth, say "drop it" once and offer a little frozen fill from a second toy. The moment the toy hits the floor, they get the reward. Then hand the toy back and carry on playing, so letting go never means the fun is over. The smell and taste of the fill make letting go an easy decision, and every swap strengthens the cue.

Freezbone tip

Freeze a few small portions in a spare toy so you always have something to trade. Play tug with an empty toy only, and give it a once-over for nicks when the game ends.

4. How do I teach "leave it"?

"Leave it" keeps dogs away from dropped chicken bones, conkers and anything else they should not eat, and it teaches self-control. A Freezbone makes a tidy temptation you can control.

Start easy

  • Put a Freezbone on the floor, with your foot ready to cover it
  • Say "leave it" once
  • The moment your dog looks away or back at you, reward them from a separate toy

Make it harder

  • Move the toy closer to your dog
  • Make it more tempting with a smellier fill
  • Practise in new rooms, then in the garden
  • Keep sessions short and end on a success

Autumn walks are the real test. Our guide to conkers, acorns and other autumn hazards explains why "leave it" matters so much this time of year.

5. Can I use a frozen toy as a recall reward?

Recall is the one most owners worry about, especially with sheep, squirrels or another dog in view. A frozen toy is not something you hand out halfway across a field, but it makes a brilliant jackpot for practice at home and in the garden.

  • Practise short recalls in the garden or a quiet room. Each good one earns a quick treat.
  • Finish the session with the best reward of all: call your dog in from the garden to a frozen Freezbone waiting on their mat.
  • Do the same with play. Ask for "sit", "wait" or "down" before you throw an empty Freezbone, and let the throw be the reward.

Folding commands into games makes learning feel like fun rather than a chore, and it gives your dog the mental workout they need.

The best reward is the one your dog will come running for.

Should I take a frozen toy to puppy class?

Puppy classes are busy, noisy places, and plenty of pups find it hard to switch off between exercises. Ask your trainer first, as some classes prefer no food toys on the floor. Where it is allowed, a small frozen toy on a mat can help a puppy rest while others take their turn. If not, save it for when you get home: a frozen toy after class helps a tired, overexcited puppy wind down.

New to all this? Our guide for first-time dog dads covers the basics, from the kit list to socialising.

Making the training stick

A Freezbone is more than a treat. Used well, it builds communication and trust between you and your dog, at every stage of training. Keep sessions short, end on a win, and let the frozen toy be the reward your dog remembers. For fill ideas, browse our Freezbone recipe videos.

Frequently asked questions

  • Yes. A frozen, filled Freezbone is a high-value reward. Use small bits of fill for quick swaps and the whole toy as a jackpot at the end of a session, such as after a good settle or recall practice.

  • Put a mat down somewhere quiet, reward eye contact, then place a frozen toy between your dog's paws once they lie on the mat. Stay calm and boring nearby, and gradually practise in busier places.

  • Yes, it is a good way to make the crate a happy place. Choose the right size for your dog, start with the door open, and take the toy away once it is empty.

  • Ask your trainer first, as some classes prefer no food toys on the floor. If it is allowed, a small frozen toy on a mat can help your puppy rest between exercises. Otherwise, give it at home afterwards to help them wind down.

  • Soaked kibble, plain yoghurt, mashed banana or xylitol-free peanut butter all work. Avoid chocolate, grapes, raisins, onion, garlic and anything with xylitol. Our recipe videos have plenty more ideas.

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Written by Freezbone Team

We design freezable, refillable chew toys and test every fill and routine on our own dogs before we write about it. Freezbone LTD ships across the UK.

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