What is it?
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The Air Kong is a dog toy which is made of two adjoining parts, the main part being made from yellow tennis material but instead of a ball it is a long cylindrical shape like a sausage. Then attached to this is a rope weaved in yellow and blue. The Air Kong we have is the large version which is approx 28 cm long and 6cm wide, there are smaller versions available so you should find one appropriate for your dog size. Here I will be reviewing the large version. My husband was really keen to buy this for our puppy, at first I was not quite so keen, the toy to me looked like a giant tampon! However it is one of the best toys we have bought for our puppy and one that he won't outgrow.


What are Kong Toys?
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Kong toys are made by The Kong Company an American firm specialising in tough durable toys for pets. Although now making a wide variety of pet toys the original Kong came about after a German Shepherd owner trying in desperation to stop his dog from chewing stones through down parts of the Volkswagen Van he was working on. Finally part of the suspension attracted the dog away and gave the idea of making a toy in this shape. The owner Joe Markham worked on the design and made it of a really strong rubber to satisfy even the strongest of chewers. These Kong's have erratic bounces making them fun for the dog to try to catch and also can be stuffed with treats for the dog to try to get out. The company has now branched into making tennis ball type toys as well as the traditional rubber chews.

What does the Air Kong cost?
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Prices vary from shop to shop but for the large Air Kong the RRP is £3.99 but I have seen it for sale up to £5.99. Obviously it is better to be able to get it for as cheaply as possible however I do believe even for £5.99 it is worth it.

Where can you buy it?
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Large pet stores such as Pets at Home stock a wide selection of Kong toys, but you should also be able to find them at many smaller local pet stores too.

How do dogs play with it?
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The toy is very versatile. It can be used as a retrieval toy. If like me you can never throw balls very far you will find this really easy to throw as you can use the rope to get a good swing before you let go and it will fly. The dog will find it easy to pick up either from the tennis ball end or the rope end (it has a knot to make it easier to pick up).

It can also be used as a tug-of-war toy with you holding either the rope end or the tennis-ball end. You should however be careful if you have a young puppy as you should not pull against them as it can damage the alignment of their jaws.

It can be used simply as a chew toy, the dog will enjoy chewing it and the rope and Kong ends give them different textures.

Finally it can be used as a water toy as it floats.


What does my puppy think of it?
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Well quite simply he loves it. He is currently just under 4 months and has been playing with it from about 10 weeks. He loves picking it up in his mouth and shaking it really hard. He will run and get it if you throw it and will bring it back to you but won't let you have it! He enjoys chewing it and walking around with it in his mouth. It is one of his favourite toys to play with in the garden or to chew when he is in the house. It's fairly tough and durable, after several weeks of tough puppy chewing its still looking pretty good.

What kind of dogs will like it?
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I think most dogs will enjoy this toy except very small dogs who would find it a little too heavy and cumbersome. However you can solve this by buying the really small one. Dogs that enjoy fetch games or running around the garden with a toy will find this fun to play with.

Any disadvantages?
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Yes it hurts when it hits you! I found this out the hard way when before we got our puppy my husband and I were having a look at the toys we had bought ready for him. We decided to play with the air Kong ourselves and I stood in the bedroom and my husband was in the hall and we were throwing and catching the Kong. I missed it and it hit my thigh and it really hurt, by the time evening came I had a bruise! It also hurts when the puppy is shaking it in his teeth and it hits your legs. So if you bruise easily maybe its not a good toy to buy for your dog!

Any advantages?
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Loads, it's a great toy for a reasonable price. Its tough, versatile, dogs love it, its bright yellow so it's easy to see if you throw it into long grass. It floats so you can play with it in the water. I wish I could have put the photos on this review as when you see the air Kong in action with my dog you see how much dogs can enjoy it.



Summary
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If your dog likes chewing, fetching, chasing or shaking then this is the toy for him/her. If you want a toy that gives both you and your dog a lot of fun I would definitely recommend the Air Kong.