When I first got my dogs, I bought them the original red Kongs assuming that would be sufficient, sadly they were both completely destroyed within a matter of months and I needed to find a tougher solution!

The Kong Extreme is a tougher, hardier version of the original Kong designed for bigger dogs, dogs with more powerful jaws and dogs who are just really really determined chewers! The basic concept is the same, its a rubber hollow toy that you can fill with food and that provides a fun challenge for the dog trying to get the food out as the kong bounces irregularly and they try to get to the nooks and crannies.

The Extreme is much much tougher than the original red. Its quite a bit bigger but not huge, and the rubber feels completely different, more like a tyre than a dog toy! Mine have had theirs for nearly a year now and despite their best efforts they haven't managed to destroy them, in fact they're nearly as good as new still.

Kongs are great for if you have to leave your dogs on their own at all, as they love them so much they'll be completely distracted by trying to get the stuffing out, or chasing them around the room as they bounce about unpredictably like 'prey' that the dog will hardly notice you're gone. I regularly come home to be greeted by two dogs with their kongs firmly in their mouths who have no intention of letting them go just to say hello to me!

The Kong Extreme is a little bit more expensive than the ordinary one, but I think its well worth the extra outlay as it will last much longer and be practically indestructible. Get used to hearing the 'thud' of a dropped King as a constant background sound to your life though, and be careful of leaving them behind doors, they can get 'wedged' and trap you in the bathroom (or maybe that's only happened to me...)