Puppy Kong! (Kong Dog Toy)

Member Name: angeelu

Product:	Kong Dog Toy
Date:	06/08/04 (2484 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: More interesting bounce than a ball, Completely pet safe, Very durable and long-lasting

Disadvantages: Bit pricier than similar pet toys (e.g. ball)

Kong Toys are apparantly sold all over the world to entertain canine companions in many countries. There are a variety of Kong's available, but they all take the same basic shape. It's a hard shape to describe, so you're probably better off having a quick look at the picture, but here goes my attempt: Imagine a ball that's been squshed, making it fatter than it is taller. Now get a smaller ball and squash that and stick it on top, then get another smaller ball, squish it and stick that on top again, so you have a kind of rounded pyramid of 3 squashed balls. The Kong has a hole going through it length ways which makes a hollow space inside the toy. This hollow space is wider at the bottom and very narrow at the top.
Kongs are typically red in colour for the standard Kong toy, but other colours are occasionally available, and special edition type Kongs also tend to come in different colours to distinguish them, for example the Puppy Kong I recently purchased is blue and white marbled in colour. Kong toys are made of a very durable natural rubber compound, which is puncture resistant, bouncy, and chewer friendly - it's non-toxic, non-abrasive, non-splintering, and doesn't get sharp when chewed.

BOING!
**********

As you've probably already guessed, the fact they are made of rubber makes them bouncy! However, because of their irregular shape it's not always easy to determine where they are going to bounce to - this can keep your dog entertained if you throw it and it bounces as he won't know where it's going to go next. If your dog plays with it on his own he'll also find it rolling off in different directions, which makes a change from his ball which will roll in the direction he pushes it.

TASTY!
**********

Kong, as well as vets and trainers (apparantly), recommend stuffing the hollow opening of the Kong toy with food or treats. The more you put in, the more difficult
they are to get out, which can keep your pet quiet for a while. Food such as kibble, or small biscuits, or maybe even a treat of cheese can be stuffed inside the Kong and then left for your dog to play with the toy and chew on it until all the food comes out.

CHEWY!
**********

The fact that the Kong is made of rubber, and its unusual hollowed out shape means dogs will also enjoy chewing on them. As Kongs come in a variety of sizes you're bound to find one that will be a decent size for your dog's mouth. Kong make an actual Puppy Kong, though they also make small sized Kongs - either of these are great for puppies who are in to chewing things.

ANGEELU & JACK'S VERDICT
****************************

Jack is our new black labrador puppy. He's eight weeks old, and arrived in our home a few days ago. On his arrival he was introduced to his new toys, one of which is a Puppy Kong. The puppy kong is about 3"-4" tall and a bit wider than a kitchen roll tube. Immediately he liked this toy. At first it was just something fun to chew and nibble on as an alternative to fingers! As he's got more familiar with his surroundings and his confidence has grown he will now play with the Kong on his own - when he pounces on it it moves in different directions, which seems to be good fun for him. He enjoys us playing with him and the Kong too - when you roll it in the garden again it takes an undetermined route as it bounces and rolls over the grass. He's also encountered the Kong full of kibbles, which he's enjoyed trying to get out of the toy and into his belly.

This is one of Jack's more expensive toys, costing £4.99, but the investment seems to be worth it so far. I can imagine as he gets bigger that we will invest in one of the larger Kongs for him to play with. The fact that it's made of high quality rubber means he is extremely unlikely to be able to destroy and eat it, the
refore we can be confident of him playing with it and not risking causing damage to himself.

Kong's can be purchased from most pet shops and the price varies depending on the size of toy you choose. Kong also make similar products for cats, and apparantly birds too, though I can't claim to have ever seen a bird Kong. Kong's are dishwasher safe according to the Kong website, which is useful if they get dirty from being stuffed with food or being played with in the mud. The website also gives recipes for stuffing the Kong toy with, though to be honest, I think I'll stick with occasionally hiding some of Jack's kibble or biscuits in it.

Definitely a great toy that's going to get a lot of use - it'll certainly get its money's worth.
* * * * *

Summary: