King Kong! (Kong Xtreme)

Member Name: FourPaws

Product:	Kong Xtreme
Date:	22/10/08 (297 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Extremely strong, withstands powerful chewing, can be filled with food, easy to clean, long lasting

Disadvantages: None

*What is the Xtreme Kong?*
This toy, produced by the world famous Kong company, owned by the Company of Animals is part of the legendary Kong range of strong and durable rubber toys for dogs and puppies with various other versions available for cats, small animals and birds too.

*The product itself*
If you own a dog, then you are more than likely to be familiar with the Kong toy, perhaps the greatest invention in the canine world! They are quite strange looking things, and pretty hard to describe, kind of like three rings on top on each other gradually getting smaller, with a hollow centre, a large opening at one end and a smaller one at the other. They are designed to provide entertainment and relieve boredom and frustration in dogs, and can help prevent destructive behaviour when dogs are left home alone. There is the normal red version designed for dogs with average jaw strength and then this black version, made from even tougher natural rubber for dogs with extremely powerful jaws or ones who normally chew toys to bits in a matter of minutes. Both toys have the same basic principle though, they are designed to be stuffed with food or treats, and the dog must work for his food, figuring out a way to get the food out through the larger hole in the Kong, this provides mental stimulation as the dog must use his mind, physical exercise as the dog rolls the Kong around trying to release the food and lastly, provides a workout for the jaws, helping to strengthen the muscles as the dog chews the toy.

Mental stimulation can wear the dog out twice as fast as physical exercise, the dog needs to use his mind which is why the Xtreme Kong is very successful in preventing destructive behaviour in dogs home alone or kennelled ones, the dog can take his frustration out chewing the toy and the strong natural rubber of the Xtreme Kong can withstand chewing from even the strongest of dogs. It makes an excellent fetch toy too, the Kong has an erratic bounce which sharpens the dogs' reflexes as he needs to change the direction of his running when the toy hits the ground and bounces.

Although extremely strong, the rubber is still soft enough not to damage dogs' teeth when they chew on it. It has a very flexible texture which means when the dogs chews their teeth will sink into the rubber without puncturing it and then bounce back into its correct shape. Although not a specific dental toy, the chewing action involved with the Kong toy will also help keep teeth clean and strong.

*Packaging*
The Xtreme Kong comes attached to a piece of white cardboard which tells us a bit about the product, a contact address for the Kong company and details stating the size and intended use of the toy. A small leaflet is also included which tells us everything there is to know about the Kong, all safety information, a guide explaining what size is needed for different breeds of dogs and a little about how the toy can be beneficial to your dogs health. All packaging can be recycled but I recommend keeping the leaflet as it contains lots of useful information that you may need in future.

*Price & Availability*
Kong toys are extremely popular and you should be able to find them in most pet shops and online stores. There are three different sizes available, but they tend to go on jaw strength rather than the size of the actual dog. For example, a smaller dog with extremely strong and powerful jaws such as a Staffordshire Bull Terrier will need a larger sized Kong than larger dogs with less powerful jaws, such as a Greyhound or Retriever. I purchased my Xtreme Kong- the extra large size for £11.49 from Pets At Home. A large version is also available for £7.49 and a 'giant' size for £13.49.

*My opinion*
In my house, I (well, not me personally) tend to go through dog toys very quickly, each one I buy is usually chewed or ripped to pieces within minutes of giving them to the dogs and as anybody else in a similar position to mine will know, this can be very disheartening, not to mention extremely expensive to keep buying toys for them to be destroyed just minutes later! I am constantly on the look out for toys that I think will go the distance, or even last a bit longer than a few minutes and when I saw this Xtreme Kong, I brought one without a second thought.

Grace and Benson have had the regular red Kongs before, they've lasted a little while but within a few days they go the same way as all the other toys. This Xtreme Kong though, is advertised as being 'The Worlds Strongest Dog Toy' and that's exactly what I needed! When I got the toy home both dogs were keen to try out their new present, they spent a good ten minutes each having a chew, and chucking it around the place and actually looked quite disappointed when they realised that no matter how much they chewed it, they wouldn't be able to kill it. They didn't give up though and kept going back to it over the next few days, having another chew but still the Xtreme Kong refused to give in, and I was very happy that I might have just found something to keep my two entertained without being chewed to bits. It states on the packaging that you shouldn't leave your dog un-supervised with the Kong until you are confident it can withstand their chewing, my dogs are very rarely left home alone as they come to work with me during the day and then either me or my finance will be at home with them evening and weekends, so they are only really left when we both go out shopping or meeting friends, so by the time they were next going to be left alone I was positive that the Kong could stand up to them. They both enjoy chewing the toy as it is but as an extra something to keep them amused whilst they were alone I decided to fill the Kong with a portion of their regular kibble, then fill with gravy and pop in the freezer until frozen before giving it to them, so they had to really chew at the Kong and use their minds to figure out how to get the food out, which kept them both happy for quite a while (thankfully my two don't fight, but bare in mind that some dogs aren't willing to share food, so if you have two dogs who can sometimes fight or get possessive over toys or food, I'd suggest getting two Kongs and putting the dogs in separate rooms whilst you are away). You can use your imagination when filling Kongs- use whatever things your dogs like. But some ideas which are popular with my two include:

- Chop up bite sized chunks of apple, banana, melon and strawberries, add a few doggie chocolate drops and then mix with natural yoghurt before filling the Kong, this can then be frozen or given how it is.

- Mix chopped raw carrots with cooked peas, broccoli and pasta and then fill the Kong with gravy, place upside down in a cup to keep upright (with a small biscuit blocking the small hole) and freeze before giving to your dog.

- Canned tuna (in sunflower oil or spring water, not brine) and sardines in tomato sauce mixed with cooked brown rice. A bit smelly so perhaps one for outside feeding!

- Broken dog biscuits with a small dollop of canine tooth paste. Very good for the teeth as when the dog crunches the biscuits, the toothpaste will coat the teeth.

- Cornflakes soaked in goats' milk (not cows) then spooned into the Kong and frozen. Then take out and smear a thin covering of smooth peanut butter around the opening of the Kong before giving to your dog.

- Slices of cooked chicken breast mixed with stock then frozen. Sometimes I add veggies or rice and pasta too.

- Spread a little bit of salmon oil (available from pet shops) or cod liver oil on sliced toast, and fill the Kong before wedging a slice on squashed up brown bread in the opening.

- Boil some fresh cod, block the small hole of the Kong which a piece of raw carrot, then fill the Kong with the cod and then spoon in a few spoonfuls of the water you have boiled the fish in, then freeze.

- Soak a slice of bread in stock or chicken soup, then bake at a low tempature in the oven until very crispy and crunchy, then cut up and mix with canned dog food before filling.

- Fry minced beef in a little olive oil and then mix with grated cheese whilst still hot. Wait until the mince has cooled before giving to your dog.

- Spinkle an oxo cube over warm mashed potato before filling and then block the large hole with a small boiled new potato. Be careful not to use this filling too much though as oxo cubes are very salty.

- Mix a whole raw egg with your dogs regular kibble, crush the shell finely (this is very good for dogs) and then add a very tiny amount of garlic- a little bit is benefical to health, too much is poisonous.

Use whatever your dog likes basically, just remember to reduce your dogs main meal food intake to prevent them becoming overweight and to wash the Kong thoroughly in warm water and washing up liquid and leave to air dry after each use.

Overall, I'm extremely impressed with the Xtreme Kong. The dogs use it as a general toy every day and each time they are left alone- two to three times a week- I fill it with food for them and they get great pleasure figuring out how to get it out, they never have been dogs to be destructive when left alone but it defiantly will help prevent any problems that may arise in the future. Its certainly money well spent too as after 3 months or so there's barely a teeth mark on the toy, and as you can appreciate the jaws of a Bernese Mountain Dog and in particular, a Rottweiler, are extremely strong and powerful and the toy gets a good battering everyday being played fetch with too!

Summary: A must have for any owner of a ''power chewer''!