Kong Dog Toy Review

The Kong dog toy is famous in the canine world. In fact, the Kong web site calls their own product “legendary.” So are they just boasting or is this the best toy ever?

The Legendary Kong

For those of you who don’t already know, the Classic Kong is a bold, red, rubber toy. The genius of the product is the hole in its middle, where you can place a variety of treats for your dog to munch or lick on. We swear by the Kong, as it can distract Riley while we work at home. On the downside, some owners say their dog gets to the treats too fast while others believe their pooch gives up too quickly. We’ve found that the key to successful Kong usage is to find the best stuffing and treats for your specific dog.

Various Classic Kong Dog Toy Sizes

Kong Varieties

Like all the various cars to choose from, there is a make and model of Kong just right for every dog. These include: Classic Kong, Tenacious Kong, Senior Kong, Puppy Kong and Dental Kong. Find the right size and chew level for your pup. Of course, this review is focused mainly on the Classic Kong, but we highly recommend you take a look at the other varieties.

How to Best Use Your Kong

Next, the choice of filling is key. What makes the Kong so attractive to the dog is not the toy itself, but the quality of ingredients inside. In fact, if Riley’s Kong is empty, she’ll just walk by it as if it’s a piece of furniture. She never plays with it when empty—it must be filled with yummy goodness.

Most people recommend peanut butter, plain yogurt, or Kong Stuff’N, which by the way, all work well when frozen. In fact, it generally takes Riley twice as long to get the filling out if it’s frozen. Our dog is a tenacious licker, so we estimate maybe 15-20 minutes for regular peanut butter & Kong Stuff’N, 5-10 minutes for regular yogurt, and 30-45 minutes for any of them frozen. You can also add frozen banana to these.

We also use hard biscuit treats such as Milk Bones. Any biscuit treat will work (Kong even sells their own brand), but it helps if the treat is hard and irregularly shaped. A quick tip: You can make the rounded Kong hole longer by gently stepping on it with your foot. Then, slip the hard biscuit inside and take your foot off the Kong. It takes Riley about 10 minutes to get the whole biscuit out which is exactly 10 minutes longer than it usually takes her to eat one.

Believe it or not, bread also works well because when the dog licks it, it gets soggy and MUCH harder to get out!

If the Classic Kong is too hard for your pooch, try putting an easier treat inside first: something small that will roll right out. With time, your dog will learn new tactics to dislodge even the most difficult treats. On the other hand, if you find the Kong too easy for your pup, then be sure to freeze whatever you put in there. You can make it extra difficult by mixing a hard biscuit and peanut butter (or yogurt) and then freezing the mixture.

The Kong also works as an IQ toy. If you vary the treats that you put inside, it forces your dog to experiment with different strategies to get the food out.

Riley’s Review

“I love my Classic Kong! Even though I have a lot of tricks for getting the treat out, I’m never quite sure which one to use. I will try anything: lick it, squeeze it really hard, roll it with my paw, drop it on the floor. And if none of those ideas work, then I’ll run up to the second floor and drop it down the stairs.My Classic Kong doesn’t provide hours of entertainment, but it does keep me very busy for a few minutes, usually while everyone else in the house is eating or sitting in front of that screen thingy. I also get to play with my Kong on road trips, and that’s good because sometimes I get a little nervous when I’m watching all the trees move by so fast.

The only thing I hate is when my Classic gets really dirty—and this happens a lot when it’s full of peanut butter, yogurt or Kong stuffing. The mold tastes yucky and can make me sick if my Kong isn’t washed. When this happens, I like to get a brand new one.

My Kong is legendary, even if it is just a rubber toy with a hole in it. I hope every dog is lucky enough to get a Classic Kong just like mine!”