Hey! My title’s Valerie, and also you’ll typically catch me writing about dog-related subjects on Officiallypets.com!
Each canine proprietor likes to purchase items for his or her pooch, and most canine find yourself with their very own toy field stuffed with playthings. Typically these toys have to be thrown away as a result of the canine has chewed them. Maybe the stuffing is popping out, and the ears have been ripped off. Typically the toys are left unsafe for a canine. No shock then, that canine house owners are all the time looking out for toys that are nearly indestructible. Definitely, all of us need toys that our canine merely can not destroy.
Enter the Kong vary of canine toys.
What are Kong toys?
A Kong toy – and there are a number of totally different sorts of them – is non-toxic. It’s constructed of rubber, which isn’t solely protected to chew, but in addition dishwasher protected. A Kong toy has a hole heart which is designed to hold meals or treats in your canine.
Canines have a pure want to lick and chew issues, and Kong toys present a wholesome choice in your pooch as a substitute of licking your footwear or furnishings.
Kong toys come in numerous sizes in order that even the smallest canine can take pleasure in their very own bite-sized toy.
Are They Indestructible?
Let’s face it if in case you have a canine, significantly a pup, you may count on them to chew. You could be fortunate and have a pooch that doesn’t chew till the item is destroyed, however these are few and much between. Most canine will chew – and chew till the item is ineffective. What we want are toys that merely can’t be destroyed by canine.
That’s the place Kong comes into play. Kong has the fame of constructing a few of the most sturdy and hardest toys on the earth. Even critical chompers and chewers could not be capable of destroy these toys!
There are 4 several types of toy relying on the canine, their age, and the power to chew. Kong has divided its toys into these sections.
Kong Pet- Don’t be tempted to purchase this for an grownup canine because it won’t final. It’s made for a pet, so it’s barely much less sturdy than different toys. That is good for canine that hardly chew or are mild chewers. They’re additionally good for puppies as a result of their gums are nonetheless tender.
Kong Senior-That is designed with the older canine in thoughts, who could have some dental points. It’s constituted of tender rubber though it’s more durable than these made for puppies. Once more, this isn’t good for vigorous chewers.
Kong Basic- That is for the common chewer and chomper. These toys are constituted of rubber which is tremendous sturdy and might face up to a canine who enjoys a great gnaw on issues. Don’t give this to pups or older canine as it’s too arduous for his or her enamel and gums.
Kong Excessive- Right here’s the perfect toy for that canine that chews all the pieces! Everyone knows somebody who has a canine like that. These toys are made to outlast even the perfect chewer, irrespective of how lengthy he likes to spend gnawing away at a toy.
So, Why Give your Canine a Kong Toy?
Canines are made to hunt and forage. They’re additionally typically used as working animals. From the start of animal existence, they had been taught to search out their very own meals.
One of many causes our canine change into damaging is that they’re bored. They might not get sufficient train – both psychological or bodily. In addition they could not have sufficient outside time to fulfill their curiosity.
In your canine’s life to be extra enjoyable and satisfying, he must have extra ‘work’ to do. That is additionally a great factor when you have to exit and depart him on his personal. Additionally it is an answer for when you will need to get on with different issues and don’t have time to spend enjoying along with your pooch.
Puzzle toys just like the Kong vary give your canine the chance to work for his or her meals actually. Kong toys are in impact, sturdy little containers so that you can place meals or treats in. Usually there will probably be a gap at both finish, though one gap will probably be bigger than the opposite one.
In case your canine needs to get the meals out, he must discover ways to shake or lick the within of the Kong till the deal with is sufficiently small to be eaten.
Typically this may take a while for the canine to get the deal with out and since he’s working on a regular basis, he could get fairly drained. However – as each canine proprietor is aware of – a drained canine is an effective canine!
So, How Do We Use a Kong?
Your canine doesn’t know that the Kong is a food-filled deal with, he should study this trick. The primary time you give the Kong to your pooch, you need to depart it empty so he can familiarise himself with it. In the event you stuff it straight away, he could change into annoyed as a result of he has by no means seen one earlier than and has no concept what to do with it.
After he is aware of what the Kong is and has seen it shifting round, you need to place just a few small items of dry kibble inside. Shake them round in order that your pooch hears them, and so they fall out simply. Your canine will quickly study that no matter rattles contained in the Kong goes to style scrumptious! He simply has to get it out.
As soon as your canine can simply get any dried kibble items out of his Kong, you may progress to bigger and extra attention-grabbing mixtures.
In fact, you need to keep in mind that recent water is important, significantly after a bout of train with the Kong.
What Are you able to Put Contained in the Kong?
The listing of what you set contained in the Kong is sort of limitless. If it consists of issues that your pooch likes and by no means any of the meals that may hurt him, the selection is as much as you.
After dry kibble to show your canine what to do, it’s typically peanut butter which is smeared contained in the Kong.
Here’s a listing of different foodstuffs that you should use.
To smear inside:
Peanut butter
Cream cheese
Cottage cheese
Canned moist meals
Cooked floor meat similar to rooster and floor beef
Greek yogurt
For strong items:
Cubed apples
Cubed cheese
Sliced frozen banana
Cooked veggies similar to cubed candy potato
Cooked diced meat similar to rooster or beef
Cubed carrots
For an additional lengthy chewing and licking session, you may fill the Kong with cooked meat and gravy then freeze it. You’ll want to stand it’s a cup to freeze, so the liquid doesn’t run out of the small gap on the one finish.
What’s within the Final Kong Toy Package deal?
Kong toys started with the primary toy most canine house owners are conversant in, particularly the pink rubber thingy with a small gap at one finish and a bigger gap on the different finish. It is named the Kong Basic toy.
Since then they’ve introduced out a number of additions to the vary so you may combine and match a variety field of goodies in your pooch.
Right here’s a number of attention-grabbing Kong toys which can make up the final word Kong bundle in your canine. You could possibly even wrap them and provides as a present to a different canine proprietor!
The small canine ball – good for the smaller pooch.
The rubber flying disc – nice for getting your canine to train a bit extra.
Pet tires – these are available small and further giant so will match all measurement of a canine.
Soar’n Jack – that is nice for canine as a result of whereas they chew the toy, it additionally cleans their enamel.
Kong bones – these are available small and huge sizes so will swimsuit any measurement canine.
Kong jumbler disc – for canine who prefer to play fetch video games, this disc is straightforward to know, gained’t harm their enamel, however will give them one thing to get their enamel into whereas they carry it again to you.
Shade Codes
The toys are divided into colours to make it simple when shopping for a toy in your or anybody else’s pet.
Pink: this will likely have been the primary Kong toy that pet house owners grew to become conscious of. It’s made from pink rubber and is designed for common chewers.
Pink/child blue: as the colour signifies this toy is for the youthful canine and for puppies. The rubber is softer and gentler on new enamel and delicate gums.
Purple: these toys are made for older canine. Whereas the rubber continues to be sturdy, it’s fairly tender so it won’t hurt delicate gums.
Black: that is for excessive chewers. These toys are constituted of the strongest rubber and are essentially the most sturdy of all of the toys within the vary. Not for the faint-hearted, these toys!
What’s So Particular About Kong Toys?
There are a number of explanation why it is smart to provide your canine a basket of Kong toys.
Not solely does common chewing maintain your canine’s enamel and gums wholesome, but it surely additionally helps take away particles from between his enamel and forestall gum illness.
Canines who are suffering from separation anxiousness will profit from having one thing to maintain them occupied whereas they’re left alone.
Stuffed toys present a long-lasting ‘enjoyable’ time in your pooch the place he can chew and lick to his coronary heart’s content material when you do your individual factor.
Intuition
Having one thing to chew and lick fulfills the intuition to work, so if you give him one thing to do, he feels busy and content material. This, in flip, will make your canine really feel extra assured, significantly when you play video games similar to ‘hunt the Kong’ with him.
Canines who’re chubby and lazy will profit from having these toys, as they may begin to transfer extra, significantly if crammed with considered one of their favorite treats. The toys will bounce unpredictably so your canine must work more durable to catch them, which suggests further train.
You may stuff the toys with nearly something, actually all the pieces that your canine likes. The listing is limitless. Do keep in mind that licking and chewing could be a messy enterprise so chances are you’ll wish to maintain Fido off the couch whereas he salivates over his stuffed toy!
To Sum Up
Kong toys are available all sizes and shapes and are appropriate for each canine, irrespective of how giant or small, younger or previous or age.
So, subsequent time you might be at a loss as to what to get your canine for his birthday, make your individual final Kong toy bundle. Embrace a packet of his favourite treats and voila!.. you should have a really completely satisfied canine!
Writer Bio:
My title is Valerie. I’m the proud proprietor of Bentley, who’s a Clumberdoodle. That’s a mixture of Clumber Spaniel and Commonplace Poodle. Writing is my ardour and writing about canine offers me an opportunity to share our experiences with Bentley. I write about him in articles for happytailshq.com!
