Entertain My Dog

If you’ve read my posts before, you know Fynn’s (and my) love of KONG toys. Fynn loves getting his treat and fun recipes from his KONG and I love how it stimulates and entertains him. At our house we have multiple KONGs which are different styles. This way Fynn doesn’t get tired of having the same toy time after time and we have multiple KONGs to prep at one time.

Most people only know the common KONG and don’t even know the classic KONG comes in different varieties. For almost every KONG toy we discuss below, there is a puppy, extreme and classic version. For this post, we will only be discussing the top treat dispensing/stuffed, rubber KONG toys.

This post is not sponsored by KONG. The company makes incredibly durable and enriching toys which can be hard to find so I am a huge advocate for them.

KONG TYPES

The difference between the KONG types are the strength of your dogs chewing. The types are ordered by softest to most durable. They are distinguishable by their color. Not all types of KONG toys are sold in each version.

Puppy

The puppy KONGs are light blue and pink. The rubber is the major difference in this design. It is soft rubber to help with a pup chewing due to teething. You should also be more aware of what you’re filling the KONG with for your puppy. Younger dogs have more sensitive stomachs so you want to make sure you’re giving your little one the right treats.

Senior

The purple KONG is the KONG for your older dog. Their aging teeth and gums need easier chewing so the senior KONG provides softer rubber – similar to the puppy KONG. The KONG also offer enrichment and entertainment with less physical activity that your more mature dog may prefer.

Classic

This is provided for your average chewer. The classic KONG is the red rubber generally associated with the KONG toys. KONG makes high quality and durable toys so the classic is stronger than a typical “classic” design. Fynn powers through most toys very fast and would be considered a power chewer. Even with his intense chewing, a Classic KONG lasts quite awhile.

Extreme

When you see the black KONG you know this is the toughest rubber which KONG has specially formulated for your power chewer. This is for the dog who can chew through anything. When you direct your dog to their KONG, it will fulfil their chewing needs on an acceptable object instead of your baseboards and furniture.

CLASSIC KONG

The classic KONG is the one we all know with the small hole at the top and larger hole on the bottom. The lumpy design allows for unpredictable bouncing fun if your dog enjoys fetch. While dogs love the fun of a classic KONG, the real enjoyment comes from stuffing the KONG with treats.

When filling this KONG, first fill the top with a treat or peanut butter. It will help prevent your filler from falling out. Then flip the KONG over on a bowl or plate. Stuff the KONG with peanut butter, treats, apple sauce, yogurt or any other fun recipes. Finally, seal the bottom with a large treat, KONG filler or peanut butter.

The tougher you want the KONG to be for your dog, the tighter you want to fill it with treats and goodies.

KONG STUFF-A-BALL^TM

Different than the other KONGs listed so far, this ball is not hollow. It rather has slots or as KONG calls them “Denta-Ridges^tm” for you to fill with treats. A major benefit of the ridges are they help to clean your dogs teeth and gums while chewing and playing with.

Filling this KONG is different than the others because of the ridges. The treats for this KONG are best in pastes. Treat will be easy to get out while liquids will not stay.

KONG has a number of products with their Denta-Ridges^tm which are different shapes. The Jump’n Jack® is similar to the ball but shaped like a toy jack. The Dental Stick^TM has the ridges but a simpler cylinder design.

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KONG DENTAL

The KONG Dental is a mix of a the classic KONG and the other products with ridges above. It has a hollow inside and the Denta-ridges^TM on the outside.

To fill the Dental piece, you can stuff the inside as well as use a paste to fill the ridges. The variety of treats can provide your dog longer and more enjoyable playtime.

One thing to note about the KONG Dental is it only comes in Large (30-65 lbs) and Extra-large (60-90 lbs).

KONG BALL

Instead of two holes, the KONG ball has four fun bone-shaped holes for depositing treats. The center is also hollow to stuff like the classic KONG if desired.

Filling this toy is a bit more challenging than the classic KONG. You want to make sure your treats don’t fall out the holes too easily. If filling with a more liquid recipe or treat, make sure to fill the three other holes first.

KONG GOODIE BONE^TM

The Goodie Bone^TM was one of Fynn’s first Kongs. Each end of the bone has a separate hollow area which goes all the way through. Two separate areas make for twice the fun for your dog.

KONG refers to the holes as “Goodie Grippers^TM” because of the ridges. The ridges make for more of a challenge for your dog to get out the stuffing.

The holes are not easy to stuff with liquids but can be filled with pastes or treats. When filling with pastes, (carefully) a knife is the easiest way I found to get the most treats into the ridges.

KONG GOODIE RIBBON^TM

Similar to the Goodie Bone^TM but the Goodie Ribbon^TM has four Goodie Grippers^TM instead of two. This makes for four times the fun.

KONG TIRES

The Kong Tire is one of my go to, quick stuff toys. The soft square treats that come in the Bark Box Super Chewer boxes fit great into the inside of the tire. I pop those in quickly and off Fynn goes getting the treats out.

Interestingly the tire is only made in a few varieties – Extreme and Puppy (no classic). Fynn still has a puppy tire. It also only comes in Small (0-20 lbs) and Medium/Large (20-60 lbs)

While all these toys are great options for your dog, your dog may find a some preferable to other. I keep many of them around and prepped for a variety of fun with Fynn.

Check back soon for more fun toys and ideas to entertain your dog.