If you're a dog owner frustrated with the way your precious pet's chewing habits leave tiny shreds of rubber, plastic, or cotton strewn around your home, it may be time to consider one of the best dog toys on the market: Kong.

The Kong Company offers a huge variety of products for lots of different animals, but this guide will focus on the dog toys, as I have had great experiences with them myself.

The original Kong toy started out in 1976 as an oddly shaped red rubber hollow cylinder, conjured up with the more destructive or restless dogs in mind.  The idea of Kong came from a retired police dog named Fritz who liked to chew on rocks. This behavior was definitely not good for his teeth, so in deperation, Fritz's owner began offering different sorts of objects. Lo and behold, Fritz took a liking to a discarded part off the suspension of a Volkswagon van! With a little re-design work paired with a remarkably strong rubber formula, Kong was born!

Kong makes their toys with amazingly durable and tough rubber, which is one of the greatest features. I used to have problems with my dog virtually destroying any toy set in front of her within 5 minutes, but Kong is strong! She enjoys chewing and chewing all afternoon long and not even a toothmark is left behind on the toy! Kong uses different rubber formulas for different strengths of dogs - for example, the basic red kongs can be sized for your dog and are extra strong and bouncy. The black Kongs are for more tenacious chewers or multiple dogs in the house - the rubber is even stronger. Kong also produces Jawrobics, which with regular use is meant to strengthen your dog's jaw muscles.

Kongs aren't just great for chewing, either! If you purchase a Kong product with the hollow interior, it is meant to keep your dog busy! My dog suffered from seperation anxiety and would pace the house all day, searching for something to chew up to ease her mind. Kong seemed to solve this problem! By putting some doggy treats (you can basically use whatever you'd like, but Kong also markets special treats and Kong Stuff'n, which is essentially like Easy-Cheeze in a aerosol can) into the Kong, you can keep your dog working all day long while you're away as they chew, lick, and chase the Kong around trying to get the goodies out of the center (it's not as easy as you might think!).

Kong offers an amazing variety in dog toys, ranging from their basic red and black Kongs to Kong Flyer (a Frisbee toy), Kong Tug (tug of war toy), retrieving toys, and even dental health toys. They have combination packs available also, which can be a money saving option.

Selecting the right size Kong is important for your dog! Please view my other Kong guide for sizing information.

Kong should prove to be one of the best dog toys you'll ever own. Search eBay - I've seen some great deals!

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