What Is A Kong Toy?

You’ve likely seen this product from the Kong company about if you are a dog owner especially since they are the company’s most popular and well-known offering. Made from rubber they feature a hollowed out inside designed specifically for being filled with food or treats (hence why we like to call them ‘stuffers’😁). The premise is that your dog can be left alone with this toy for as long as you want, as it’s made from strong and durable material that won’t suffer the same damage as a typical dog toy would from consistent chewing. Kongs therefore are popular with owners who need to either leave their dog while they go out for several hours so they don’t get bored or they want to provide something to entertain them while they are busy at home.

Some dogs can be destructive if they become bored and a Kong can really help give them something to focus on (and try and destroy!). Kongs have also had some success in cases where dogs have mild separation anxiety. We say mild because the level of anxiety can be such that nothing can help the dog except for proper training and possibly a behaviourist. In our experience with very anxious Min Pins Kongs can help soothe anxiety for a short period of time (no more than an hour) before it starts up again. So the less time you are away from your anxious dog the better. Kongs are definitely not a shortcut solution for separation anxiety. What they are however is a great entertainment solution.

Design

Kongs are built for the dog to be able to roll it around on the floor. As they are made of rubber they don’t make much noise as they’re bashed around on the floor if you have neighbours. They also bounce well if thrown for games of fetch. They feature 2 holes for 2 primary reasons; one in order to prevent the dog’s tongue getting suctioned in and causing a possible medical emergency (it’s happened apparently) and two, in order to correctly stuff and keep the food sealed inside the Kong. Kongs come in several sizes for different breeds and weight ranges however the recommended guidelines set forth by the company shouldn’t be taken as gospel (more below).

Kongs are very safe compared to other similar toys on the market. They also have different strengths with the firmness of the rubber varying depending on who the Kong is for. The varieties are puppy, classic, extreme and senior. The puppy variety is the softest rubber, followed by the senior whereas the classic is a medium firmness and the extreme is the most firmest. The thinking behind it is that different dogs have different chewing strengths. Some are very aggressive or tough chewers whereas others not so much. Puppies and ageing dogs won’t have the same strength of chewing as a strong young adult.

More Than One Usage

Kongs provide stimulation to a dog in two ways; through chewing and through food. The rubber satisfies a dog’s instinct to get their teeth into something and because they are designed to withstand chewing they can keep a dog occupied for many hours. When Kongs are filled with food they can help your dog exercise too, burning off excess energy as he works hard to get that food out of the Kong. This is why many owners have found that Kongs help greatly with dogs that ‘inhale’ their meals making them a solution to help slow down those fast-eaters as they then have to work to get out their food. Kongs are excellent for cleaning teeth and gums with the chewing action which removes any food particles, assisting with oral health.

Buying The Correct Size For Your Dog

The Kong company have a size guide for their product. However it is not accurate. In many dog circles who are familiar with Kongs it’s standard advice to buy a size up than what the company’s guidelines recommend. This means that if you have a small or toy breed you should buy a medium-sized Kong rather than a small-sized Kong. To simplify this your dog’s Kong should not be able to fit in his mouth whole. Some toy breeds are smaller than other toy breeds which means the size of their muzzles vary e.g. a small-size Kong will be suitable for a Chihuahua.

As well as this there are different size dogs within a breed to consider. Therefore anything larger than the largest Chihuahua should be given a medium-sized Kong. This is where we went wrong with Mikki when we bought his Kong. Buying the wrong size of Kong can have consequences as we found out and reading the reviews of many Kong buyers, we see that it’s a common mistake. If your dog or Min Pin is an aggressive chewer buying a size up becomes even more important. Mikki falls into the category of aggressive chewer or ‘power’ chewer as the Kong company likes to say. Even though his Kong was an extreme Kong it was small enough for Mikki to get it in his mouth and combined with his chewing strength, he chewed the top of the Kong clean-off the day after it was given to him😑.

Aside from being disappointed that he just ruined a brand new toy it was also scary because initially we weren’t sure if he had swallowed the top. Ingested material can cause an intestinal blockage at the very worst and is the main reason why owners need to remain vigilant when giving their dogs toys. There has for a long time been a myth circulated about Kongs being indestructible (likely started by the company as a marketing ploy) but as you’ll see in the photos below, they are definitely not.

Just so you understand the above product is a Kong extreme made for aggressive chewers. A Min Pin’s jaws did this☝🏾. This is a small Kong and it’s not the first time Mikki has done this to a Kong (we realised that his previous one was actually a small as well🤦🏾‍♀️). At the end of the day it really is all about ensuring your Kong are the correct size for your dog. For a Min Pin, we would go as far as to recommend a large if your he is particularly large (Mikki is a big-boned 6.5kg Min Pin) to be on the safe side. If your Min Pin is much smaller with a smaller muzzle, a medium is probably best. It really is for you to judge by looking at your Min Pin and deciding on the correct size Kong for him. You don’t want to go too large as some of the fun for the dog is being able to clamp his teeth on the toy. Another thing is, if your sure your Min Pin is an aggressive chewer, do not leave him unattended with anything smaller than a large-size. We will be upgrading to a large-size soon.

Mikki’s Favourite Toy

Mikki loved chewing on his Kong because we put food in it. When he has finished the food contained within he’ll leave it. But that’s only if he’s left to play with it by himself. If one of us decides to engage him in a game of fetch with the Kong he’ll gladly get involved. Bottom line is the Kong is great toy provided you follow the all-important sizing advice. As a Min Pin he needs that stimulation and something to help release his excess energy at home so we recommend Kongs for that reason.

How To Stuff A Kong And What To Stuff It With

Kongs can be stuffed with an incredible range of foods and recipes. The Kong site shows you how to stuff a Kong and has a range of recipe suggestions. However there really is no limit to the recipes you can put inside a Kong. If you feed a diet other than a commercial one e.g. a biologically appropriate raw diet, then you can stuff your Min Pin’s Kong with some healthy and natural (mostly carbohydrate-free) foods for a treat. To date we have only filled Mikki’s Kong with a couple of natural treats at any one time🦴🦴. A caveat to this. As the size of the Kong gets bigger so do it’s holes (obviously) and if you are using just treats, ensure that they are big enough as to not fall out of the holes. Otherwise use whatever foods you like to stuff the Kong just ensure that any loose food such as kibble is sealed in properly with some soft, ‘paste’-like foods blocking off the holes.

If you plan to freeze your Kong (see video below) the same process applies except it’s recommended that you use something like a straw to ensure that your Min Pin’s tongue doesn’t get suctioned in and stuck. Adding a straw will ensure that the Kong’s contents will freeze around it, keeping airflow at both ends which is important if you are filling the Kong completely where both holes are covered with food. Not every owner uses straws for frozen Kongs because some foods may begin to crumble quickly once they defrost but use your judgement👍🏾.

Our Thoughts

We highly recommend the Kong stuffer dog toy in particular the extreme one made for aggressive/tough chewers. It’s variety of uses are fantastic but the entertainment value in and of itself is a reason to to buy one for your Min Pin. Just ensure you stick to the recommended size for Min Pins which is medium. Kongs are also very affordable as dog toys go. A Kong is a permanent fixture in our Min Pin’s toy box🧸 and always will be👌🏾.