Kong Dog Toys

In the early Seventies, a guy named Joe Markham had a problem with his German Shepherd dog Fritz (now *that's* as German a name as they come). The former police dog had the unhealthy habit of chewing on rocks, which was really a bad idea for his teeth. One day, while working on his Volkswagen Van, Joe discovered that a yummy, chewy piece of suspension he had pulled from the van finally convinced Fritz to give up his rock habit. In fact, Fritz was so crazy about his new toy that his owner Joe came up with the idea to develop a whole line of dog toys known as the KONG.

Some 30 years later, the classic KONG toys come in 4 different rubber types to best match the specific needs of individual dogs or life stages:

• Red, for average chewers
• Pink or Blue for puppies
• Purple, for senior dogs
• Black, for extreme chewers

The Classic Kong looks a bit like a snowman with 3 balls stacked on top of each other. The toy is hollow, and this is where the plot thickens: You can stuff a yummy treat into the toy which is almost guaranteed to drive every pup and hound *nuts*!

Now, more than 30 years after Fritz invented the first dog KONG, the company has expanded their range of toys to include KONG balls, tug toys, plush dog toys, dental chews and other interactive toys and accessories. Cats now have their own line of KONGS, and even horses and birds have been reported playing with them. There's no way telling where this madness will stop.

Image under Creative Commons License by ginnerobot.