For all of my readers out there with dogs, I’m sure you’ve all experienced the frustration of buying toys and within a matter of minutes, the toy is destroyed. Annie, my 14 year old dog used to chew her toys up within seconds of bringing them home. At one point, I stopped even buying her expensive toys from the pet stores because I would soon find cotton remnants all over my floor and felt that I had wasted about $20 for a second-long toy. I soon discovered Kong toys for my dogs and why they’re the best.
Because I no longer wanted to waste money, I started going to thrift stores and buying up $.50 stuffed animals just so she could chew something up. It worked for a little while until I became tired of picking up the poor innards of these stuffed animals. I found that the work I put into the cleanup took way longer than it did for her to destroy it. It was shortly after this cleanup process that I looked into toys that were Annie-Proof. I then discovered Kong toys for dogs.
Dogs Need To Chew!
Some dog toys you find at pet stores can be expensive, I get that! Why do we spend upwards of $20-$30 for a toy that we know our dogs will destroy? Some might call that crazy spending. We love our pets though, and we all know that part of our dog being happy and well taken care of is their need to chew.
They have to do this, and if we don’t buy toys, they chew shoes, furniture, maybe even parts of your home! I came home one day to find Annie chewing through my drywall! Atlas chewed up the linoleum in my bathroom! They have a compulsive habit to chew, and we still have to find something for them, and most toys are made with cotton and stuffed.
To Stuff, Or Not To Stuff!
So, knowing that your dogs needs to satisfy this craving, you go out and buy those cute stuffed toys that you find so appealing. You get to the checkout and are told your total amount is only $95 for these cute toys! What? You convince yourself that your dog needs these and will be happier in the end and won’t eat your favorite pair of shoes.
You soon get home, your furry friend is happy to see you, you’re excited to give them the new toys you just bought so you pull them out right away! “Look what I got you! You’re going to be so happy!” You give them their new toys, they grab them up, run around wagging their happy tails. You put away the other items you might have gotten during your errand run and next thing you know, you walk into your living to find that the stuffed toy died a horrible death! Their cotton insides are strewn about the floor, the toy is looking lifeless, open, your dog is sitting there looking at you with puppy dog eyes, saying, “I didn’t mean to!”
What Else Is There For Dog Toys?
Now that you’ve cleaned up the mess, your furry friend is bored once again and looking for things to chew. They run around looking and sniffing for trouble. You can’t risk leaving them out alone for fear that your couch is the next victim to their jaws. So, another run to the pet store.
You browse through their options in the toy section looking for something that will stand the test of time….the time of longer than 5 minutes. You see the rubber toys next or the rope toy. OK, this will do, you convince yourself. Once again, on to check out, and your new total is now $50 and you look and see you have 2 toys! You tell yourself these surely will last. They look sturdy and able to handle your furry friends ambitious chewing!
Coming home, your friend is once again excited to see you! New toy! New Toy! 
You throw it this time to convince yourself it’s definitely more sturdy than that stuffed cute bunny that you buried in your trash can. Maybe you said a few words, maybe not. Rest in peace dear stuffed bunny.
The Chew-Fest Begins Again with Kong!
After a good hour of you continuing with your home duties after the last trip to the store, you once again walk into the living room and now instead of cotton insides, rope pieces are arranged around the floor like snakes in a field. Okay. You look to your furry friend and they have tendrils hanging from their mouth. Awesome.
Looking for the rubber toy that surely stood the test of time, and you see pieces of rubber are laying in a nice pile right by the couch. So, now you’ve spent $145 in just 2 short days; the toys only lasting an hour and five minutes. You smack your head, check your account and decide that the next round of toys may have to be cheaper. However, then you realize that’s a waste of money once again if you go that route. Maybe you think what I did, a thrift store! Once again, you’re going to be cleaning up a mess.
I’m here to inform you, that Kong’s have held up through all the above for my dogs. I’ve been there, done that. I spent the money and am here to let you know, it was a waste. Kong’s are expensive, yes, BUT, they last! My dog has yet to be able to chew through her toy. Kong’s have come a long way too. They don’t end with just the red rubber funny balls that you can put treats in. They’ve come out with toys that look like toys and they stand the test of time.
Kong Toys For Dogs Can Be Your Solution.
Now that you’ve made the same mistakes I did for a very long time, buy one if you haven’t already. Spend just a little more and see for yourself. Don’t be fooled by the off brands claiming they’re indestructible either; I tried some of those and they’ve epically failed me. They cost just as much, if not more, and my dogs have some steel jaws and tore them into pieces. I rarely talk so highly of any toy brand for dogs, honestly. I don’t get paid by Kong, I have no connection with them. However, I wanted to help my fellow dog lovers out there and I’m here to tell you, try them.
You don’t have to buy a lot of them either. Start with one and see what happens with Fido. Now, when I shop for Atlas or Annie, I buy them a Kong and a natural bone. That’s it. No crazy amount of spending on a basket full of toys. The stuffed ones are still in her toy box. I didn’t bury them or say a few words since she still grabs them by the fur and shakes them and runs around all crazy.
Her Kongs though are there for her to physically chew and they’ve yet to die a horrible death. I don’t really fill them with any treats either, she usually just chews away on her own.
Let me know your experience with Kongs for your dogs. Leave your comments below! Thanks for reading!
This is a little off topic, but did you know that foxes love playing with toys as well? Maybe it’s a need in the dig family and it makes me wonder if wolves would like playing with toys as well, given the chance.
I’ve had foxes living in my back garden for years and they like to sun themselves on the grass during the warm Summer months. And now my garden is full of stuffed toys they’ve stolen from other gardens. My favourite was a decapitated blue and yellow stuffed parrot. But there has also been a giraffe, an alligator, balls, a dinosaur, what i think was once a teddy bear and many more. i don’t know where they purloin all this stuff but they play hard with their toys too.
And, like your floor, my back garden is covered in the eviscerated remains of formerly intact stuffed toys!
I guess dogs will be dogs, whatever their species!
Gary,
I had no idea that foxes would love toys! Makes me wonder about the wolves up here in Alaska as well. We don’t often see wolves, so it’s hard to know if they would. Wolves definitely don’t visit the city of Anchorage often, at least, not that I’m aware of. I have seen foxes here and there, but never near my yard. But that’d be great to be able to see them playing with a dog toy or stuffy!
That’s awesome that you get to see, even the remains, of the toys they play with. It just goes to show that all animals also play and have fun, even though many people don’t see that side of nature. I’ve seen Moose play, since we do see them often in our yards as well as black bears.
Last year, I watched triplets climb a tree and each one play tag with their siblings while mom stood by watching. It was pretty cute to watch!
Thanks for stopping by and reading!
Katrina
Hey,
Kong toys are so important for dogs, as you say they need to chew.
I walk around my area of London and the amount of people who walk their dogs in the parks and the green areas, don’t have these toys.
I think primarily these toys would be best for home use. But, I think they would be good for outside use also.
I am going to share this article with my friends who have dogs and I’ll encourage them to comment and look into these toys.
Thank you for sharing and keep up the great work.
All the best,
Tom
Tom,
I’ve seen a lot of people lately using the kong toys that are attached to a rope while walking their dogs as a treat, especially during training sessions. Toys over treats have become more popular in the dog training world simply because it’s easier to carry a toy versus a bag full of treats. My dogs still prefer the good ole’ treat though. Of course, it might have to do with the fact that they have a whole basket of toys at home they get to play with all day…..So I’m sure if I kept them out of reach, then they might feel differently about their toys.
Thanks for stopping by and reading! I hope your friends enjoy as well.
Katrina
Hi Katrina,
Kong toys are such a genius concept. Even at their being slightly expensive, they tend to pay for themselves through durability. Knowing that these toys last for a pretty long time as they survive chewing is certainly enough reason to fall in love them. Another reason is that they can be chewed whether they are filled with treats or not. Certainly worth a try!
Ceci
Ceci,
Yes! Kongs last so long, especially with chewers! My dog Muse is an eater and any toy that she can rip up gets eaten pretty quickly. At least with the Kongs they take her a little longer, so they’re worth that extra bit of money. I prefer these over most other toys that are marketed towards the chewers.
Thanks for stopping by and reading!
Katrina