KONGPuppy, Medium (2 Pack)

I adopted a rescue lab mix puppy and am going through the grueling process of crate-training him. Grueling because I work from home and have two roommates with different schedules.Between partially frozen stuffed kongs and a little puppy cam... I've finally managed to get him to be not a terror in the crate. I've got two medium puppy kongs and two large puppy kongs to rotate out and clean.Tip: You see a lot of people mentioning freezing stuff kongs but here's a great tip for those with puppies or even those using them with dogs with separation distress (opposed to blown out separation anxiety).Pop some kibble or a little treats first. This helps create a stop-gap at the small hole so that any of the wet filling doesn't fall out. I use a butter knife and smear some wet dog food along the sides as it's high value and the puppy will work harder to finish off the kong. I then put some raw pumpkin and yogurt in there as they're helpful with digestion but make sure not to fill the kong up. I put my finger on the small hole and tap the kong down so that the wet foods settle more and then pop it in the freezer. Now the stuffed kong will be frozen with some free space, which I pop some wet food or kibble to give the puppy immediate gratification and interest.I used to freeze it completely stuffed and sometimes he would lose interest in it. I've found that freezing a only-mostly stuffed kong worked best.Foods to useWET: Low fat: non-fat yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese, raw pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling), canned sweet potato (no syrup)WET: Standard: premium wet dog food, raw peanut butter (be very careful with peanut butter, if you don't use raw pb, make sure that it's xylitol-free as xylitol is toxic to dogs)DRY: Standard: kibble, dog treats

You just can't go wrong with Kong products. We got these for our super chewer pup, and she loves them. Granted, it's probably because we've stuffed them full of kibble, peanut butter and treats...but they're perfect for these and hold up to even the most aggressive puppy chewing.This 2-pack is a great deal – and the size is perfect for dogs between 15 and 40 lbs. (roughly.) To help crate train our pup, we'd fill these Kongs, throw them in the crate, then shut the door (leaving our pup on the outside!). She'd BEG us to open the door to let her in. Finally, we'd open the door for her, she'd run in and blissfully bat, lick, and chew these Kongs until every last piece was gone.A super durable, super powerful training toy and tool!

This was a great buy for my puppy. I purchased these when she was maybe 10 weeks old, to be used as she aged, and got her some smaller ones as well to use in the meantime. We're now at the point where she uses these. One stays with her in her crate whenever she's in there so she has something that's safe and comfortable to chew on, especially as she's losing her baby teeth and her adult teeth are coming in, and then the other is used as a fun treat stuffed with a mixture of peanut butter, kibble, and treats.I've had to throw them in the dishwasher countless times due to accidents in the crate, and they've held up perfectly on the top rack. Stuffing a kong is a bit of an art form, but it's helpful to block the top hole off with some peanut butter and then drop a piece of kibble inside and shake it until it attaches to it. I like to smear peanut butter around the inside edges and then drop in a fair bit of kibble, add a very thin layer of peanut butter, add some more kibble, add another very thin layer of peanut butter, then add some tasty favorable treats towards the top, and then finally seal with a layer of peanut butter. Pushing a few treats into this last layer helps to entice a bit more as well. From there, freeze so it'll last longer than 10 seconds, and then deliver! It keeps my puppy preoccupied for at least an hour as she's quite determined to get every little bit out.

I got a puppy kong for my last dog and it was the first toy I bought for this one. Great diversion for a puppy, to give them something to chew on instead of your shoes (I put a little peanut butter in). And also a fun toy because when you throw it, it goes in wacky directions. Not psyched about the two-pack, since I'm not into pink, but still very happy with the toys.

Our Australian Shepherd loves this toy. He's a fetchin' little dog and I think one of the reasons he likes the Kong so much is the erratic bounce. He likes to chew on it too, and unlike some other toys that claim to be "chew-proof", this one is holding up perfectly. He's had it for weeks and hasn't been able to chew it to pieces like some other toys he's had.

Our puppies love chewing these things. We had to "teach" them how to use them by stuffing them more easily at first-starting just with dog food, then gradually making the stuffings harder to get to and it taking longer to clean them out. We wash ours in the dishwasher-they fit perfectly on the rungs all the way through, and are squeaky clean when they come out. I usually rinse them in just water after to reduce any leftover chemicals.

Tough to know what size fits which dog. This seemed good for a 15 lb dog, who is able to clear out the peanut butter I put inside, but I would say it’s right on the edge of being just right vs a bit small. Oddly, the only non-salty peanut butter in my supermarket is very runny at room temp, so I use skipoy type, even though they’re too salty for a dog.

The absolute best training and reward toy ever! My Lizzie loves these—especially the pink one. They are durable, easy to clean, and fun for the dog.