KONG
NEWS
Thank you for being part of our fourth
issue of the KONG Community Newsletter. We now have over 8,500 members
and growing daily. Volume 4 contains descriptions of KONG’s latest
products, delicious KONG Stuff’N recipes, KONG photo contest and
KONG training and activity tips.
For a printer friendly version, click here.
KONG Quarterly Photo Contests
Last issue the KONG Jump’N Jack Photo Contest grand prize winner
was Trisha Morton of Marietta, Georgia and her dogs Dillon and Maddie.
They have won $500.00 and a KONG gift basket.
Our second place winner is Joanne and Chris Korpesio of Calgary, Alberta
Canada, and their dog Baxter. Joanne, Chris and Baxter have won a large
KONG gift basket.
The third place winner is Tricia Lim of Singapore and her dog. Tricia
and her dog will receive a medium KONG gift basket.
The KONG Company would like to thank all the community
members who submitted KONG Jump’N Jack photos. Your involvement
in the contest was overwhelming and the photos superb. The process of
choosing a winner took two weeks, but we loved every minute of it. All
participants will be receiving a “thank you” gift for making
this contest a success.
Check out the new KONG Photo Contest in this issue for another chance
to win $500.00 or one of three KONG gift baskets.
KONG Featured on Front Page of Wall Street Journal
The KONG Company, maker of the legendary line of rubber chew toys already
beloved by millions of dogs and their owners, now has an even wider following.
The company was recently featured in a story on the front page of the
Wall Street Journal.
The article told the story of O’Neill, a black Labrador learning
to become a bomb-sniffing dog, and explained how KONG toys play a vital
part in the months of arduous training these dogs must complete. Each
time they find an explosive, the diligent canine trainees get to play
with a KONG toy as a reward. Samples of explosives are hidden next to
a KONG toy, and in trying to hunt down their reward, the dogs learn to
discern the different odors of various explosive materials. On finding
the explosives, they are taught to sit and stare at the source of the
odor until given the toy. Eventually, the dogs learn to sniff out the
explosives by odor alone, without the hidden KONG toy. Long recognized
as an ideal training aid for any dog, KONG toys are often used to train
police dogs and other working animals. The rugged, hardwearing natural
rubber toys are so appealing that they give hardworking dogs the perfect
reward for a job well done, with or without a tasty treat tucked inside.
All
this comes as no surprise to Joe Markham, inventor of the toy and founder
of the KONG Company. Over the years, he’s heard countless anecdotes
and glowing testimonials about the success of his famous red rubber toys
in calming destructive chewers and motivating reluctant learners. Speaking
about the Wall Street Journal article, Markham said: “We’ve
long been proud of our association with police departments around the
country, but we’re truly honored to have become a part of the ongoing
fight to keep our nation’s transportation systems safe and secure.
We were delighted, and deeply flattered, to read about the success of
our toys in training O’Neill and his canine colleagues,” he
added.
The
full article can be found in the Wall Street Journal, December
19th, 2005 edition.
Welcome to the KONG Community
This month the KONG Company would like
to share another letter sent to us by a grateful member of the KONG community.
It is refreshing to be part of a community and product line that truly
makes a positive difference in the lives of companion animals and their
owners.
Dear KONG,
I have had three wonderful dogs over the years and sadly they all passed
one by one. My favorite, Seamus “Love of my life”, died in
my arms here at my home. When cancer took Seamus, I was heartbroken.
Months later, I went looking for another dog and found Fionna and Finneghan.
Both dogs have brought me so much happiness and have helped me replace
the void I felt after losing Seamus.
I rescued Fionna the English Coonhound from a Shelter in Virginia, where
she was scheduled to be put down. She had lived most of her life in a
crate and had much to learn about home life. Even simple things, like
going up the stairs were a challenge for her. Fiona progressed quickly
into a wonderful dog. The only thing missing was a canine companion.
A week later, I made an appointment with a breeder who had a small problem.
He raised beautiful, show-quality German Short Hair Pointers and Australian
Cattle Hounds. Apparently, there had been a mistake and one of the Cattle
Hounds (Momma) got together with a Pointer (Papa). The result was four
beautiful, mixed breed puppies. I chose the only male and what a great
dog he is.
The two dogs became close companions. All was well at home….except
for one problem day. After returning home from work, I was shocked to
see my dinning room furniture and china closet had been destroyed. It
seems Finneghan and Fionna had it for lunch.
Worried that the two dogs would eventually eat the whole house, I turned
to my local trainer. Our trainer told us all about KONG products and my
husband went to the pet store to purchase them. Well, months later the
dogs still have their KONGs and I still have my new dining room set.
Now, each morning I stuff the KONGs with an assortment of goodies before
I leave for work. The KONG toy is tough and keeps them busy and out of
mischief. Both dogs happily chew on the KONGs to get the treats I put
inside. I like the KONG Pastes, KONG Snaps and roast beef. Yes, I stick
roast beef in the KONG as an extra bonus for not eating my furniture.
Thank you KONG people for the good work you do. Especially, for helping
the animal survivors of hurricane Katrina.
My happy ending,
Barbara Malakuskie
Your letters of success, like the one above are always welcome and appreciated.
If you would like to share your KONG experiences or any KONG news with
the KONG community, just email us at:kong@kongcompany.com
If your letter is chosen for the next KONG Community Newsletter, you
will receive a KONG Gift Basket.
NEW
KONG PRODUCTS
The KONG Company is proud to be the recognized
leader in quality pet products. All of our new products have been thoroughly
tested by happy family pets; we never use laboratory animals for our product
testing. Veterinarians have also approved and tested all of our new products.
Here are the latest additions to our ever-expanding product line.
New KONG Toys:
KONG Tug
The new KONG Tug Toy represents the highest
level of tug toy innovation, comfort and strength. Our dual-material KONG
Tug Toy is constructed of two KONG-shaped nylon rings with molded KONG
Rubber grips. The KONG-shaped rings are molded together with a thick KONG
Rubber center connector. The KONG Rubber grips or bite-zones provide outstanding
comfort and safety for both dog and owner. The KONG Rubber center connector
with Control-Flex Technology eliminates potentially dangerous snap-back
and provides a comfortable and controlled playtime.
KONG Binkie
The Puppy KONG Binkies are made with our
exclusive Puppy KONG Rubber formula. Perfect for teething puppies, the
Puppy KONG Binkie will sooth sore gums and provide a proper outlet for
a puppy’s chewing needs. Most of all, the bouncy Puppy KONG Binkie
is pure fun. Puppy KONG Binkies are available in two sizes, small and
medium, and are available in both blue and pink KONG puppy rubber.
Dr.
Noys Strawberry (Cats With an Attitude)
The Cats with an Attitude Strawberry is
a refillable catnip toy. The small, lightweight plush Strawberry cat toy
is double stitched for lasting durability and comes with two FREE T-Nip
Catnip refills.
Dr. Noys Feathertop Duster (Cats With an Attitude)
The Feathertop Duster is an interactive
teaser toy that features an array of natural feathers and a dangling fabric
carrot to tantalize and excite the cat.
New
KONG Stuff'N Treats:
FREE KONG Stuff’N Liver Paste, Puppy Paste and Hounds 27 Peanut
Butter Sauce.
Free sample pouches of KONG Stuff’N Pastes and Hounds 27 sauces
will be included in selected KONG toy packages. Look for free samples
with your next KONG purchase.
KONG
TRAINING TIPS
Every
quarter we will explore different topics related to training and behavioral
issues. Some issues will also include feature articles from world-renowned
dog trainers and behaviorists.
Growing Up KONG
Much like a human baby, your puppy has
special needs and requirements that must be met to ensure his health and
happiness. This guide will give you an overview of some of the toys and
treats we recommend for your puppy now and throughout adulthood.
Click here to view the full booklet.
KONG
STUFF'N RECIPES AND ACTIVITIES
KONG Toys are the original treat-dispensing toys; a properly
stuffed KONG Toy will keep your dog busy and content for hours. Along
with relieving boredom, a stuffed KONG Toy will provide an enriching activity
that stimulates both physically and mentally. Remember to reduce your
dog’s bowl feeding when offering two or more stuffed KONGs daily.
Clean KONGs thoroughly after each use. Top shelf of dishwasher is recommended.
Basic Stuff'N Suggestions:
For quick and easy KONG stuffing use any of our KONG Stuff’N treats
or pastes. KONG Stuff’N treats are specifically designed to fit
KONG toys. Experiment with combinations of two or more KONG Treats, Pastes
or Sauces for a longer lasting stuffed KONG session.
Winning KONG Stuff’N Recipe:
The KONG staff will be choosing a winning KONG Stuff’N Recipe from
those sent in by KONG community members. Recipes can be entirely original
or utilize any combination of KONG Stuff’N Treats with any KONG
toy. Winners will receive a KONG Gift Basket stuffed with a variety of
fun KONG toys and tasty KONG Stuff’N treats.
This newsletter’s winning recipe comes from Bobbi Jo Lundt.
Layered Dog Delight
Recently, we adopted our first puppy. Prince is a mixture of German Shepherd,
Border Collie and Siberian Husky. He was eight weeks old when we brought
him home.
Soon we noticed Prince loved to chew on everything. My husband and I went
to Petsmart to speak with a trainer. She told us all about KONG toys.
We bought the classic, red KONG. Prince loves it. When he sees me making
his favorite KONG stuffing recipe, he sits by my feet with excitement
in his eyes. His favorite recipe follows:
Layer 1: Start by adding a small amount of dry kibble inside the KONG.
Top with warm hotdog slices. Then add a small slice of cheese.
Layer 2: Add more kibble and push it all down, more hotdog slices and
then more kibble, pushed down again.
Layer 3: Top off with creamy peanut butter. He eats it all up and wants
more!!!
Family friends also got a puppy (a Shih Tzu) the same day we got ours.
Prince liked his KONG so much we gave their puppy Lizzie a Puppy KONG.
Lizzy also loves her Puppy Kong.
Thank you so much for making amazing toys.
Sincerlely,
Bobbi Jo Lundt
Featured KONG Activity:
Bucket O’KONG
Bucket O’KONG is a fun and challenging game your dog will love to
play. Adaptive and thought-provoking, this game can be made more challenging
as your dog masters each step. The potential game variations and varied
use of treat/rewards is endless.
I realized while writing the following instructions that this particular
game may sound a bit self-serving of the KONG Company. Considering its
best played with six or more KONG toys. But, after testing the game on
many KONG dogs, we found Bucket O’KONG to be a fantastic game for
the dog, and extremely entertaining for the owners. Please keep in mind
that the additional “cover-up toys” could be any other type
of rubber KONG toy. However, we found that the original KONGs worked quite
well.
For Bucket O’KONG you will need:
• One sturdy plastic bucket, sized appropriately for the height
of the dog. Your dog should be able to reach the bottom without tilting
or tipping the bucket. A Shih Tzu, for example might use a smaller plastic
one gallon tub, where as a Great Dane would need a six gallon paint bucket
(found at most hardware stores).
• Six or more Classic KONG toys, sized appropriately for the dog.
The more KONGs you use the more challenging the game.
• A variety of KONG Stuff’N Treats or other healthy treats
that fit inside the KONG toy. KONG Stuff’N Pastes, Snaps and Beef&Liver
work great for this game.
To Play Bucket O'KONG:
• Step 1 – This is Easy
Ask your dog to sit while you prepare the KONG toy in front of him/her.
Stuff one KONG toy with your favorite KONG Stuff’N Treat (use one
or two small treats that are easy for your dog to remove). Place treat-filled
KONG in bucket. Allow your dog to retrieve the single KONG from the bucket.
Let him/her enjoy their treat/reward.
Your dog should be able to easily retrieve the KONG from the bottom of
the bucket. If your dog cannot reach the bottom or has to tilt or spill
the bucket, the bucket is too tall. Use a shorter bucket.
• Step 2 – Which KONG is it?
Repeat Step 1 in front of your dog. Place the treat-stuffed KONG in the
bucket. This time add two or three more empty KONG toys to the bucket.
Allow your dog to find and retrieve the treat-filled KONG.
At this stage, there is more than one way for your dog to find the treat-
filled KONG. Some dogs will zero in on the scent and immediately grab
the correct KONG. They may even remove the other empty KONGs just to check
for more treats. Other dogs will grab KONGs at random, eventually finding
the treat-filled KONG. Either way your dog is learning and adapting to
the challenge, setting the stage for more complicated versions.
If the bucket is sized correctly three or four KONGs should cover the
bottom of the bucket in one layer, with the possibility of the fourth
KONG starting the second layer. If you still have room for more KONGs
on the bottom layer, your bucket is too wide. Use a narrower bucket.
• Step 3 – This is Getting Harder!
Repeat Step 1 in front of your dog. Be sure to vary the treats to keep
your dog interested and driven. Place the treat-filled KONG in the bucket.
In this step, take the game a little further by adding four to five extra,
empty KONGs on top of the treat-filled KONG. You should now have two to
three layers of KONG toys in the bucket. Allow your dog to retrieve the
treat-filled KONG.
At this, more challenging level, your dog will almost certainly need to
remove a few KONGs to get to the reward-KONG. This can be time consuming.
Your dog may even give up for a while, but will eventually return to the
challenge and the treats. Be sure to use high-value treats at this level
and praise your dog for his/her attempts and successes.
Also, at this level your dog may decide to tip the whole bucket to save
time. You may view this as cheating, but in reality your dog is learning
and adapting. Be sure to praise this solution.
If your dog successfully applies the tipping solution many times and becomes
bored with the game, try securing the bucket to a 4’x4’ piece
of plywood or particle board. Drill several holes through the bottom of
the bucket and screw it to the wooden platform. Now your genius-dog, unable
to tip the bucket, will need to learn and adapt once more.
• Step 4 and Beyond – Canine Einstein
After months of adaptive learning your dog has become accustomed to Bucket
O’KONG and its many variations and solutions. Below are some advanced
variations. Caution: closely supervise the following advanced variations.
Know your dog and use your best judgement.
1. Repeat Steps 1 & 4 in front of your dog. Place the treat-filled
KONG in the bucket. As you add empty KONGs, fill in the spaces with your
dog's other favorite toys. Your dog will have to pick through both the
empty KONGs as well as the other toys to find the reward.
2. Repeat Step 1. Place the treat-filled KONG in the bucket. Add enough
water to just cover the treat-filled KONG. Use treats that stick to the
inside of the KONG and do not dissolve quickly. KONG Stuff’N Beef
& Liver or Snaps work well. Peanut butter also works well if applied
to the inside surface of a dry KONG (recommended outdoor activity).
This variation can be made more challenging by gradually adding empty
KONGs to cover the treat-filled KONG. You can also gradually add more
water to the bucket.
Use your imagination and experiment with additional variations. Your dog
will love it. If you find a clever variation, please write the KONG Company.
We would love to hear from you. Have fun and keep those doggies busy.
KONG
Stuff - A - Ball
PHOTO CONTEST
Win $500.00 or valuable KONG Gift Baskets! It’s simple. Photograph
your dog using a KONG Stuff-A-Ball and email digital image to: kong@kongcompany.com.
Or mail photograph to:
KONG Stuff-A-Ball Contest
16191 Table Mountain Pkwy
Golden, CO 80403-1641
(Photos mailed to the KONG Company cannot be returned)
KONG Stuff-A-Ball
Treat dispensing fun with a dental cleaning advantage. Treat-dispensing
features keep dogs content and out of trouble, while the patented Denta-Ridges
effectively clean teeth and massage gums. KONG STUFF’N treats and
pastes work great to initiate play sessions.
Rules:
1. The photo must contain a dog(s) interacting with a KONG Stuff-A-Ball
toy.
2. Make sure your photo is clear and of good quality (300 dpi preferred).
If your picture is blurry, or the KONG Stuff-A-Ball unrecognizable, it
is not likely to win.
3. Limit two photos per contestant per quarterly contest.
4. The dog owner’s mailing address and phone number must be included.
Any prize won will be mailed to that address. Contestant information will
never be used or distributed for any other purpose.
5. The KONG Company will pick one “Best Photo” winner from
the images received.
6. There are three guaranteed prize categories: Grand Prize Winner, Second
Place Winner and Third Prize Winner. Grand Prize winners will receive
$500.00 US and a large KONG Gift Basket. Second Place winners will receive
a large KONG Gift Basket (worth approximately $120.00). Third Place winners
will receive a medium KONG Gift Basket (worth approximately $85.00).
7. Photo comments and captions are welcome, but not necessary to win.
8. All entries must be received by April 20, 2006. No entries accepted
after April 20, 2006. A winner will be selected by April 30, 2006.
9. Winning photos may be used in KONG Company advertisements and promotions.
By submitting photographic images to the KONG Company, you grant KONG
Company a perpetual, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, modify, publish,
distribute, and otherwise exercise all copyright and publicity rights
with respect to those photographic images at its sole discretion, including
storing it on KONG Company servers and incorporating it in other works
in any media now known or later developed including, without limitation,
published books. The KONG Company reserves the right to select, edit and
arrange submissions, and to remove images from the KONG Company website
at any time at its sole discretion.
NEXT
KONG NEWSLETTER WILL BE SENT
May 1, 2006
If
you have any comments or suggestions for future newsletters, please let
us know. Click here
to send comments, and please mention the newsletter in the subject
line of the email. Thank you!
KONG Newsletter Archives
•
Volume 1 - March, 2005
• Volume 2 - June, 2005
•
Volume 3 - October, 2005
For More Information Visit
www.kongcompany.com
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