Kong (dog toy)

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Kong is popular line of dog toys. The classic Kong resembles a snowman-like structure of three balls smashed together. Kongs also come in several variations for dogs of different ages and sizes. Made of rubber, they are hollow in the middle, and can be stuffed with treats for the dog to get out.

The toys are produced by the Kong Company of Colorado. The company owner, Joe Markham, invented the Kong in the 1970s, when his German shepherd was destroying all the chew toys he gave to it. He found that his dog enjoyed chewing on a hard rubber motorcycle suspension device, and spent about six years experimenting with different compounds to produce a chew toy of similar size and shape that he could sell to pet owners.^[1] Originally, Markham sold most of his products to Israel, Japan, Australia and the United Kingdom, but the Kong began gaining popularity in the United States in the mid-1980s, and have remained popular there ever since.^[2] The 2005 book Planet Dog describes the Kong as "possibly the best-known dog toy in the world".^[3]

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