There are four lines of toys by KONG that are our FAVORITES for deaf dogs. You get what you pay for in quality and durability. All are linked at the bottom of this post.
The first is the Kong Jumbler. Whoever at KONG designed this toy is simply a genius! The KONG Jumbler line of toys have a ball inside a ball. The inside ball rattles around and holds your dogs attention, and the outside shell is incredibly tough. Axl LOVES this toy as he sees the inside ball and loves shaking the toy to make it move, yet the outer shell has proven to be amazingly durable – hours and hours of play and Axl can’t put a mark on it. Give the KONG Jumbler a try, you won’t be disappointed – it is well worth the cost and is available in a variety of shapes and colors.
The KONG Classic Dog Toy. These are appropriately named and should be a staple in any dog family. But, at Deaf Dogs Rock we actually use them much more as pacifiers than toys… Our dogs are all crated trained, and part of the reason they are so happy in their crates is that when we are going to leave for a bit they start out with a treat. We stuff these Kongs with a mixture of wet dog food and peanut butter. If we’re organized, we’ll even stuff it the night before and put it in the freezer to slow them down even more as they work to get at all of the food. But – important note – make sure you leave a passage through the center (air hole on the small end), if you completely seal the Kong your pup can create suction as they work the toy and run the risk of getting their tongue stuck. Available in many sizes, we have a variety for our different weight dogs.
Second is the KONG Wubba Dog Toy, it is one of our all-time favorites. It combines the durability we need, playful tassels for tossing and chewing, and most importantly it squeaks. Yes, deaf dogs feel the squeeks and love it! Available in a variety of sizes, colors, and shapes, you can easily find a Wubba your pup will play with for hours!
And finally, the simple but durable KONG Air Squeaker Tennis Balls. Such a simple item – but KONG does it right with their Air Squeaker Tennis Balls. Yes, these are just tennis balls, but, they are simply the best ones you can get for your dog! They are durable, and their squeakers last longer than any others we’ve tried. Yes, eventually your dog will destroy any tennis ball, but these really last. And, they are available in different sizes for different size dogs. As a final safety note – these tennis balls are free of chemical odor which is a real concern if you use actual tennis balls that are not designed to be in an animals mouth..
