KONG

KONG have been making dog toys in Golden, Colorado since 1976, and the red rubber Classic is still the one most people picture when they think of a dog toy. The rubber is what sets them apart — natural, non-toxic, and formulated so it flexes and bounces unpredictably rather than splintering the way sticks and bones do.

The range is built around chewing strength rather than breed. Puppy in soft blue and pink rubber for teething mouths, the red Classic for average chewers, and black Extreme for the dogs that destroy everything else. Each comes in six sizes, and KONG's own advice is to size up rather than down — in a multi-dog house, buy for the largest dog.

All of them are stuffable, which is the point. A KONG packed with something good and frozen will occupy a dog far longer than any chew, and it is the single most recommended thing for dogs left alone, crate training, or simply too clever for their own good.