Kong Genius

Thanks for that review, Julie!  I've been wondering about those Kong Genius toys.  Are your dogs chewers?  I'm wondering how long the rubber/plastic would hold up under the force of chewers who typically rip the feet off of Cuz toys. 

 They are chewers. I was watching them chew on the bowling pins (I actually have 3 now!) last night trying to get the treats out and was surprised at how well the things were holding up.

 I've been eyeballing, but the local store only carries them in XL. I may have to order some from dog.com (which is usually cheaper, anyways) to try out. I think the girls would like them. 

Jewlieee

My only other comment is that I wish Kong would stop having their stuff made in China.

Julie, the two types of Genius toys are made to be attached to one another for increased difficulty - you may want to see if connecting a pin to either end of the tube helps make things more difficult.

I have a XL tube (the Mike) that I got before Kong took over the Canine Genius brand.  We only use large biscuits and it seems to work well.  We've used the bowling pin style (Leos) at the shelter I work at and once we cut the necks off they have held up just as well as the Kongs.  The necks were very vulnerable to chewing and the material hid the marks unless it was flexed to check for problems, so do check them thoroughly and frequently for wear.

 If you read their labels, the material comes from china but it is put together in the US - or it might be the other way around. Either way, you have to read the label of each product.

I get their newsletter too and I could swear they were all made in the US, until I looked at the fine print...

 I will dig out the product packaging for the kong genius and post on here what it says about where it's made. Meanwhile, this comes from (edited - pls PM Julie if you need the link):

Thank you for your question regarding the country of origin for KONG toys and treats. All Classic KONG natural rubber toys are made in the US. There has been only one exception in the past 30 years, one small shipment of KONG balls were produced by a reputable Chinese rubber manufacturer. These balls were produced under strict KONG Company guidance and were tested by an independent laboratory to guarantee quality and safety. The KONG Ball is no longer made in China. All KONG Natural rubber toys are made in the US.

All KONG Stuff'N Treats are made in the US and are manufactured in FDA and USDA/APHIS approved factories. All ingredients are of US origin with one exception: rice flour from Italy. Additionally, all KONG Stuff’N treats are tested for quality assurance by independent USDA approved laboratories. Together these two lines represent over eighty percent of all KONG products.

The remaining KONG products: Air KONG (tennis ball toys), KONG Plush, and KONG Wubba are made in China. These factories are under strict KONG supervision and have proven to produce reliable and safe products. All imported product lines are tested by independent laboratories, once in China and again in the US to prove they are safe and non-toxic. Once products are received in the KONG warehouse they are again subjected to strict KONG quality control procedures to further ensure our KONG products are the finest available. No KONG product, toy or treat has ever been involved in a recall.

The KONG Company would like to assure you our imported KONG pet products are not affected by the recent safety recalls involving tainted products from China. The KONG Company does not use any of the factories involved in these incidents. Our products are designed and tested to meet strict safety requirements and quality control standards. Since there are no set standards for pet toys the KONG Company uses the same US standards used for children’s toys and clothing.

We regularly test our products to ensure they meet applicable US regulatory safety standards which include 16 CFR 1303 ban of lead-containing paint (CPSA) and AATCC-112 for the determination of formaldehyde release from fabrics. In addition, we test for the soluble heavy metals content and product hazards requirements of ASTM F963-03, which is the standard consumer safety specification on children’s toys.

KONG is committed to safety and quality of our pet toys and treats. You have our commitment that the KONG Company remains vigilant, as it has for over 30 years, with ongoing testing and auditing to deliver the superior pet products you have come to trust.

Thank you for your continued support.

sl2crmeg

and they've toured their plant in Colorado

 Yes, even though the Kongs are stamped "Denver, CO", their headquarters are just outside Denver, in Golden:16191 Table Mountain Parkway, Golden, CO

 I checked the label on the genius and it says that it is made in the USA. yay.

I found the Genius toys on *sale* at our local big box store so I bought a pin style one to add to our tube one.  Kes is in love!  I haven't even put treats into it yet and he's spent the last hour playing with the toys (originally hooked together, but now he's pulled them apart lol).   It appears that the necks have been redesigned a bit, so no signs of the chewing issue I saw with the ones at our shelter.

 Ohh! I'll have to check our big box store. I really want a little one, since I saw one in person.

 I bought a medium blue one for Nike, and he loved it so much, that my non-retrieving Sheltie actually drove out of the weaves for it when I tossed it! 

 LOL ends in -art