Canine Have Been Chewing On Volkswagens For Many years

Canine house owners are most likely aware of the Kong pet toy. The rubber merchandise has three bulbous ribs and is often shiny pink. Once you throw it, the toy bounces in random instructions, making a extra thrilling session of fetch along with your pup. You may as well hold your pet occupied for some time by filling a Kong with peanut butter and freezing it as a deal with.

When you’re questioning why we’re discussing canine toys within the digital halls of DrivingOnRoad, it is as a result of the Kong did not begin out as canine leisure. Earlier than entertaining pups around the globe, this oddly formed merchandise was the axle cease for the Volkswagen Transporter van. This is the odd story behind its transition from automobile half to beloved canine toy.

One thing To Chew On

Within the Nineteen Seventies, a mechanic named Joe Markham operated a service store in Denver, Colorado. He had a German shepherd named Fritz that guarded the place at evening. Nevertheless, the canine was a chewer. As any canine proprietor is aware of, in case you do not give the pup one thing applicable to gnaw on, the pooch may be very damaging and probably even hurt itself.

Fritz chewed on rocks, and it turned an issue when he began sporting down his tooth. Markham was frightened about his canine’s well being, and he discovered an answer fully by chance. Markham had taken aside an unique VW Transporter that he was engaged on. Fritz began chewing on the van’s rubber rear axle cease. This piece mounts between the automobile’s body and axle, appearing as a damper to stop the leaf springs from contacting the axle underneath heavy hundreds.

Because it seems, a bit of rubber designed to resist suspension hundreds for hundreds of miles can be very sturdy towards a canine chewing on it. Markham realized that if Fritz favored chewing on this element a lot, perhaps there was a enterprise in promoting them to different folks with fur infants. He put the Kong on sale in 1976. Whereas the unique VW half was black, he contracted with an organization to mildew them in pink, making the toy simpler to see.

Right now, Kong provides all kinds of canine toys, however it’s traditional snowman-shaped providing continues to be the corporate’s core product. Canine house owners can select from extra-small to extra-extra-large sizes, and there are 4 ranges of toughness relying in your pup’s chewing energy. The corporate’s web site even features a picture of Fritz, which solely appears truthful given his very important function within the creation of the enterprise.

Volkswagen Celebrates Its Kong Connection

In March 2025, Volkswagen partnered with Kong and VCA Charities to supply a limited-edition model of the toy in a singular shade known as Cabana Blue, taking inspiration from the ID. Buzz. Proceeds from the gross sales went to a nationwide community of animal shelters. Every of them value $13.99.

Source: Why Is This Attention-grabbing, Kong, Volkswagen