KONG Ball w/Hole – Medium/Large

KONG Ball with Hole – Medium/Large

This is the ball KONG make from the same natural red rubber as the Classic, which puts it in a different class from a pet-shop rubber ball: it is puncture resistant, it survives being caught rather than deflating, and it bounces high and slightly unpredictably. KONG now list it as the KONG Classic Ball; the Ball with Hole name is the older one for the same toy.

The hole through the middle is the part people miss. It takes kibble, a smear of peanut butter, KONG Easy Treat or a biscuit, which turns a five minute fetch into a twenty minute puzzle once the throwing stops. This is the Medium/Large, barcode 035585181127, from KONG's KB2 range.

Performance & Benefits

• Natural KONG Classic red rubber — the formula KONG rate for average adult chewers.
• Puncture resistant, so a caught ball does not collapse the way a hollow rubber ball does.
• Extreme bounce for active fetch, with enough irregularity to keep a dog guessing.
• Central hole holds kibble, peanut butter, KONG Easy Treat, chews or biscuits.
• Dishwasher safe on the top rack without the heat cycle, which is KONG's own instruction.

Suitable For

• Medium and large dogs, roughly 5–65 lb (about 2–29kg) across KONG's two size bands.
• Average adult chewers rather than puppies or dedicated destroyers.
• Fetch outdoors and stuffed enrichment indoors.
• Not for a power chewer — KONG's black Extreme rubber is the formula for those dogs, and we stock the Extreme in Small through X-Large.

How to Use

• Pack the hole loosely to start so the dog gets a quick win, then pack it tighter as it gets the idea.
• Freeze it stuffed to make a stuffed ball last considerably longer.
• Rinse the hole out after every stuffed session rather than leaving food residue in it.
• Wash in hot soapy water — KONG advise a ten minute soak before scrubbing — or top rack of the dishwasher with the heat cycle off.

Specification

• Size Medium/Large. Barcode 035585181127. KONG range reference KB2.
• Natural KONG Classic red rubber with a hole through the centre.
• Made in the USA from globally sourced materials, as stated by KONG.
• KONG's own listing for this ball gives its sizes inconsistently, describing it in one place as two sizes (S and M/L) and offering three (Small, Medium, Large) in another. No diameter or weight is published, so none is stated here.

Care & Caution

• A ball is the classic choking shape. KONG's own rule is that the toy should be bigger than the back of the dog's mouth — size up if you are between sizes, and size to the largest dog in the house.
• KONG state that no safe dog toy is completely indestructible. Inspect the rubber and bin the ball if it splits or a chunk is missing.
• Red rubber is for average chewers. Give it to a determined power chewer and it will not last.