Choose a toy too big for your dog to swallow. KONG says the largest ring of a KONG should be bigger than the back of your dog’s mouth, and to size up when you’re unsure.
KONG Classic sizes
| Size | Dog weight |
|---|---|
| XS | Up to 5 lb |
| S | Up to 20 lb |
| M | 15–35 lb |
| L | 30–65 lb |
| XL | 60–90 lb |
| XXL | 85 lb and over |
KONG’s Choosing the Right KONG page gives Medium as 5–35 lb, where the KONG Classic page says 15–35 lb. For power chewers, KONG says to go up one or two sizes or try the KONG Extreme.
The choking line
- Too big is the goal: KONG wants a toy to be too big for your dog’s mouth, and a ball’s circumference larger than its jaws.
- Puppies: size by your puppy’s weight now, not its adult size, and check again as it grows. KONG says a toy that’s too small can be a choking risk.
- More than one dog: size every toy for the largest or toughest chewer in the house (KONG).
- Worn toys: KONG says damaged toys can be a choking hazard, or cause a blockage if pieces are swallowed. Humane World for Animals says to throw out tennis balls that have been chewed through.
- Supervise: KONG labels the Classic for supervised use only, and Chuckit! says to always supervise play and replace any toy with rips, tears or cuts.
Humane World for Animals adds that a toy that’s too small can be swallowed or become lodged in your dog’s throat, and that a dog that shakes its toys needs one large enough not to be swallowed by accident.
Chuckit! Ultra Ball sizes
| Size | Diameter | Next to |
|---|---|---|
| Small | 2 in (5 cm) | Slightly larger than a golf ball |
| Medium | 2.5 in (6.4 cm) | About the size of a tennis ball |
| X-Large | 3.5 in (8.9 cm) | Slightly larger than a baseball |
| XX-Large | 4 in (10.2 cm) | Slightly larger than a softball |
Chuckit!’s Ultra Ball page gives diameters only; it has no size image for the Large, so the Large isn’t in the table. Pick a ball larger than your dog’s jaws, as KONG advises for its own balls.