From a VW Bus to the Scentwork Classic: Our Love Letter to KONG
Before we get into the scentwork side of things, let's be upfront: we love KONG toys here at The Sniffer Shop. They have been our go-to brand for years, and with six Labradors in the house, that is no small endorsement. The KONG SqueakAir ball in particular has survived more retrieves, mud baths and burials in muddy streams by Benson than any toy has a right to. So before we look at why KONG matters in scentwork, it is worth telling the story of how this remarkable toy came to be, because it is a good one.
The accidental invention
The origin of the KONG dates back to the 1970s in Colorado, USA, when founder Joe Markham crafted the very first one from a rubber suspension part of an old VW bus. Actually, you could say it was his dog Fritz, a retired police dog, who really discovered the KONG. Joe, a mechanic, noticed how Fritz loved chewing and playing with the rubber part. That quirky discovery led to the creation of a toy that was not only durable and flexible, originally designed to withstand the rigours of the road, but tough enough for the jaws of even the most enthusiastic chewers.
Today's KONG still carries that distinctive beehive shape, a little nod to the car part where it all began.
So how did a chew toy become a scentwork star?
It comes down to that natural Kong rubber. It has a distinctive, consistent smell that dogs can pick out with remarkable reliability, and because almost every dog-owning household in the country has a Kong knocking about somewhere, it is wonderfully accessible. There is something rather lovely about a dog's very first "find" being the smell of a toy they already associate with play and reward.
For these reasons, the scent of red Kong rubber has become one of the classic starting odours in scentwork for pet dogs. Many training clubs and instructors across the UK begin novice dogs on the Kong scent, often using a small piece of the rubber sealed inside a vented tin, before progressing on to the recognised competition odours. The dog learns the game (sniff it out, tell your human, get paid handsomely) on an odour that feels familiar and fun.
The Red Kong is a simple, accessible and popular choice of target odour. Let's explore some of the benefits and potential pitfalls of using it in scentwork training.
Using Red Kong in Scentwork..
Beyond familiarity, Kong has some properly practical advantages as a starter odour. A lot of UK scentwork organisations use Kong alongside other odours such as clove or gun oil.
Inert odour: There's far less chance of odour molecules transferring to you or around your training area, keeping the environment clean so the focus stays on your dog's nose. Be aware, though, that residual odour will remain after the Kong piece or container is removed, and time matters here. Red Kong that's been in place a few minutes leaves barely a trace, but leave it a few hours and those odour molecules have well and truly moved in, especially on porous surfaces like fabric or carpet, which hold odour far longer than hard, smooth ones.
Hassle-free setup: Easy to transport and needing minimal prep, unlike oil-based odours such as clove, gun oil, or other essential oils. Using Red Kong get sessions up and running fast with low risk of contamination.
Wash and go: Fully reusable. Wash in hot water (detergent's fine, just rinse thoroughly) and air dry. Done.
Watchouts when Using Kong in Scentwork
Reduced scent novelty
The flip side of Kong being a household name is that the smell can become a bit ho-hum. If your dog lives with one, you may need to take extra time pairing the Kong odour with high-value reinforcement so it becomes something exciting to seek out, not just the boring old toy in the corner.
Trickier to detect
Kong's odour is heavier and slower to vaporise than volatile scents like gun oil, which can make it a little harder for dogs to pick up. No bad thing, it just means laying solid foundations and not rushing your dog before they're ready.
Waste and the odd nicked finger
If you're using small tins or vials you'll need to cut a Kong up, which feels a bit galling with a toy that isn't cheap, and warrants a careful hand on the knife. We want the dog sniffing out Kong, not your fingertips.
Did You Know? Interesting Kong facts..
Does the colour of Kong matter?
Sniffing not Seeing.. A fascinating fact is that dogs don’t really “see” red. It appears as a dark grey or black to them, which encourages them to use their noses more than their eyes.
But doesn't Red Kong Smell like other Kongs?
A Unique Scent Profile..The Red Kong actually smells differently from its blue or black counterparts due to differences in the manufacturing process, this is why we need to use a Red Kong and not another colour.
Is the age of the Red Kong important?
At at the end of the day, there isn't one single molecule that makes "Kong smell like Kong". It's a whole bouquet of compounds coming off that natural rubber, and a dog's nose handles that with ease. They sniff in the full picture, and then the processing centre back at the nose hub does the clever work of going "yep, that's Kong", whether it's old, new, cut or whole.
When do I need to wash my Kong?
Only when you think it's picked up enough contamination to confuse your dog. The usual culprits are another dog's slobber, food crumbs, or traces of other odours you've been training with, anything that muddies the picture and has your dog questioning what they're actually looking for.
That said, a little contamination isn't necessarily the enemy. In real life, odours rarely turn up in pristine isolation, so a Kong that's picked up a few background smells actually mirrors the messiness of a genuine search. It gives your dog something to problem-solve, learning to work through the noise to the target odour underneath.
So you don't need to wash after every session. Save it for when you feel contamination may have started to interfere with the search and you want to reset your Red Kong.
In summary..
So there you have it.
The Red Kong: part firm favourite chew toy, part first case for your budding canine sleuth, and one of the most accessible starter odours in UK scentwork. It's forgiving, easy to handle, washes clean, and gives beginners a gentle, confidence-building way into the game.
Is the Red Kong a good first scentwork target odour? I think we can agree it is, accessible, repeatable and a great target to get a budding sniffer started.
Want to learn more?
Mandy Rigby at the Canine Scentwork Academy has created a brilliant online course, Scent Detection: Seven Step Process in Working With Kong, packed with a 35-page guide, 18 video lessons and five bonus resources for training with the Kong scent.Click here to learn more.
The Sniffer Shop Kong Products
Thinking of using a Kong in your scentwork training? You’re on the right track! We’ve added a range of Kong-based kits to make it even easier to get started — whether you’re training at home, on the go, or nurturing your dog’s inner canine detective.
Want more options? Explore our full range of scent detection kits designed for every level of sniffer
Kate Hart
Article written by Kate Hart, founder of The Sniffer Shop. Kate is an IMDT-accredited dog trainer and qualified scentwork instructor who loves helping dogs and their humans discover the joy of scentwork
