With today being National Dog Day, King Volkswagen of Gaithersburg wants to recognize man’s best friend and take a bit of a stroll down memory lane! Did you know that the popular KONG dog toy was inspired by a part from a classic Volkswagen Bus?
t all started in Joe Markham’s auto body repair shop in 1970. You see Markham didn’t live in a great area and needed some extra security from burglars. So, he adopted a police academy German Shepard flunky named Fritz. Fritz was said to have a chewing problem and Markham soon found out that his new pup really was an exceptional teether with his favorite object of choice being a rock!
But the rock began wearing down Fritz’s teeth and Markham became desperate to find a suitable replacement that could withstand the dog’s powerful bite but still go easy on his teeth! Then, one day while repairing a customer’s Volkswagen Bus, Fritz got a hold of the vehicle’s rubber axel stop and Markham was struck with inspiration! It was perfect! The conular, snowman shaped piece had a great shape and was strong enough to withstand even Fritz’s sharpest fangs! So, Markham spent years developing the dog toy and contacted a German engineering firm to help him design the best version of his vision! And thus, in 1976, the KONG dog toy hit the markets and has remained one of the most popular dog toys out there!
So, this National Dog Day, take a moment to play with your pup, and remember that our pets often inspire us and make us better people in unexpected ways! And if you’re in the market for a brand new Volkswagen to take your furry friend on your next adventure, check out King Volkswagen’s available inventory and schedule a test drive at King Volkswagen today!
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