New kongs always smell like rubber. This doesn’t
seem to deter most dogs but if your dog is particularly
turned of you can run the kong through the dishwasher
a few times. Kongs are dishwasher safe, so any
time your dog’s kong develops an odor
you can run it through a dishwasher.
If the odor persists, try dumping about two
or three tablespoons of baking soda in the kong,
holding it over the sink, covering the small
hole with your finger, and dumping white vinegar
in. After that, let the kong soak for a few
hours in baking soda water and then rinse well.