Enjoyment: 5 / 5
After hearing about the FANTASTIC reviews for this product, we had to check it out for ourselves! And sure enough, the entertainment really is as great as they say! The challenging hide & seek element keeps Matty on her toes and completely enveloped in the toy. She LOVES the high-pitched squeaky sound that the squirrel makes and makes no hesitation to bury her face into the stump and "chase" after it!
Durability: 1.5 / 5
It pains me to rate such a great product so low in any of the categories, but the truth is that this just isn't a toy that's made to last. The soft fabric and furry tail of the squirrel make it extremely vulnerable once your pup gets ahold of it, in fact, Matty instantly started to try and yank the tail right off of it as soon as she had hunted it down. I had to grab the squirrel from her and start the game over again to keep her from destroying it the first day. The stump, however, is much more durable and made of quality materials that make it versatile and leaves the option open for hiding other teats and toys inside once the squirrel is out of the picture.
Interactive: 5 / 5
This is a VERY dog & owner interactive toy. It's amusing and entertaining for both owner and pup, with a bit of education and problem solving mixed in. However, you also need to keep a good eye on them so that they don't destroy or misplace the squirrel--DO NOT leave this toy unattended, keep it set aside for special play time where you can devote your full attention on your furry friend to ensure and long life for this item.
Availability: 1.5 / 5
This toy was made exclusively for Petsmart, you can find it in stores or on their website, but you're out of luck anywhere else. I've had zero luck finding a website for the manufacturer/developer which makes me wary of an item because I like to be able to put a face to the company that makes whatever it is that I'm buying so that I can investigate their reputation as well as give them proper credit when blogging about them, so it rubs me the wrong way that there is next to no information about Toy Shoppe dog toys. As an alternative, I located a different version on Amazon that is the same basic concept, but available in different sizes (by a company called Kyjen). In retrospect, I wish I had purchased the item from them because of their informational website that contains background history as well as other innovative dog items.
Price: 4 / 5
Not going to complain about the price at all, with my Petperks card at Petsmart the item was under $15USD and has already earned its weight in playtime.
Quality: 3.5 / 5
The tree stump portion of the toy is sturdy and made of quality materials, the elastic around the openings is secure and sturdy, while remaining soft and squish-able while Matty digs around for the squirrel. However, as mentioned before, the squirrel is very frail. The materials are quality, but the cloth is thin and the tail is furry and easy to pull out and shred. This product is also sold loose, which resulted in me getting home with only ONE squirrel, whereas I was meant to get THREE.
After his squeaky pig, this was Shadow's favorite toy. He still loves it! Again, may I recommend upco.com. They sell this and a couple variations (birds and bees) for under $10 for the big versions. If she likes thinking toys you might try the puzzle plush dog. Its a long dog with rings on it. The dog needs to pull the rings off the dog. Each ring has a squeaker in it.
ReplyDeleteI'm adding Upco to the link list to the right, that way I can find them easily! Thanks again for the feedback & suggestions! Most certainly looking into some of the more challenging/puzzler toys!
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