Tuffy's Jr. Ring (red)

Enjoyment: 4/5
This isn't the first toy that Matty will go to, but she really does love playing with it when prompted.  She really enjoys carrying it around and even throwing it for herself!  It's versatile in its uses (fetch & tug) and it seems to be a great size for her.

Durability: 5/5
As with the Tuffy nEELmo, the stitching is extremely tough, the fabric is incredibly durable, these things are made to LAST.  No obvious signs of external weakness whatsoever.

Interactive: 5/5
Interactive to the core, this toy is designed to be played with relentlessly!  Throw it, roll it, tug with it, fetch, it's just an all-around enjoyable toy.

Availability: 3/5
 The best place to get this product is at Mydogtoy where you can get discounts just for being a toy tester and submitting your review once a month, but if you want to locate this (or other) Tuffy items online you can shop at Nextag or Amazon.

Price: 4/5
Sitting at $10, you won't find very many toys that are a better bargain for your buck.

Quality: 4/5
Very durable, excellent materials were used when constructing this toy!  The only thing taking a point away is, like the nEELmo, the squeakers are nearly impossible to activate and sometimes don't squeak at all.

 

Dentley's Rawhide Sticks (for medium dogs)

Taste: 1.5
Matty was given a rawhide bone of another brand, and loved it, so I decided to grab a bag of smaller ones so that when she finished her first one she would have some more to get started on.  However, she has next to no interest in these, she'll carry it around and hide it but never ever chews on them.   I don't know if it's the thin shape, the lack of taste, the texture...I really don't know.  Like the Nylabones, it's just a mystery.

Nutrition: 2/5
Almost completely empty of nutrition, these treats are designed to appease the chewy desire of puppies a dogs, not to provide nourishment.

Price: 3/5
At around $8 for the bag that I purchased, they are a bit high, especially considering Matty doesn't like them.  However, they have LOTS of variety to choose from and I would be willing to give a different flavor/style a chance.

Availability: 2/5
Produced only for Petsmart, you'll need to visit your local store or order online doing a "rawhide" search in the bar on the main page.  Searching for "Dentley's" will send you to their official website.

Tuffy Sea Creatures-nEELmo

Enjoyment: 4/5
Matty enjoys this toy, but the squeakers are difficult to activate and that's usually one of the drawing points for her.  However, this is quickly becoming one of her top favorite toys, she loves to drag it around (kind of like a large stick) and play tug.  The durable ridges of the toy make it harder for her to get to the softer plushie sides and gives her a challenge.  Lots of wagging and playing with this guy.

Durability: 4/5
Being a Tuffy toy, it's rated as a 7 out of 10 on their scale, and I would say that's a pretty fair rating, however, Matty quickly managed to tear loose some of the stitching around the face, discrediting the "5 rows of stitching" as advertised.  Though all-in-all this is a very heavy toy, and seems to be quite a durable product in spite of a few loose threads.  It can be washed and played with outdoors, and is designed to stand up to the elements.

Interactive: 3.5/5
You will want to spend time with your dog and this toy, mainly using it for fetch or maybe a bit of tug and chew.  Keep your pup supervised as it plays with this toy to keep it from ingesting any parts of this that may come loose. Can also be used for pool or lake fetching, if your pup likes to splash around in the water.

Availability: 3/5
The best place to get this product is at Mydogtoy where you can get discounts just for being a toy tester and submitting your review once a month, but if you want to locate this (or other) Tuffy items online you can shop at Nextag or Amazon.

Price: 3/5
Overall I think this product should stand to be a bit cheaper, maybe in the $10 range.  Improve the accessibility and quality of the squeakers, maybe fix the thread fraying, and I'd be a lot happier.

Quality:  3.5/5
Unlike the Mighty Toy Ball that we tested out last month, once the "outer shell" on this guy is removed or damaged, you will need to throw the toy away. Overall I think the materials that are used to make the nEELmo are wonderful, tough, and pleasing for doggie mouths to chew on, just watch out for the frayed strands of string and the loop of cloth at the end of the toy.  As stated above, if the squeakers are replaced to something a bit more reliable, I'd give a higher score.

 

 

Hartz Rubber Ball with Bell Dog Toy

Enjoyment: 1/5
This is one of the first toys that I bought for Matty, and to this day it sits completely untouched.  It looks as if I just took it out of the package.  I thought it would be a good item to play with while she was going through her "chewies" but even at the peak of her teething and chewing on EVERYTHING she left this untouched.  I can throw this ball, and she'll chase it, but when she gets to it she won't even touch it.  I don't know if she dislikes the weight, texture, or the sound of the bell.  Maybe it's a mixture of all of the above, but it just wasn't a good fit for Matty.

Durability: 5/5
It's hard to judge this category because Matty has given it next to zero attention, but judging by how it feels with the tough exterior and heavy rubber throughout, I have a hard time picturing ANY dog that could destroy it, though I'm sure large heavy biters could get through it eventually.

Interactive: 3/5
This would be a great toy to use in a game of fetch, ideally outdoors, because of its weight it could easily break a window or a fragile piece of decoration around the house.  Not a tug-of-war game, not an educational game, and it really isn't specifically intended for long periods of solo chewing which limits this item and its versatility.

Availability: 3/5
Hartz is a well-known brand that is stocked at most chain grocery stores, such as Wal-Mart, but it isn't a brand that you can easily find in pet stores.  You can visit their official website and browse through the full line of toys and products, but I didn't find this item in specific.  Curiously enough, they did have a small dog alternative.

Price: 3/5
At about $7, the price seems a bit steep for a big hunk of rubber with a bell inside.  However, if your pet enjoys this toy you should have many many hours of playtime before it is destroyed, stretching that dollar further and resulting in a fair price.

Quality: 5/5
There really isn't much to this product to be able to judge the quality, but the material used seems extremely durable and would most certainly stand up to the elements and big tough chewers.  Would be great for outside play.

                                                                 Bell ball is lonely :(

See also: Hartz Run 'N Romp Dog Toy review

ToyShoppe® Squeaker Mat Long Body Dragon Dog Toy

This wonderful fella has SIXTEEN squeakers built in, and as if that wasn't enough, it has a rattle in its head!  Simply put, this is a wonderful toy!  Highly recommended for youthful, excitable puppies or dogs, ideally small or medium in size in spite of its advertised recommendation for large dogs.






Enjoyment: 5/5
I know I've bragged about toys before, but seriously, this is probably Matty's new favorite playmate (tied with her "Bobo" which I'll review a bit later).  I knew when I saw it at PetsMart that she'd love it, because she goes CRAZY over anything that makes a lot of noise and it's a bonus when the toy is larger than her (gives her a "dominating" feeling).  If you're tired of your pup instantly chewing the squeaker out of a toy and quickly becoming bored with it afterward, this is a great option because even if one is removed there will be 15 more squeakers to go through!

Durability: 3.5/5
This guy is amazing because of all the of squeakers built in, but that leaves all of the individual pockets vulnerable for tearing open.  There isn't any stuffing, which is a huge plus, but there are multiple areas that a more destructive pup could tear off rather easily (such as the whiskers, teeth, back ridges, and maybe even arms & legs) but overall this toy is built rather sturdy and even if some of these pieces are chewed off, there will be more play left in it with very little to zero mess to clean up.

Interactive: 4/5
This is a very versatile toy, semi-educational, great for tug-of-war or for the pup to bite and explore on their own.  Not the perfect candidate for fetch, however, it CAN be thrown and retrieved just will likely get underfoot and trip up the paws of smaller dogs while they bring it back to you.  Also make sure you keep it indoors as it could get dirty and pick up grass easily, and I don't advise washing it unless it's done gently by hand.

Availability: 4/5
I found this product at my local PetsMart, but it can also be purchased online.  It's an exclusive made by ToyShoppe® for PetsMart only, but you can find similar alternatives at other places like Amazon if you prefer.

Price: 4/5
As always, I judge the price versus the amount of joy that Matty gets out of it, and this guy has already paid for itself twice over if you look at it that way.  It may seem a bit steep at around $17, but consider the mere size of the toy (about 26" x 6") and consider putting it at the top of your toy list.

Quality: 3/5
Decent materials throughout, though they aren't designed to stand up to the elements or to the "test of time" with rough chewers.  Keep an eye on this toy and inspect it regularly after play to make sure none of the furry parts or squeakers are loose and need to be disposed of or re-attached (for those sewers out there).

See also: ToyShoppe® Hide A Squirrel Dog Toy review

KONG AirDog Multi-Colored Happy Birthday Squeakair Medium Balls

You can read more about the company and their incredible origin story at their official KONG website.




Enjoyment: 4/5
As you can expect, any kind of bouncing and squeaking ball will probably make your dog happy, but KONG is one of the definitive makers of tough and enjoyable dog toys, these aren't just another "tennis" ball, these things come in a multitude of colors and sizes to suite any dog.  Matty loves to keep on the move, and the Birthday Balls have the perfect amount of bounce and squeeze-ability to make it satisfying for both pup and owner to grip onto, and light and airy for hours of enjoyable fetch.

Durability: 4/5
The Birthday Balls seem to have a lot of wear and tear in them, the ball itself will last a long long time, but the fuzz on the outside of the ball will start to fray and become a mess as it easily becomes targeted by distracted pups.

Interactive: 5/5
Definately an interactive toy!  It's simple, yet fun, and creates lots of bonding time without getting old.  It also expends lots of energy for that pup that's full of excitement.  However, Matty tends to leave them untouched if there isn't anyone to throw them for her. 

Availability: 4.5/5 
You can find these just about everywhere!  Target is confirmed in-store, but you cannot order online from them, however, places like Petsmart will deliver them right to you.

Price: 5/5
You can get this set of three for around $5.  Combine that with the amount of durability and playtime that you'll get out of each ball and you've got yourself a real bargain!

Quality: 4/5
Without the fraying of the outer "furry" shell, this would be a perfect score, but even with the fraying you still get quite a lot of playtime before it becomes unusable.

Iams® ProActive Health™ Puppy Ground Dinner with Chicken and Rice

Taste: 5/5
 Matty thinks this stuff is to DIE for!  I was still having a bit of trouble getting her to eat her dry food, so I got the idea of adding in a bit of canned food to see what that did for her and it worked WONDERS.  I add a flat spoonful in to her dry food, add warm water and mix it to create a stew.  She thinks it's a wonderful treat and blissfully chows down!  I can tell she's happy, because afterward she rolls around on her back and kicks her feet :)

Nutrition: 5/5
There really isn't a whole lot that I can say about this product that I didn't rave about during my review of the dry food counterpart.  It's full of added vitamins and minerals, promoting a healthy puppy with a shiny coat and tons of energy!  Created with lots of good and natural ingredients, you can find a full list and description at the official website.  Truly a product that you can trust, Matty is fantastic proof that this stuff is great!  Just be sure to mix it with some dry food, don't feed your dog just the can by itself, it will cause a pretty wicked case of the runs.

Price: 4/5
Iams is one of the brands that would be considered by some to be on the "higher" end when it comes to the price of dog food, but I believe in their product and it's a wonderful fit for Matty.  Considering I only use a spoonful of it for each meal, a can will last me a week or more and that makes it less than .40 a day.

Availability: 3/5
You will have a LOT of trouble finding this product if you are a dedicated online-only buyer.  I haven't had any luck finding a retailer that will deliver the canned product (likely due to weight/shipping issues) but you WILL be able to find this item in nearly every grocery store, pet store, southern ag, and even some larger veterinary clinics that carry the Iams brand of food.