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. 

Purina® T Bonz® dog snack

This product also comes in a larger size for bigger dogs.  Look for the "Porterhouse" flavor in a similar package.  I laughed out loud at the expression on the dogs faces when I saw it at the store :)


Taste: 4/5
As with the Meaty d'lites (also a Purina treat), Matty seems to be instantly drawn to the smell of these very pungent treats and has little to no hesitation in taking the treat from my hand and gobbling it up, though she doesn't seem overly enthusiastic.  It's a little hilarious because little bits of it seem to always rocket out of her mouth, but she always goes and happily cleans them up.  Probably not a good idea to give them to puppies who are still getting their adult teeth seeing as these are very moist and chewy.  These make great "reward" snacks as well.

Nutrition:  4/5
Purina is a very trusted name that always puts quality materials in their products, and this one is no different.  As always, they are proud to display any information you want on their official website.  Great source of protein, though a little high in fat (though it shouldn't be a problem for energetic dogs, just be sure to modify mealtime appropriately if you are watching your dogs weight).

Price: 4/5
Shop around to find the best price on these, I paid about $3 (which seems to be a fair price considering the amount of treats that you get) but I've seen them marked as high as $5 which would be a bit much for what they are.


Availability: 5/5
I purchased my bag at Wal-Mart, so you should be able to find these at your larger grocery stores and any pet store, such as Petsmart or even some veterinary clinics that stock Purina brands.

 

Mighty Toy Ball - Medium Orange

I recently signed up to be a dog toy tester with MyDogToy and agreed to receive a toy once a month for Matty to try out and for us to review.  This is our first one, and I'm very excited to be starting a video series specifically for this reason!



Enjoyment: 5/5
Matty took to this toy INSTANTLY.  She adores the loud bellowing squeaks that it produces and the ease that they come out.  Perfect for fetch, and it even has a bit of a bounce to it!

Durability: 5/5
It is as they advertize, absolutely tough to the very core!  The outer "shell" (the fabric) could potentially bunch up and eventually be torn off, but then there is another layer underneath!  It's like getting two toys in one, with the added bonus of ZERO fillers to worry about once the fabric layer is removed.  HERE is a really cool chart and explanation about how the Mighty brand toys are made.

Interactive: 4/5
This is absolutely meant to be an interactive toy rather than a chew toy.  Plan on spending hours and hours with your pup playing with this wonderful toy, romping and squeaking and bouncing away!

Availabilty: 3/5
You can find the Mighty brand of toys at various places online, such as Amazon or Nextag, but I highly recommend becoming a tester with MyDogToy to get a discount and an insiders look at all the latest and greatest dog toys and items!  Locally I haven't found a single thing by them, so this will be something that you'll need to find at your favorite online source.

Price: 5/5
When you take a look at some of your "higher end" dog toys and see that you're spending at the very LEAST $15 for an item that doesn't take nearly the wear and tear that this item does, the VIP price of just over $10 seems incredibly generous when you take a look at how much play time Matty & I will get out of it.

Quality: 4/5
Definitely made from some of the very best and most durable fabrics and resources available!  As I mentioned before, this toy will last you a long long time.  There really is no other way to put it, there's not much of anything they could do to improve my happiness with this item!

Update: About a month and a half later the "outer shell" is still in-tact, but the squeaker has stopped working.  You can hear it rattling around inside.  Matty still plays with it, but it's lost a bit of its luster now that she can't make it squeak.