Most Durable Dog Toys: All-Stars

 I started buying dog toys in the mid-1990's when I got my first dog. The only toy that I bought then that I still buy for my dogs now is the blue spikey Nylabone Flexichew. I think I have consistently had at least one in my house for at least 25 years. Need to actually make a post about those sometime. Anyway, I was just scrolling through a decade of blog posts here and started thinking about the toys that were featured there that are still kicking around my house all these years later. This is several dogs, several houses, and a cross-country move later, so these are toys with major staying power. I'm not counting toys that I have replaced later because I or the dogs liked them so much. Just the ones where the original toy photographed and purchased is still here.

Tuffy Pteradactyl: Pictured in this review of Mighty Dinosaurs from the same company, I've had this specific toy since roughly 2007. It's a bit worse for the wear these days because it is quite popular, but it is easily the most durable stuffed dog toy I have personally experienced.

Blue Kong: I bought a few of these at once and then never again, so the ones laying around the house right now are the same ones I reviewed back in 2014. Apparently they last a while.

PetProjeckt Dogegg: Very stained and no longer squeaks after 9 years. 

Budy Buddy Booya: See above. Both relegated to the basket of ugly old toys we keep outside these days.

Tuggo: This hard plastic ball with a rope through it has been living in my yard since 2016. It gets dragged around quite a lot. The rope remains in decent shape and the toy is fully functional.

Starmark Treat Dispensing Looper: Has been tossed, carried, and attacked by litters of puppies with the ferocity of fluffy piranhas. Nobody has ever tried to give it a good gnaw though, maybe the shape makes it less chewable?

Original GoughNut: Another testament to the staying power of ring-shaped toys.

Planet Dog Diamond Plate Ball: Unless it has fuzz, balls are for fetching rather than gnawing around here.

West Paw ZogoFlex Air Wox: I think I got the first one at SuperZoo 2016. This is probably the toy that has seen the most mileage and the most playtime. A huge variety of dogs have had consistent access to it for the last 8 years and it is still holding up beautifully. This one probably deserves its own post too.

StarMark Bob-A-Lot: It's tough to clean so I don't trot it out that often. This is a puzzle toy that isn't just out for free play all the time, but I first reviewed it here almost a decade ago so it gets an honorable mention.

Ruff Roots Dog Chew: Currently one of our outside toys. I have no idea why this toy is still here because nobody has ever seriously played with it. I should have tossed it years ago. I think I keep hoping some dog will fall in love with it.

Product Review: Busy Buddy Nobbly Nubbly

PetSafe's Busy Buddy Nobbly Nubbly is a durable chew toy designed to hold the company's various ring-shaped treats. The toy features durable nylon ends and a softer rubber center with grooves that can hold peanut butter, cream cheese, or any other gooey spreadable treat. One end unscrews to allow PetSafe's ground, pressed rawhide treats to be threaded onto the toy. The Nobbly Nubbly comes in four sizes for dogs up to 90 pounds.

Photo by Erin Koski

This is one of PetSafe's many variations on their screwbone design. The Build-a-Bone and Bouncy Bone work the same way, just unscrew one end and thread the treat rings on. The ends of the Nobbly are a bit more difficult to chew into oblivion, though.

Ours is a size large for dogs 50-90 lbs, and so far nobody has managed to unscrew it and gnaw the threaded bit, which is fairly impressive. Brisbane and Annie can spend a couple of hours working the treats out of it.

Photo by Erin Koski

I'm not a huge fan of smearing the center bit with peanut butter. This is partly because it presents so little challenge for them to lick it off, and partly because it ends up with peanut butter all over the floor.

Pros: Takes a long time for the dog to eat a very small treat. Easy to reload if you buy the right size rings.

Cons: Not quite durable enough for power chewers. Larger dogs can probably unscrew it fairly easily. Hard nylon ends become sharp when gnawed. Have to buy PetSafe's treat ring refills, and the ones for our medium-size toys don't fit this large one.

Bottom Line: This keeps Brisbane and Annie busy for longer than pretty much any toy in the house.

Puzzle Toy Review: Busy Buddy Squeak 'n Treat Booya

The Busy Buddy Booya is part of PetSafe's Squeak 'n Treat toy line. It is made from a durable, bouncy material and is designed to dispense treats randomly during play. This toy is dishwasher safe and comes in three sizes.

Photo by Erin Koski

Like several Busy Buddy toys, the Booya has flexible rubber fingers extending into the food opening. These can be trimmed to change the rate at which the food is dispensed. Of course, tiny kibbles are going to come out much faster than larger ones.

Puzzle Toy Rating

Capacity: 1/5
Maybe a quarter cup, this is definitely not a meal-feeding toy.

Loading Speed: 1/5
Most of the interior of this toy is taken up by the squeaker chamber, and there's not enough clearance in the treat chamber to use a funnel.

Unloading Speed (standard dog): 3/5
It takes Xena a while to get the last treat out of the Booya.

Unloading Speed (superdog): 1/5
Brisbane is a pro at emptying this toy, he definitely enjoys it, though.

Size: 4/5
Ranging from 6-8" long, the three sizes of Booya should be usable by most dogs.

Durability: 5/5
Several users have reported that this toy outlasted their Kongs! Definitely one to try for destructive chewers, or at least dogs that rip out squeakers immediately.

Noise: 1/5
Sure it rolls quietly across the floor, but it also makes an unholy shrieking noise.

Locatability: 2/5
It rolls a bit, and the dogs like to carry it around. It's a bit bigger than a Kong, though.

Washability: 2/5
This is a hollow toy that is dishwasher safe, so it should be fairly cleanable. It's definitely not easy, though.

Versatility: 2/5
The squeak makes this toy fun for Xhuuya the raven, but it needs to be more easily washable before I'm willing to give it to someone who eats carrion as a hobby.

Total: 22/50

Squirrel Dude Revisited

Our first Premier Busy Buddy Squirrel Dude was a size extra large. While it fit an entire cup of kibble, there wasn't much else I could put in it. Due to the sheer size of the thing, the dogs couldn't reach any food stuck in the very end of the toy. It was too large for them to bite effectively, and even tossing it was a bit of a stretch. I still use it as a roller puzzle toy, but I decided to get an more appropriate medium to size to explore the Squirrel Dude's potential as a Kong alternative.

Photo by Erin Koski

The most important difference between the Squirrel Dude and a classic-shaped Kong is that this toy has four little rubber fingers that protrude into the opening on the bottom. These prevent small treats like kibble from falling out easily.

To make the Squirrel Dude an easier puzzle, the rubber fingers can be trimmed. With time and heavy use, they tend to break off eventually. Once the rubber fingers are gone, the toy remains stuffable just like a Kong.

Photo by Erin Koski

We have a whole lot of Kongs, but only a couple Squirrel Dudes. For this reason, I am hesitant to chop the rubber fingers off our toys. With those intact, the dogs have a tough time getting peanut butter and other sticky treats out of the toy.

Product Review: Busy Buddy Biscuit Bouncer

The Busy Buddy Biscuit Bouncer is a durable chew toy that can hold some types of treats. It comes in two sizes for medium and large dogs.

Photo by Erin Koski

This is an interesting food toy, we don't have anything like it. This is a very solid, heavy rubber ball with a slot all the way through it. The packaging indicates that I should shove a standard bone-shaped dog biscuit into the toy. I do not have any standard bone-shaped dog biscuits.

This seems like it could be a great food toy for a serious power chewer. Convincing a less determined chewer to use it requires a little creativity.

Photo by Erin Koski

A dog with powerful jaws could bite down hard and crunch a biscuit inside the Biscuit Bouncer. Brisbane doesn't bite down on his toys like that though, and he doesn't find dry dog biscuits to be terribly motivating.

I've been putting jerky treats inside the Biscuit Bouncer. The Bixbi Daily Essentials and Fruitables Real Jerky both work great. This makes a worthwhile challenge for Briz.

Photo by Erin Koski

Pros: Super durable! I have yet to hear of a dog destroying this toy. Works as a ball without food, too.

Cons: It's really quite difficult to mash any kind of treat in there.

Bottom Line: This is a different sort of puzzle than most of our toys, and presents a unique challenge. It's not a toy that we use a lot, but it is certainly a way to keep Brisbane busy and thinking for ten minutes or more.

Puzzle Toy Review: Busy Buddy Twist 'n Treat

The Busy Buddy Twist 'n Treat is a roller-type treat-dispensing toy. It is made from durable rubber and comes in four sizes. This toy is also available in a softer rubber for teething puppies, and there is a cat version as well.

Photo by Erin Koski

The toy shown here is an extra small that we borrowed from Xhuuya the raven, we don't currently have one of our own. I did get one for my dearly departed cocker spaniel a few years before I got Brisbane, and that toy lasted us well over a decade before the rubber started to get a bit weird.

The Twist 'n Treat consists of two halves that screw together and come apart completely for easy cleaning. The toy can be filled with small treats and made more difficult by screwing it together tighter. I used to smear it with peanut butter and fill it with kibble.


Puzzle Toy Rating

Capacity: 2/5
Our old medium-sized Twist 'n Treat held less than a quarter cup of kibble. I know the large holds more than that, but not a ton.

Loading Speed: 4/5
Untwist, dump food in, re-twist. It can be tough to get it closed when filled to max capacity, however.

Unloading Speed (standard dog): 3/5
The peanut butter made it last a bit longer, but this was never a time-consuming project for Oakely.

Unloading Speed (superdog): 2/5
There was a reason I stopped using this long before it began to degrade.

Size: 5/5
Comes in Ru-sized all the way up to Doberman-sized.

Durability: 4/5
It'll stand up to all forms of flinging, squishing, and biting. Not hard chewing, though.

Noise: 5/5
Soft rubber means it can be bounced all over the hardwood without waking the neighbors.

Locatability: 1/5
It rolls, and the medium was small enough to fit under most furniture. Was often found in Brisbane's lairs.

Washability: 5/5
Unscrews all the way for easy scrubbing. Also top rack dishwasher safe.

Versatility: 5/5
The various sizes and flexibility of this toy make it good for a variety of creatures. Premier markets it for dogs and cats, it is also raven-approved and could potentially be used for enrichment for a variety of animals. The fact that it can be unscrewed gives it huge potential, and it has no hard parts of sharp edges.

Total: 36/50

Puzzle Toy Review: Busy Buddy Magic Mushroom

The Busy Buddy Magic Mushroom is a disappointingly non-psychedelic purple puzzle toy by Premier. It is wonderfully challenging for Brisbane, and almost easy enough for Ulysses to use. The Magic Mushroom comes in two sizes for smaller dogs and larger dogs. Ours is the larger size.

Photo by Erin Koski

As far as food-dispensing puzzle toys go, this one is my absolute favorite. It is the best thing ever. It can be loaded in seconds with an entire cup of kibble, the difficulty level can be adjusted to dispense food with more or less effort, it rolls quietly across my hardwood floors, and the entire thing can be taken apart and scrubbed thoroughly. As an added bonus, it has a ridiculous name and is purple. I don't think I would be nearly as drawn to this toy if it were, say, yellow and named The Food Ball. I don't think Brisbane actually cares about any of this, but Premier knows they have to get me, the human, to buy their toys. Premier is pretty good at appealing to me, the human.

Photo by Erin Koski

One of the things I love about the Magic Mushroom is that it requires more than one movement to get the food out of the toy. The bottom of the toy unscrews to allow a bunch of food to be scooped in, and there are three holes at the top for dispensing food when the shroom is turned upside down. Without the mushroom cap, this would be a somewhat easy bobbing puzzle toy. The half-sphere mushroom cap is what makes this toy magical, while the shroom is weighted, it isn't nearly as heavy as the Starmark Bob-a-Lot, or even the Kong Wobbler. As a result, the Magic Mushroom spends as much time upside down as it does rightside up. The kibble-dispensing holes in the shroom are located underneath the cap, so the food falls into the cap and the toy must be rolled upright again before dispensing its payload.

Photo by Erin Koski

The fact that this toy requires to separate actions to solve makes it absolutely fascinating to Brisbane.

Puzzle Toy Rating

Capacity: 5/5
I can fit at least a cup of kibble in there, probably more. Definitely way more than anyone here eats at a time.

Loading Speed: 5/5
Unscrew the huge base, dump in kibble, done.

Unloading Speed (standard dog): 5/5
On the easiest setting, this one is very challenging for Ulysses. He is likely to need a break before he empties half a cup of kibble out of it.

Photo by Erin Koski

Loading Speed (superdog): 5/5
Not only does this toy take 30+ minutes for Briz to empty, it keeps him happily engaged the entire time.

Size: 4/5
I wouldn't give the large shroom to a giant dog, but the small one is certainly reasonably-sized for a toy dog like Ru. Actually there's no reason he can't use the large one, either.

Durability: 5/5
Our shroom came from a thrift store and I have no idea how much abuse it took before arriving here. For hard plastic, this thing seems to absorb a lot of shock without clattering around horribly like our Kong Satellite.

Photo by Erin Koski

Noise: 4/5
It's not dead quiet, but pretty close. I'm impressed how little noise this makes on my raised-foundation hard floors.

Locatability: 5/5
Doesn't fit under the couch, and I always find it right in the middle of the room.

Washability: 5/5
The whole thing comes apart into four pieces for perfect scrubbing access. It's also top rack dishwasher safe, but this is one toy that I can get squeaky clean just hand washing.

Hoardability: 1/5
Briz can't actually pick this one up, so it never ends up in a crate or on the bed.

Total: 44/50

Product Review: Busy Buddy Bouncy Bone

The PetSafe Busy Buddy Bouncy Bone is a durable chew toy with ends that can be unscrewed to add Busy Buddy treat rings. It comes in four sizes for tiny through large dogs.

Photo by Erin Koski

The Busy Buddy Treat Rings are made from ground up rawhide and probably some other stuff. They are digestible and not terribly tough, but they fit on all sorts of Busy Buddy toys and come in various sizes. There are also thicker treat rings for use with certain toys. These are fairly low-value chew around here, Brisbane and Ulysses don't find them exciting enough to fight over, and everyone tends to ignore them when they are used with toys like the Build-a-Bone.

If the treat rings were more exciting for my dogs, I would buy them a lot more often. I would also love to find a recipe or method for making my own. There are probably jerky treats or something that I could stab the Busy Buddy toys through for a more exciting activity. Ru likes to gnaw on his Bouncy Bone, it's a lot like a Nylabone and that makes him happy. He won't chew the treat rings off it though, but Briz is quite skilled at removing them without damaging the toy.

Pros: Holds Treat Rings to encourage chewing. Durable bone material is sturdy enough for average chewers. Comes in a super tiny size for super tiny dogs.

Cons: Treat rings are ridiculously easy to remove from the toy, so this is only a challenge for beginners and low-effort dogs. The bone ends are fairly hard, and tend to develop sharp ridges when heavily chewed, these can cut a dog's gums.

Bottom Line: It's cute and colorful, but not for power chewers. I believe it to be less durable than a Nylabone.

Puzzle Toy: PetSafe Busy Buddy Squirrel Dude

The PetSafe Busy Buddy Squirrel Dude is a durable rubber chew toy with a hole at the bottom for dispensing food. The Squirrel Dude comes in four sizes suitable for most dogs.

Photo by Erin Koski

So this is basically an off-brand Kong in a lot of ways. It's a hard, durable rubber toy that is hollow inside, but it's shaped like a squirrel. The hole is in the bottom, so the squirrel basically poops kibble. Erin wanted everyone to be very clear about this.

So how is the Squirrel Dude different from everybody's favorite durable rubber chew toy? For one thing, the cavity inside is longer and narrower. We have a large Squirrel, intended for dogs over 50 pounds, and Brisbane and Ulysses can never get all the goodies out of the very bottom.

Photo by Erin Koski

The hole (in the Squirrel's bottom) is also smaller in diameter than the ones in our non-animal-shaped Kongs. This makes the Squirrel Dude a little safer for smaller dogs, who can get their lower jaws stuck inside the biggest Kongs.

The Squirrel Dude is made from harder rubber than Kongs, I think it's actually less flexible than our XL Extreme Kong. The large Squirrel is surprisingly heavy and while PetSafe claims it has a fun unpredictable bounce, I would be worried about head injuries and broken windows if this thing started bouncing anywhere nearby.

So what makes the Squirrel Dude a puzzle toy and not just a stuffable rubber toy? It's the four little prongs poking out around the butthole. These prevent kibble from pouring out and turn the toy into a challenge rather than a simple unstuffing task. The prongs can be trimmed to widen the hole, and are flexible enough that I can violate the squirrel with a bottle brush in order to clean it. Stuffing this thing is a bit of an art though, particularly since the large Squirrel is a bit oversized for my dogs. The fastest way to stuff it with a soda bottle funnel, which jams the prongs open. With heavy use the prongs may eventually break off, but the squirrel can still be stuffed with peanut butter and other goodies. I've had to abandon the idea of jamming larger biscuits inside our Squirrel because Briz and Uly can't get them out, and even with thumbs I have a tough time of it.

Puzzle Toy Rating

Capacity: 5/5

I can fit an entire cup of kibble in this thing.

Loading Speed: 5/5

Jam a funnel in the hole, pour in the kibble, done.

Unloading Speed (standard dog): 5/5

Ulysses, the dog who recently mastered the ball with a hole in it, can spend all day getting a meal out of this thing.

Unloading Speed (superdog): 4/5

Brisbane never gets a whole cup of kibble because he would turn into a blimp, but it takes him an appreciable amount of time to get his daily quarter cup out. It doesn't require a whole lot of effort, but it's tougher than a ball with a hole in it, and doesn't randomly dump most of its load at once.

Size: 5/5

Comes in Extra Small for tinydogs and large for big guys. I might have been happier with a medium, but the large is a nice addition to my collection of heavy duty toys.

Durability: 5/5

This is one of the few puzzle toys I actually would give to a power chewer. It's not indestructible, but it's also not made from hard plastic like many puzzles. It's a seriously heavy duty toy, and often one of the only ones a power chewer can enjoy without demolishing. Careful supervision is required for a while, but the Squirrel Dude is one of the first toys I feel comfortable leaving a new dog with unattended. Is the Squirrel Dude tougher than the Extreme Kong? It seems to depend on the dog, many destroy one and not the other.

Noise: 4/5

While I don't relish it thudding repeatedly on my hardwood floors, it's much quieter than heavy bobbers and hard plastic toys.

Locatability: 4/5

It's small enough to be shoved under the furniture, but the woodland creature shape prevents it from rolling under the furniture most of the time. It's also big enough to prevent the boys from carting it around the house.

Washability: 3/5

Dishwasher safe, whoopity-doo.(I don't have a dishwasher) The prongs make scrubbing a bit annoying, and since Briz and Uly can't get bigger stuff out I end up scrubbing this thing quite a bit. The small hole is great at preventing kibble from dumping out, not so great for getting the Squirrel squeaky-clean inside.

Hoardability: 2/5
Brisbane and Ulysses can both pick the Squirrel up, but it's kind of awkward and heavy so they tend to just empty it in place. I'm more likely to find it on the kitchen floor than in a crate or bed.

Total: 42/50

Product Review: Busy Buddy Build-a-Bone

The PetSafe Busy Buddy Build-a-Bone is a durable plastic chew toy with ends that unscrew to allow various rubber and rawhide discs to be added to the center post. It comes in two sizes for medium and large dogs.

Photo by Erin Koski

The Busy Buddy products are an extensive line of puzzle toys by PetSafe. They last a long time, I had a Busy Buddy Twist'n'Treat for over a decade before I decided it was kind of gross and tossed it. It was a favorite of my late cocker spaniel Oakley.

The Build-a-Bone is similar to several other Busy Buddy toys. The Bouncy Bone and Bristle Bone have the same twist-off ends. All of these toys use the Busy Buddy rawhide rings. These are made from ground and pressed rawhide, so they are digestible even if swallowed whole. They come in different sizes to fit the different Busy Buddy toys, and PetSafe also makes extra-thick rings.

"You want me to do what?!"
Photo by Erin Koski

The Build-a-Bone is a special Busy Buddy toy that is custom assembled from a selection of parts at a special store kiosk. There are two different sizes of bone ends and center posts to choose from, and then various rubber shapes to go in the middle. Busy Buddy rawhide discs can also be added to the center to entice dogs to chew and play. The toy in the picture features a pink heart, a yellow flower, and two purple teeth-cleaning shapes. It also has at least one rawhide disc between the purple spikeys,

"Seriously?"
Photo by Erin Koski

We a have a lime green ring and another pink heart on our second Build-a-Bone. The video on the Busy Buddy website also shows a red spiked disc and a blue textured disc, but I have yet to see these in a store. Our bones came from Lemos, a local pet store with a fantastically helpful staff. Both of our Build-a-Bones are the smaller size, these don't come in tiny-little-ratdog size and Ru ignores them. Brisbane only finds them interesting when they have rawhide rings on them, and like the Everlasting Treat Ball will often ignore them for weeks before suddenly deciding to chew.

Photo by Erin Koski

Pros: Fun and customizable, buying a second bone gave us more options. Far more durable than the Busy Buddy Bristle Bone, and more challenging than the Bouncy Bone. Brisbane enjoys gnawing this thing, and he doesn't care for Nylabones or other durable chew toys unless they are stuffed with tasty food. The Build-a-Bone provides a different type of puzzle for him to solve.

Cons: Brisbane tends to solve this puzzle by unscrewing one end and sliding off all the rings. Sometimes I can tighten it enough to prevent him from taking it apart. The reason I bought the second bone was because one day he decided the gnaw the end of the center post after disassembly. This seems to be a pretty common issue for users, others have had issues with the end of the post shearing off while tightening. The hard bone ends can develop jagged ridges that can cut the dog's gums.

Bottom Line: Obviously I like this toy enough to have purchased a second one. I usually have a package of rawhide rings for it in the cupboard. It's not a particularly high value item around here, but the dogs enjoy it. Definitely a toy for some dogs and not others, this is not a toy for serious power chewers.