Product Review: Death Star Pull Toy

This Death Star pull toy is probably the cutest thing that ever came out of the Star Wars franchise. I mean seriously, how much cuter could this be? None more cute. The big, sturdy stuffy has a rope handle and three holes that connect with each other inside. It comes with one little plush squeaky Darth Vader, and two little plush squeaky storm troopers. These can be pulled out of the space station endlessly and adorably. So. Cute.

Photo by Erin Koski

I've always liked pull toys, they seem to give my dogs the satisfaction of unstuffing something without actually destroying it. Cleanup is much easier, and the toys can take so many different forms.

The first pull toys I can remember seeing were the Egg Babies by Kyjen. These were stuffed animals with inner cavities that contained three squeaky eggs. Kyjen also sold extra eggs to replace any that went missing. We never had an Egg Baby, but Brisbane used to have a birdhouse toy with three different colored plush birds. He loved it for a while, but eventually the novelty wore off. I ended up passing it along to the animal shelter after Ru joined the family. He kept getting his head stuck in it, and I mean seriously stuck. I nearly had a cut it off him.

Photo by Erin Koski

Unlike the bird house and Hide-A-Squirrel toys, the Death Star does not have a big inviting space for chihuahua heads. The interior is pretty heavily stuffed, so Darth Vader and the storm troopers fit snugly inside. This makes them more challenging to get out with less risk of entrapment since Ru would have to moosh his head into a stuffed space and not just a big empty hole.

Pros: Sturdy fabric. Rope handle makes the space station easy to carry. Storm troopers and Lord Vader are very detailed and easily recognizable. Overstuffed toy makes this puzzle more challenging that open-cavity type pull toys. Treats can be hidden inside for added interest.

Cons: They should sell extra Vaders and storm troopers to replace the ones that get lost.

Bottom Line: This is currently my favorite dog toy. It is also Sisci's current favorite dog toy, which is pertinent since she is actually a dog. There also exists a Millennium Falcon pull toy with Han Solo and Chewbacca. I need to own this.

Happy Star Wars Day!

May the fourth be with you! I've been a huge Star Wars fan since early childhood, and I'm thrilled that it has so permeated popular culture. I'm especially pleased with The Force Awakens and the fact that half the people in the background are women, whether soldiers or trading post visitors. (Still trying to pretend the prequels didn't happen...)

Photo by Erin Koski

Petco apparently has officially licensed the Star Wars brand, and their offerings have only gotten
better since their initial product line. My favorite bit of apparel is definitely the Yoda sweater. I think every chihuahua should have a Yoda sweater. The least popular product from that line was definitely the Princess Leia harem girl harness, the clearance bin was stuffed with those for months.

Petco started offering licensed Star Wars pet products in early 2014 or late 2013. From the simple printed collars, themed harnesses, and sweaters, they've since expanded to a much wider and more sophisticated product range. R2D2 chihuahua purses, imitation leather studded collars, and some really unique toys.

There are a ton of basic plush, rope, and squeaky toys that just happen to have Star Wars characters on them. Much more exciting are the gems like our Death Star treat ball. I mean look at this thing! It's a perfect little Death Star, plus it's a food puzzle! I believe the current incarnation is clear so the dog can see the goodies inside.

Photo by Erin Koski

Sisci's favorite Star Wars toy is definitely our Death Star pull toy. It's a great big plush space station with a rope handle and three holes for hiding little squeaky guys. It's so cute I don't mind too much when Sisci wakes me up at 6am with a plush Darth Vader in her mouth.

I'm definitely appreciating the addition of a girl Jedi protagonist. My six year old niece has a Rey costume, maybe I can talk my sister into making one for Sisci?

Check out my review of the Death Star stuff tomorrow!

Puzzle Toy Review: Death Star Treat Ball

This Star Wars puzzle ball is shaped like the Death Star, and it's so awesome I can barely stand it. That's no ball, that's a space station! I find most of Petco's Star Wars merchandise to be sort of pedestrian and blah, but this...this is art. The big hole (where the giant laser of death comes out) has a rim around the inside that makes it easy to pop kibble inside, and difficult for the food to fall out again. Instead, the food has to come out the smaller hole at the bottom.

The top has an even larger holes covered by triangular flaps, through which a chew stick or long biscuit can be partially inerted. So many options!

Photo by Erin Koski

Puzzle Toy Rating

Capacity: 2/5
I just checked, and I can jam exactly 3/4 a cup of PureVita kibble into this thing. It's enough to feed a small meal.

Loading Speed: 1/5
One kibble at a time, the big hole is too small for a soda bottle funnel.

Unloading Speed (standard dog): 5/5
It's really tough to get that last kibble out, and most of the time when I find this ball around the house, there's still a piece or two left in there.

Photo by Erin Koski

Unloading Speed (superdog): 4/5
It drops the food at just the right rate to keep Brisbane interested, without dumping the entire load at once.

Size: 4/5
Bigger than a tennis ball, so big enough for a fairly large dog to enjoy, just not a giant breed. Light enough for a tiny dog, too.

Durability: 5/5
It won't stand up to a power chewer on a mission of destruction, but anything less is unlikely to hurt it.

Noise: 5/5
Soft rubber rolls silently across my hard floors.

Photo by Erin Koski

Locatability: 2/5
Fits under the couch and rolls freely, the only reason I can usually find it is because the dogs enjoy carrying it around.

Washability: 2/5
I can shove a bottle brush in there, but it would be tough to scrub most of the inside of this ball.

Versatility: 3/5
The difficulty in cleaning limits what sorts of treats can be put inside, and what animals can use this ball. It's a nice size though, and has a lot of potential.

Total: 33/50