Product Review: Petmate JW Megalast Bear

Petmate's JW Megalast Bear is an unusually tough squeaky toy. This is a thick and heavy toy with a recessed squeaker and a shape that's tough to gnaw. It is made in the USA from proprietary material that is 100% recyclable. It is available in assorted colors and two sizes, I highly recommend getting the larger size unless you have a really tiny dog.

Photo by Erin Koski

Indestructible Dog Toys

Godzilla and Zip received several tough toys for Christmas, in an attempt to rein in the rate of toy destruction around here. This one looked promising, possibly the toughest squeaky toy I've encountered so far.

Most squeakies are either plush toys, or thin vinyl. Neither can handle a power chewer, and most don't survive even moderate gnawing. This thing? It's heavy, thick, and made from the same stuff as other JW Megalast toys. They aren't completely indestructible, but many power chewers can enjoy them without reducing them to tiny pieces.

Photo by Erin Koski

The De-Squeaking

Photo by Erin Koski

While the gummi bear is currently holding up to its second month of nonstop fetch and wild chomping, I can't say the same for its squeaker. Not sure what happened exactly, since it's still attached and everything. It just...stopped squeaking. I think the squeaker lasted about three days. 

Pros

• Tougher than regular squeaky toys
• Big enough for large and giant breeds to play safely
• Shape makes it difficult to shred
• Tends to last power chewers longer than most toys
• Made in the USA

Cons

• Squeaker may cease to function
• Not actually indestructible
• No guarantee of durability

Bottom Line

Photo by Erin Koski

Some dogs are still going to shred the Megalast Bear, but there are a lot of reviews from owners of power chewers stating that this is the only toy that lasts in their house. It's certainly holding up well around here! Happily, it's also pretty easy to find for under $10, so it's worth trying for your destructopuppy.

Stuff We Destroyed: November Edition

Brisbane wasn't much of a toy destroyer, he had some toys for more than a decade without demolishing them. Godzilla also tend to be easy on most of her toys. Zip, on the other hand, likes to chew stuff up. Yay! I finally get to test how durable our toys are! She's certainly not a power chewer, but she does occasionally decide to give something a good gnaw. Here's the most recent casualties:

Holee Roller by PetMate

I bought the girls a second JW Holee Roller so they could each have an Unstuffaball. Somebody got a little carried away liberating the fleece strips from the toy.

Kong Tuff 'N Lite Pig

Sisci Godzilla filled the pink pig with holes, but Zip is the one that chewed the face and feet off the pink pig. She loves ripping chunks off it. I didn't expect it to be totally hollow, but there was nothing inside. Except maybe dignity. 

Kong Squeezz Crackle Ball

Like so many reviewers before me, I found that our Kong Crackle Ball split at the seam just from regular play. This toy wasn't gnawed into oblivion, it was just fetched to death. I did get to see how it worked though, inside the purple ball was a clear rubber ball, and inside that was a piece of clear plastic like you might find holding a brand new action figure onto a cardboard back card. The result was a very firm and very crackley ball that was, it seems, entirely too much fun to chomp.

Outward Hound Splash Disc

This is one of those water toys that my dogs feel compelled to shred for some reason. I was keeping it out of reach until we could take it somewhere to play in the water, but it was all for naught. They really just wanted to demolish it on land or sea. There's just something about that neoprene bathing suit material that they can't resist.

Hyperflite Jawz Pup Disc

Hyperflite makes their Jawz discs for those dogs that tend to puncture everything in their enthusiasm. These are really seriously tough discs. They are not, however, tough enough to handle being pilfered from the disc bag for a good gnaw. I'm just glad Zip likes discs this much.

So that's what we killed this month. Toys that are getting a lot of playtime and handling it well so far include the Wox, both Jolly Balls, and an antler I bought for Brisbane in 2009.

Product Review: PetMate JW Holee Roller

PetMate's JW Hol-Ee Roller is a one-of-a-kind rubber toy with tons of uses. Though there are many imitations and a number of variations offered by PetMate itself, the original Hol-Ee Roller remains the most versatile. This ball comes in three sizes, the largest being 7.5" in diameter.

Photo by Erin Koski

The popular Jumbo Hol-Ee Roller is a a big ball that is easy to get a grip on. It flexes and collapses in a very satisfying way for dogs that like to chomp their toys. It does not present a choking hazard even for giant breed dogs.

This ball is awesome for interactive play. It can be thrown indoors or outdoors without worrying it will hit something. The large shape is easy for dogs to track and catch in the air. It can be used for games of tug as well. No matter what you do to it, the ball always pops back into shape again.

Photo by Erin Koski

The Holee Roller can also be modified in multiple ways. A rope can be tied through it for easy tugging and flinging. The holes stretch enough that a tennis ball can be jammed inside. You can even jam big chews and food items like pig ears and large biscuits in there for your dog to puzzle over.

As awesome as this ball is, there are some limitations. Rubber is easy on the teeth, but can also be chewed through very quickly. The Holee Roller is definitely not a chew toy, and won't stand up to much gnawing.

Pros: Very versatile, many different uses and ways to play.

Photo by Erin Koski

Cons: Unlike the JW Megalast product line, this toy is easy to gnaw into pieces if your dog is in a destructive mood.

Bottom Line: Better for interactive play than self-entertainment, particularly for dogs that like to chew.

Puzzle Toy Review: JW Treat Tower

The JW Pet Treat Tower by Petmate is a bobbing puzzle toy that is wonderfully adjustable and easy to clean. It comes in two different sizes, ours is the smaller one. The top unscrews and all the layers come off for easy cleaning. The opening in each layer can be adjusted to three different sizes, and the openings can be positioned anywhere around the circle.

Photo by Erin Koski

I had originally passed over this toy because it looked non-adjustable and difficult to clean. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it came completely apart and was quite adjustable. Definitely not as simple as it looks!

Puzzle Toy Rating

Capacity: 3/5
I can fit about a cup of kibble in the smaller of the two sizes, but I have to do it carefully and quite a bit spills out.

Loading Speed: 1/5
Basically one kibble at a time.

Unloading Speed (standard dog): 5/5
It takes Annie forever to get all the treats out, but drops them often enough to keep her interested.

Photo by Erin Koski

Unloading Speed (superdog): 4/5
The Treat Tower empties out a bit fast for Brisbane, even on the hardest setting.

Size: 4/5
At nearly a foot tall, the big one should be big enough for any dog. The smaller one is small enough for Ru to use

Durability: 4/5
This should hold up to pretty much anything short of a determined chewer.

Noise: 1/5
Hard heavy plastic on hardwood floors is pretty much the worst case scenario.

Locatability: 5/5
It doesn't fit under the couch, and nobody tries to carry it around so it doesn't go far.

Washability: 5/5
Comes completely apart for super easy cleaning.

Versatility: 5/5
The size options and ease of cleaning mean this toy can be used by a variety of species. We borrowed the Treat Tower from our friend Xhuuya the raven.

Total: 37/50

Product Review: JW Evertuff Squeaky Barbell

The Evertuff Squeaky Barbell by JW Pet is a durable nylon chew toy with a soft squeaky toy inside. It is available in several colors and two sizes, medium and large. I believe ours is a medium.

Photo by Erin Koski

This somewhat awkward toy arrived in our September BarkBox. It's a hard nylon toy with one squeaky end, and I thought it was pretty heavy and unappealing.

Sisci's mission is to play with All The Toys, so she immediately ran off with the Squeaky Barbell and started chomping it. The novelty wore off pretty quickly though, and she hasn't touched it since that first week.

It's just...kind of a weird toy. I don't like throwing it because it's so heavy and clunky. Ours is supposed to be a medium size, but overall it seems a bit small even for 28 lb Sisci.

Pros: Durable. Several people have reported that this is the only squeaky thing their dog hasn't demolished in minutes. Affordable, so giving it a try is not a huge investment.

Cons: It's hard plastic and a serious chewer is going to gnaw it into sharp bits eventually. Too heavy for throwing.

Bottom Line: The relatively small price tag makes it worth trying if your power chewer shreds everything else. This might be the one thing that holds up, and either way you're only out ~$10.

The September Allergy-Friendly BarkBox

Our September BarkBox finally arrived yesterday! Unlike all our previous boxes, this month's did not include a card detailing the contents. Instead, the card directed me to visit BarkBox.com/MyBarkBox for a rundown of all our goodies. Many of our boxes have included corrections of the printed cards, and I know there is a lot of variety sent out each month so it's probably tough to keep track. Makes sense to put the same card on everything.

This month didn't particularly have a theme, and that's ok. We're expecting a whole bunch of winter and autumn-themed everything over the next few months even though it's projected to be 80+ degrees and oppressively humid here till January. Not that I'm bitter.

I would not have been happy to see the PetMate JW Pet Squeaky Barbel before Sisci joined us, but she is determined to play with All The Toys and started carrying it around and gnawing on it right away.

Sisci also happily adopted the BarkMade Shooting Star stuffy. It's not as cute as our P.L.A.Y. star stuffy, but it's not terrible.

We got a tasty EttaSays Rabbit Chew which I'm sure Brisbane will devour as soon as I hand it over.

The Lamb and Kale soft treats are BarkBox exclusives made in the USA by Delca. They look like they'll be good for training.

Those Chamomile, Honey, and Duck biscuits by Organicfuls look delightfully soothing. Sadly, Brisbane can't have them because he is allergic to duck and poultry. These will probably go to a coworker's dog.

Puzzle Toy Review: JW Pet Playbites Doughnut

The Petmate JW Pet Playbites Donut is another puzzle toy from the Playbites series. This is a clattering-type toy intended to be filled with small treats like kibble. The outer edge is one continuous slit, and stuffing in treats larger than the opening provides quite a challenge.

Photo by Erin Koski

Puzzle Toy Rating

Capacity: 2/5
I can fit maybe a quarter cup of kibble in this small one.

Loading Speed: 2/5
The continuous slit means I can't wedge a funnel in there to speed things up.

Unloading Speed (standard dog): 4/5
This took visiting dog Annie several hours to empty.

Photo by Erin Koski

Unloading Speed (superdog): 3/5
Brisbane can empty it pretty quickly, but for the amount of food it holds it takes quite a while.

Size: 3/5
This is the smaller size, about 4" in diameter. It's small enough for Ru to use. The larger one is 6" across, big enough for a medium dog or a less destructive large dog, but I wouldn't give to a Great Dane.

Durability: 4/5
It will probably hold up to almost anything but deliberate destruction.

Noise: 5/5
Natural rubber, hollow and flexible. Silent on my hardwood floors.

Locatability: 3/5
Small enough to get shoved under the furniture, but at least it doesn't roll.

Washability: 3/5
There aren't any major crevasses, but it's not exactly easy to scrub.

Versatility: 5/5
So far all my visiting dogs have enjoyed the Playbites Doughnut, and so does Xhuuya the raven.

Total: 34/50

Puzzle Toy Review: JW Playbites Caterpillar

The JW Playbites Caterpillar by Petmate is a durable, chewable toy that has for treat-holding segments. This is a natural rubber toy that is intended to stand up to some actual gnawing. It comes in various colors and two sizes for dogs.

Photo by Erin Koski

So far the caterpillar has only been used a treat dispenser around here, nobody has felt the urge to really chew on it. They have had quite a lot of fun emptying it out, though. Each segment has an x-shaped opening, and each opening is on a different side.

This is definitely a chew toy that can hold treats, it's primary purpose is not dispensing food. There's no way I could feed meals out of it, but the caterpillar makes a fun project for a crated dog. Sometimes I stick a few pieces of kibble in it when the dogs aren't looking and then leave it for them to discover later.

Puzzle Toy Rating

Capacity: 1/5
We have the smaller version of the Caterpillar, and I can only fit a few kibbles in each segment. Way less than 1/4 cup.

Loading Speed: 2/5
I have to shove each treat in one by one, but not many fit so it doesn't really take long.

Photo by Erin Koski

Unloading Speed (standard dog): 3/5
My visiting cattledog friends often spent quite a while on this project without getting every treat out.

Unloading Speed (superdog): 2/5
Brisbane has to think about it a little, but he can empty the caterpillar out in a few minutes.

Size: 4/5
Ours is a medium, but the large caterpillar is over a foot long and 4" wide so it should be fine for very big dogs.

Durability: 5/5
This is made out of the same stuff as Cuz balls, so it can handle everything but a power chewer.

Noise: 5/5
The caterpillar is sturdy rubber, but not really heavy enough to make a ton of noise on our hardwood floors.

Locatability: 2/5
It rolls quite a bit and fits under the furniture so it is prone to disappearing.

Washability: 3/5
It's intended for dry treats so it doesn't get too dirty. It's actually not terrible to scrub out either. The only issue is drying it, there's no way to set it so the holes can all drain at once. I have to turn it a few times before it will dry out completely.

Versatility: 5/5
The size of this toy makes it suitable for a variety of animals. The caterpillar is also a favorite of our friend Xhuuya the raven, who loves to wrestle nuts out of the segments.

Total: 32/50

Product Review: Good Other Cuz

The Good Other Cuz is a natural rubber squeaky ball by JW Pet. It features nubby little legs without feet, unlike the traditional Cuz ball. The Cuz balls come in assorted colors and three sizes for all kinds of dogs.

Photo by Erin Koski

Brisbane's Cuz ball is usually kept up out of reach, or in my training bag. This is because the Cuz balls contain the World's Most Annoying Squeaker, and Briz knows this. His preferred way of playing with the Cuz is to wait until something very important is happening that requires quiet, like a professional phone call, and then grab the ball and squeak with reckless abandon. The Cuz is his favorite Attention-Getting Device. We use it for agility practice, he works hard when he knows he will be allowed to squeak nonstop for several minutes while standing in the water bucket.

Pros: Highly-motivating and irresistible squeaking action. A tough toy that holds up far better than a standard tennis ball. Ours is a medium, the large size is big enough that it shouldn't present a choking hazard even for giant breeds.

Cons: Hearing this thing squeak inside the house for any length of time sort of makes me want to kill myself. Recreational chewers enjoy gnawing off the tiny legs off this Cuz.

Bottom Line: Using this ball only as a training reward strikes a nice balance between giving my dog a toy he adores, and never wanting to hear it squeak ever again.

Product Review: JW Megalast Ball

The JW Megalast Ball is a durable, chewable rubber ball made from JW's special "megalastomer" material. It bounces, floats, and has a center tube that can be filled with treats. It also smells pleasantly of vanilla.

Photo by Erin Koski

Our Megalast Ball arrived in one of the spring Bark Boxes, either April or May. I originally was not terribly impressed with it. Brisbane has very little use for anything that isn't a fuzzy tennis ball or a Chuckit! Ultraball. I tried to convince him to chase it, but failed completely.

Fast forward several months, when I began crating and rotating Brisbane and Ulysses, and needed more stuffable toys to keep them occupied. I filled this thing with peanut butter and stuck it in the freezer. It has been in our freezer toy rotation ever since. I like it because it can hold a modest amount of peanut butter, for a small but intense project. As Brisbane isn't always eager to go to work with me, sometimes I smear it with peanut butter in the morning and use it to bribe him into the car.

Pros: Durable and floatable. Smells nice. Unusual shape makes it interesting to bite. Larger-than-a-tennis-ball size makes it safe for even huge dogs. Made in the USA in a solar-powered facility.

Cons: Not as exciting a tennis balls and similar-sized objects around here. Many nooks and crannies make it difficult to clean.

Bottom Line: I'm not sure I would buy another one, but I certainly appreciate the Megalast Ball we have.