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: Starmark Treat Dispensing Football

Starmark's Treat Dispensing Football is a crunching toy that can be filled with treats for added fun. It is, or was, available in two different sizes, but does not currently appear on the company's website.

Photo by Erin Koski

The girls got this toy for Christmas because I found it in a clearance bin, but so far it has been a major hit. It makes a crackling noise similar to the Kong Squeezz Crackle Ball, but is much, much more durable. IT is currently the favored fetch toy in the house, and they haven't managed to fetch it to death yet.

There are a lot of reviews of this toy that mention dogs being able to pull the treat-dispensing bits out of the ends. It's possible that is why the ball is not currently described on Starmark's website.

Photo by Erin Koski

Pros

• Makes a crunchy sound
• Pretty durable, will handle endless squishing/crunching
• Can be stuffed with treats

Cons

• Treat-dispensing ends may be easy to rip off (my dogs have not though)

Bottom Line

As a fetch toy, this thing is pretty awesome. We've had it for over two months and they have not managed to fetch it to death yet. It might be the most durable crackle toy out there.

Product Review: Starmark Treat Crunching Barbell

Starmark's Treat Crunching Barbell is one of two toys that hold their new edible Treat Rods. This is a durable chew toy that comes in two sizes. It is dishwasher safe and latex-free, and it floats. Both sizes of Treat Crunching toys can be used with either size of Treat Rod. Mine is the smaller sized toy, and I haven't yet tried it with the larger rods.

Photo by Erin Koski

The Treat Rods are chewable tubes into which small treats can be stuffed. Starmark's Interactive Treats can be jammed into the ends to prevent everything from falling out, and then the whole rod is shoved into the Barbell toy. The smaller sized rods fit all the way into the toy, so removing them requires the dog to chomp the toy really good. When the rod breaks, the treats fall out.

The Barbell has Starmark's signature clover-shaped opening on one end, and on either side. There is a larger opening on one end for inserting the rod, and other treats could be stuffed in there as well.

Photo by Erin Koski

Our Barbell is the medium size, for dogs up to 40 lbs. The girls enjoy playing with it whether there's treats in there or not, but I think they would enjoy the larger size as much if not more. Getting the treat rod out would certainly be a bigger challenge.

Pros: The treat rods make this toy a new and different challenge. It's pretty durable, and it floats.

Cons: The shape makes it simple to gnaw the ends off if that's what the dog wants to do.

Bottom Line: It's pretty much always a good idea to size up with Starmark toys, at least for my dogs.

Product Update: Starmark RubberTuff Stump

I brought a Starmark RubberTuff Stump toy home from SuperZoo, and was unreasonably excited about trying it out. This natural rubber toy provides a very different chewing experience than Starmark's flagship Everlasting Treat toys. The new Lock & Block treats are designed specifically for the RubberTuff toy line.

Several hours after I posted my original review for the RubberTuff Stump, I realized that it was already missing chunks. The toy came with a single Lock & Block treat, and I had purchased a pack of two refills. Sisci Godzilla does not normally chew to destroy, but the toy was already taking serious damage after only two play sessions. This is a size medium toy, the package says it is for dogs 15-40 pounds. Sisci Godzilla is a trim 28 pounds, so this seemed like the correct size toy for her.

I never write off a product without contacting the company first, so I emailed Starmark with a picture of the toy. They responded by sending me a large RubberTuff Stump, for dogs over 40 pounds. Yay Starmark! I truly appreciate a company that stands behind their products.

Testing and reporting back on the performance of the size large Stump was a bit delayed because
I couldn't find large Lock and Block treat refills anywhere. That's what I get for being an early adopter. My local shops only carry the small and medium RubberTuff toys and treat refills. I finally found large treats last week, and immediately put the large Stump to the test.

I am pleased to say that after two rounds of refill treats, the large Stump is holding up significantly better than the medium. It has some punctures, but the rubber is not tearing loose or giving up this time. Obviously it's not going to last forever, but it seems to be capable of withstanding the kind of chewing for which it was designed.

So know we know: Size up your RubberTuff toys! It's not a bad idea to size up on Starmark toys in general. My medium-sized dogs certainly get plenty of enjoyment out of the toys intended for dogs over 40 pounds, and 6-lb Ru loves the medium toys.

Stuff We Destroyed: December Edition

It's time for the monthly roundup of stuff that didn't survive the month! When I first started this blog, none of my dogs were destructive. Brisbane had toys that lasted most of his 11 years. Josie didn't care much for toys in general. Ru has never destroyed anything in his life. The current crop of dogs are much harder on their toys, and I'm delighted to have the opportunity to put product durability to the test.

I've been in denial for a while, but I'm beginning to suspect that Zip is a power chewer. She doesn't really set out to demolish toys, but she does like to pause for the occasional gnaw while fetching. She hasn't really gone for any of our toughest toys yet, but she has managed to fetch quite a few of our fairly tough toys to death.

That's the Spunky Pup Fetch & Glow Ball up front with the hole. It's sitting in the curled remains of the Chuckit Floppy Tug, which was remarkably short-lived for a toy advertised as "tough".

The leather Aussie Naturals Squeaky Bacon toy sat neglected at the bottom of the toy bin for two years, until Zip decided it had to die. Planet Dog's Mazee, the Amaze-Ball, developed a tear at the opening, and then Zip and Sis decided to pull the maze out of the ball. I got Sisci Godzilla a Cycle Dog 3 Play happy hippo for her birthday, and someone promptly chewed a leg off. Our Nite Ize Glowstreak LED ball developed some tears in the flexible ball material, and then the entire plug that holds in the light popped off one night.

Way in the back there is our original decade-old Starmark Treat Dispensing Chew Ball. RIP. I'm pretty sure the newer material is a bit tougher. There's also a de-stuffed Mighty stegasaurus, our P.L.A.Y. king crab, a Kyjen Plush Puppies stuffed octopus that was older than Ru, and the carcass of a stuffed reindeer from last Christmas.

We also lost some gear this year, casualties of lure coursing and camping. Sisci Godzilla sometimes gets so excited in her crate that she drags in and shreds anything in reach. She got a hold of her ComfortFlex Sport harness at a lure coursing event and shredded it into many pieces. Godzilla has also taken to biting through leashes when excited, so mostly we're using steel cables these days. I got her a tug leash to match the harness, and left her tied up for a few minutes while setting up camp in the redwoods. So long, leash!

Product Review: Starmark Treat Dispensing Looper

Starmark's Treat Dispensing Looper is a new take on their amazing food toys. The Looper is a large ring that bounces, floats, and can be filled with kibble or small treats for added fun. It is available in two sizes, ours is the larger one.

Photo by Erin Koski

We've had one of our Treat Dispensing Chew Balls for well over a decade now, but Starmark has recently decided to think outside the ball. They've expanded the flexible, chewable, treat-dispensing toy concept into other shapes. We have their dumbell-shaped Treat Dispensing Squeakee, and now we have the Looper as well. They're all made with the same durable material that is easy on teeth, walls, and furniture.

I can easily see that the Chew Ball, Squeakee, and Looper are all variations on a theme, but they each have their unique qualities. The ball rolls and is fun to chomp and squish. The Squeakee squeaks, and never rolls under the couch. The Looper can be tossed like a frisbee, used as a tug toy, and rolled like a wheel. It's a lot of fun to chase when it's rolling, but it doesn't get lost like a ball. It can dispense treats, but they don't come out nearly as easily as they do in the chew ball.

Photo by Erin Koski

Pros: Durable enough for a large amount of biting and chomping, though not intended for a serious chewing project. More challenging to get treats out than most of our other Starmark chew toys. Floats, bounces, and can be rolled and tugged for lots of versatile play.

Cons: Probably easier to demolish than the Treat Dispensing Chew Ball just because of the smaller diameter. May be too difficult for some dogs to get the treats out consistently.

Bottom Line: When I first saw the Looper I thought it was just a variation on an already good toy, but it turned out to be surprisingly unique.

Product Review: Starmark Treat Dispensing Squeakee

Starmark's Treat Dispensine Squeakee squeaks, floats, bounces, and dispenses food! It's pretty incredible. In retrospect, I'm a bit surprised nobody thought of combining all of those things earlier. Though not indestructible, this is a pretty darned sturdy squeaky toy. It's not really horribly loud, either. I believe the Squeakee is only available in one size and color at this point.

Photo by Erin Koski

This is another product that I feel was created to solve some really common problems with squeaky toys.

1. My dog ate it.

While certainly not indestructible, the Squeakee is significantly tougher than any of our other flexible vinyl squeaky toys. It's thicker than the Squeeki Tiki. It's more flexible than Han Solo encased in carbonite. It doesn't have any super-gnawable feet like the Cuz balls. I expect it to stand up to occasional chewing better than similar products.

2. It sounds dreadful.

Photo by Erin Koski

Ok, the absolute worst squeaky toys on the planet are those foam-filled latex ones that sloooowly suck the air back into them. The second worst squeaky toys on the planet at the Cuz balls. Starmark's Squeakee is a whole lot more tolerable, mostly because it contains its own squeak.

See, the toy had an opening for inserting treats at one end, and the treat chamber takes up most of the toy. The squeaker part is at the other end, and it squeaks into the treat chamber. This muffles the sound a bit, which is really quite nice.

3. My dog won't play with it.

Not every dog sees the point of non-edible toys, especially if those toys cannot be unstuffed. Starmark made their squeaky toy hold treats, which doubles the attraction. Dog not that into getting the fod out? Squeak that thing for more excitement? Dog doesn't care for flexible vinyl squeaky toys? Hey look, it drops food too!

Pros: Squeaks without making me want to light it on fire. Can hold kibble and other treats, and the Starmark clover-shaped opening can be altered to make it drop food faster. Floats, so your dog can take it on every adventure.

Cons: I bet I could make it sink if I squeaked it underwater.

Bottom Line: My enthusiasm for this toy may diminish over time as I hear it squeaking more and more.

Product Review: Starmark Rubbertuff Treat Stump

I'm ridiculously excited about Starmark's new RubberTuff toys. These are supposed to be a bit tougher than some of the Everlasting Treat toys (see the edit below, they're actually not). They're made out of a different material, they don't specify but it looks like natural rubber to me. The whole Rubber Tuff line is made to work with Starmark's new Lock & Block treats. The new toys come in three sizes, and three shapes. I have the Rubber Tuff Stump, there is also a ball and a bone. While I did purchase my toy, I was given a discount at SuperZoo.

Photo by Erin Koski

I am a big fan of Starmark's Everlasting Treat toys, but that design has a weakness that some dogs figure out how to exploit immediately. Whether it's the Bento Ball, Wheeler, Groovy Ball, or the original Treat Ball, Everlasting Treats are inserted into the toy by popping them under a rim. That rim is an ideal point of entry for dogs that like to rip off chunks of toy with their front teeth.

The new Rubber Tuff toys still use a rim to hold the treat in place, but now the top of the treat covers that vulnerable spot. There aren't any obvious weak points in the toy itself when the treat is inserted. However, I am interested to see if any of my product testers manages to get their teeth under the treat in order to pull it straight out. It took a lot of force to get it in there, so hopefully the designers at Starmark have already planned for that possibility.

Photo by Erin Koski

The inside of the toy is hollow, with Starmark's usual lobed openings on either end. The Stump can hold two Lock and Block long-lasting edible chews, and smaller treats can be stuffed into the middle.

Pros: Dishwasher safe. More chew-resistant design than previous Starmark treat-holding chew toys. Textured surface may help clean teeth if your dog chews it just right. My dogs find it a little more appealing than the Everlasting Treat toys. The treats are made in the USA.

Cons: Lock & Block treats only come in one flavor right now.

Bottom Line: I must admit, this toy really looks like the unholy offspring of an Everlasting Treat Ball and a Kong.

EDIT! 

I just put our second round of Lock and Block treats in the Rubber Tuff Stump, and it appears this toy's durability is severely lacking. Sisci has managed to gnaw chunks out of it just by eating the treats. She's not a deliberate toy shredder, so I'm surprised that the Stump didn't hold up to the amount of chewing it appears to be designed for. I am going to contact Starmark to share my experience, and will report their response. 

Product Review: Starmark Treat Dispensing Pickle Pocket

We recently acquired Starmark's Treat Dispensing Pickle Pocket, so get your mind out of the gutter because the toy looks about as bad as the name sounds. This is one of Starmark's ever growing line of toys that hold their ever growing line of proprietary treats. The Pickle Pocket holds Flavor Wave Treats, that fit perfectly in the grooves. It can also hold kibble, soft treats, peanut butter, and whatever else you feel like jamming in there.

Photo by Erin Koski

To be honest, I wasn't expecting this one to be a hit. It looked like too much work without enough payoff. Silly me, both Brisbane and Sisci love it. Briz likes to lick it lovingly. Sisci enjoys carrying it around the house and dropping it on my head while I'm trying to sleep. The Pickle Pocket it very, very heavy.

The Pickle Pocket is also not much of a pocket. The treat slits are pretty narrow and the toy itself is mostly a solid lump of heavy rubber. This means dogs aren't likely to get their jaws caught in it, but it also means the toy isn't intended for serving kibble meals. Pretty much every treat will have to be jammed forcefully in there.

This toy doesn't give up its treasures easily, either. My dogs have been working on a set of three Flavor Wave Treats for a couple of weeks and there's still some bits in there. It's definitely a toy for a very food-motivated dog and not just a casual snacker.

Pros: Very solid and sturdy. Openings are not large enough to present an entrapment hazard. Can use with any kind of food your dog will work for. Banana chips, carrots, kibble, small training treats, applesauce, peanut butter, jerky chews, chunks of big dog biscuits, raw meat, cheeseburgers, anything. Very sturdy, can handle quite a bit of chewing from most dogs.

Cons: Too difficult for dogs that lack motivation. Too large and heavy for little dogs, though 28-lb Sisci loves carrying it around. Attracts a lot of hair and crud. Jamming treats in takes effort and commitment. Hurts a lot when dropped on your head.

Bottom Line: Worthwhile if your have a puzzle-loving genius dog and don't mind awkward questions from visitors who spot it laying on your floor.

Product Review: Starmark Petsmart Exclusive Treat Ringer

The Starmark Treat Ringer is a Petsmart Exclusive food toy. It features an inner rod that holds edible Treat Rings, surrounded by a tough plastic rim. It comes in three different shapes, a ring, a bone, and a horseshoe. The ring is supposed to be the easiest, and the horseshoe the most challenging. This is a toy designed for power chewers and dogs that destroy everything.

Photo by Erin Koski

I spotted the Starmark Ringer toys at Petsmart and then failed to find them on the Starmark website when I wanted to learn more about them. On a subsequent visit to the store, I learned that these toys are sold exclusively at Petsmart. I was familiar with this concept, but had only ever seen My Little Ponies and dinosaurs as store exclusives at Toys'R'Us and Target. Exclusive dog toys are a whole new thing.

I bought this toy on our trip to Idaho, where I was able to test it on a variety of different dogs. My cousin's weird little curly-tailed mix was happily tearing chunks off of our Everlasting Groovy Ball within moments of claiming it, so I even had a power chewer test drive it.

I'm guessing Molly is a border collie/beagle/pug cross. 

How Long Does It Take?

The Starmark Treat Ringer horseshoe comes with five treat rings pre-installed. They take quite a bit of manual dexterity and some force to put on the toy, and are quite difficult to remove. The dogs mostly have to lick and nibble with their front teeth in order to liberate the treats. 

The only treat rings available for the toy are chicken-flavored, and contain "natural chicken flavor". It's pretty far down the ingredient list though, and Brisbane had already inhaled a bowl of Molly's chicken-filled food the day I bought the Ringer, so I let him play with it. Brisbane spent just under five minutes removing a single ring from the toy. Molly took about two minutes to pull one ring off, and only left some minor tooth marks instead of demolishing the Ringer. Theoretically it would take Brisbane 20+ minutes to empty the ringer of its original complement of rings, while Molly might take only ten minutes.

I liked how focused all of the dogs were on this toy. Sisci and my cousin's pit bull puppy both worked for a while on it, and were engaged until the toy was emptied. My aunt's little chihuahua/rat terrier mix spent half an hour trying to free a ring before he needed a break.

Pros: Tougher than other Starmark toys. Challenging yet engaging. Suitable for dogs of any size.

Cons: Might be tough enough to break teeth. Treats only come in chicken flavor. Cannot hold hold any other sort of treats.

Bottom Line: I think that "Petsmart Exclusive" thing worked, since I've started going there specifically to look for toys only available there. 

Product Review: Starmark Everlasting Treat Wheeler

The Starmark Everlasting Treat Wheeler is a durable chew toy designed to hold a long-lasting edible Everlasting Treat. The toy can hold two of these treats, and small treats or kibble can also be pushed into the grooves. The Wheeler comes in three sizes for small, medium, and large dogs.

Photo by Erin Koski

This is the most durable Everlasting Treat holder that I am aware of. Similar to the black Extreme Kong, though probably not quite as tough. The shape also makes it difficult for a lot of dogs to chew effectively, which makes it last longer with power chewers.

A lot of dog owners report that this is the only Starmark toy their dog hasn't demolished in the space of hours. I doubt it's a coincident that this is also the most difficult toy to get the edible treat into, in my opinion. It can hold two Everlasting Treats, but getting that second one in there was nearly impossible. The instructions claim that I can fit some kibble in between the two treats on our small Treat Wheeler, but I'm pretty sure they're lying. The medium and large toys might be different.

Photo by Erin Koski

Pros: Holds up better than most Everlasting Treat toys. Tire/donut shape makes destructive chewing difficult.

Cons: Difficult-to-chew shape may make it unrewarding for some dogs to chew. A few dogs are super good at popping the treats out of this toy. It is also a pain in the butt to clean, we got sand in the grooves while taking these pictures and no amount of individual scrubbing of each crevice has succeeded in removing it.

Bottom Line: Definitely worth a try for power chewers, especially those that need an edible reason to gnaw on a toy.

Puzzle Toy Review: Starmark Everlasting Groovy Ball

The Starmark Everlasting Groovy Ball is a durable chew toy. It holds one edible Starmark Everlasting Treat and can be filled with kibble or small treats. This toy also features grooves around the sides that can be spread with peanut butter, or cheese, or stuffed with additional small treats. It comes in three sizes for tiny through large dogs.

Photo by Erin Koski

Photo by Erin Koski

I am obviously a big fan of Starmark's products, and I particularly like their everlasting treat toys. While they all serve more or less the same function, each toy presents different problems to solve and different challenges. This toy is a lot like the Bento Ball in that it holds one Everlasting Treat and holds kibble in the other side. The Everlasting Groovy Ball holds a lot more food though, and those ridges are fun to shove kibble into. This is currently our favorite Everlasting Treat vessel.



Puzzle Toy Rating

Capacity: 4/5
Less than a cup fits in our medium toy, but not much less.

Loading Speed: 4/5
Very fast via soda funnel.

Unloading Speed (standard dog): 5/5
The foster puppies spent all day on this project.

Unloading speed (superdog): 5/5
It takes Brisbane close to an hour to empty the kibble out because the treat is so much fun to gnaw. The food in the grooves is also time-consuming to remove.

Photo by Erin Koski

 Size: 4/5
Large is large enough for most large dogs. Small is small enough for Ru, who is very small indeed.

Durability: 4/5
A determined chewer will devour this thing, but it'll stand up to pretty much anything less.

Noise: 5/5
Soft rubber makes it sound nice on my hard floors.

Locatability: 2/5
Small enough for Brisbane to carry, plus it fits under the couch. I usually find it in his crate or on his bed.

Photo by Erin Koski

Washability: 4/5
Dishwasher safe, but the stuff that keeps the kibble from falling out makes it a pain in the ass to hand wash.

Versatility: 5/5
This would be a good toy for Xhuuya the raven, I could hide nuts in the middle and jam kibble in the grooves for her to retrieve.

Total: 42/50

Kong Marathon vs Everlasting Treat Ball

Now that we've had the Kong Marathon and Starmark's Everlasting Treat Ball for a while, I think it's time to compare them directly and see how they stack up. We currently have two Kong Marathon toys, a large green ball and a small blue bone. Our Everlasting Treat Ball lineup includes one large Everlasting Treat Ball, one medium Everlasting Bento Ball, one medium Everlasting Groovy Ball, and a small Everlasting Treat Wheeler.

The Facts
Both the Starmark and Kong edible chew refills come in packs of two. At Petsmart a pack of large Kong Marathon refills costs $8.99 and a pack of small refills costs $6.99. A small pack of Everlasting Treats is $4.99, medium is $5.99 and large Everlasting Treats are $8.99. Everlasting Treats come in a variety of flavors, including chicken, hickory, vanilla mint, bacon, liver, and a chicken flavor that is wheat, corn, and soy-free. Kong Marathon treats only come in one flavor. Kong Marathon toys are available in two sizes, Starmark's Everlasting Treats and toys come in three.

Taste Test
While my dogs will eat almost anything, they definitely prefer the Kong Marathon treats to the Everlasting Treats. A Kong Marathon treat placed in the Kong Marathon ball or bone will inevitably be finished in one sitting. The Everlasting Treats aren't quite so irresistible, they can hang around for several days depending on the flavor, and sometimes I have to resort to bribery to get them to finish.

Ease of Use
It might be easier to pop treats into the Kong Marathon toys, I originally used a spoon to help pop the lip of the toy over the treat. As the ball gets chewed up, it has become much easier to get the treat into it. The Starmark Everlasting Treats can be tough to get into any of the toys, the trick is to get the treat a tiny bit wet first. Even a little bit of water spread across the treat with my finger works, as does spritzing the toy itself. Still, the loaded toy is supposed to dry before being given to the dog.

Capacity
Not only do Kong Marathon and Everlasting Treat toys hold durable edible chews, they also have space to hold kibble, peanut butter, and other small treats. The large Kong Marathon ball holds about 3/4 a cup of kibble, the small bone holds about 1/4 cup. The large Everlasting Treat Ball holds a quarter cup of kibble and two Everlasting Treats. The medium Everlasting Bento Ball holds less than 1/4 cup.

Durability
After about eight refills, our green Kong Marathon ball is looking pretty sad. The edges are getting all crumbly and I can easily pull bits off with my fingers. The Everlasting Treat Ball has had at least that many refills, the Everlasting Bento Ball has been used a dozen times or more. Both of the Starmark toys are still holding up just fine. They have some small splits around the edges of the treat hole now, and those make it easier to get the treat itself loaded. The splits do not appear to be getting any larger at this point.

Bottom Line
According to Brisbane and Ru, the Kong Marathon edible chews taste better. According to me, the Everlasting Treat Ball is infinitely more durable. The Starmark Everlasting toys show little to no wear after a lot more refills, while the large Kong Marathon ball is already falling apart. I've seen the Kong Marathon toys on clearance recently, I'm really hoping the Kong Company is taking this idea back to the drawing board and will come out with a more durable version in the future.

Treat Tuesday: Starmark Everlasting Treats Liver

Contrary to what the name would have us believe, Starmark's Everlasting Treats do not, in fact, last forever. Starmark has been moving away from the Willy Wonka-themed product names for a while now, so I assume they will be changing these to something serious in the near future. I would like to suggest Edible Gnawing Discs or something equally unimaginative. I also insist on pronouncing the word "gnaw" with a G like Captain Hook in the Peter Pan play. "Guh-naw".

Good For: Tossing straight to the dogs when I want them to spend a while guh-nawing. Stuffing inside the Everlasting Bento Ball and Everlasting Treat Ball. Lasting about as long as a bully stick. Being tastier than the chicken, hickory, or vanilla flavors. Rolling under the furniture and getting lost without rotting.

Not Good For: Actually motivating the dogs to chew the entire thing out of a toy unless doctored up a bit. Lasting forever, or any longer than a bully stick when not wedged into a toy. Noticeably cleaning teeth.

How Much We Like Them: Enough to keep buying them and jamming them into those toys. I think I have four packages in the cupboard right now.

Product Review: Starmark Pro-Training Clicker

The Starmark Pro-Training Clicker is a button clicker used for clicker training. I can probably jam the word "clicker" into that sentence a few more times, but I will restrain my enthusiasm.

Photo by Erin Koski

This might be the prettiest clicker I own. Look at that embossed running dog decoration! Unfortunately, this clicker seems to be mostly built for looks rather than function. Unlike box clickers, which tend to have a solid plastic box containing a metal strip, button clickers have a top and bottom half with the metal sandwiched between them. The issue with the Starmark clicker is that the two halves aren't particularly well attached, so the clicking action tends to separate them over time.

Pros: The loudest button clicker, but easy to muffle by holding the button against my palm. Wider and flatter than the i-Click, and louder too.

Cons: Appears to have quality control issues. More difficult to hide in my hand. Less reliable than the i-Click with a tendency to fall apart.

Bottom Line: I just don't use it that much, and for the price the i-Click is a much better value because I can buy three or four of them. I lose clickers all the time, I need more than one. Brisbane will respond to pretty much anything that clicks, though.

"My Dog Doesn't Like Everlasting Treats"

I am a big fan of Starmark dog toys, but sometimes it's hard to get my dogs on board. I know there are more natural, healthier things for them to gnaw, like raw bones, but I can't beat Everlasting Treats for their ability to remain ungross while spending weeks lost under the furniture. We do raw bones pretty frequently, but outdoors or in bare crates. I'm not about to give anyone the opportunity to gnaw a beef rib on the couch.

Everlasting Treat Ball with treat inserted upside down.

As far as raw bones versus Everlasting Treats go, the dogs are strongly in favor of the bones. They're all willing to gnaw an Everlasting Treat on its own, but put it in an Everlasting Treat Ball or Bento Ball and it suddenly ceases to be worth the effort. I tell them "Look, you and I both know that you would be happier spending the day blissfully gnawing this thing than just staring at the wall in your crate." But they refuse to touch them, sometimes for weeks. Putting smelly, exciting treats and peanut butter in the middle does not spur them to start chewing. I tried dribbling fish oil into an Everlasting Treat Ball once, which inspired Briz to gnaw for hours but also got smelly, impossible-to-clean fish oil all over the crate, bed, floor, and Uly.

When I watched Starmark's Everlasting Treat video recently, I noticed that they sometimes had the Everlasting Treats inserted into the toys upside down. The treats are dome-shaped, and normally go in the toy with the domed side facing out to provide a nice chewing surface. An upside down treat leaves very little to grip and also leaves a handy little bowl.

Upside down treat filled with peanut butter.

I filled that bowl with peanut butter and froze the whole thing. By the time Uly had slurped off all the frozen peanut butter, the treat had gotten to that slobbery, smelly state where it apparently become irresistible. He spent several hours working on this project, ate one of the Everlasting Treats and started working on the second when he had to take a nap to recover from all that effort. The Treat Ball is quite scratched up and no longer looks brand new, but that just means it is finally being used as intended.

Most of my local stores only carry chicken-flavored Everlasting Treats, which Brisbane can't have and Uly and Ru won't eat. Lemos carries liver flavored treats, and Petco carries the interlocking nut-and-bolt Everlasting Treats in chicken flavor, but nobody has non-chicken Everlocking Treats. I ordered this one from Amazon. These are easier for the dogs to get a grip on, and aren't as good a value as the original Everlasting Treats, but sometimes I buy them just for the cool factor. This time around I put one of the treat "nuts" inside the Bento Ball dome-side down, screwed the bolt through it, and then wound the second "nut" on the outside. Brisbane might find this setup worth chewing, but I made it even more exciting by squirting some canned cheese in the bowl and through the bottom before sticking it in the freezer.

I am beginning to wish I had gotten a large Treat Dispensing Jack instead of the medium, since the holes in the medium are small enough to make funnel-filling it ineffective. Brisbane and Uly don't like getting anything bigger than kibble out of it. I bet they'll enjoy getting the Cheeze-Wiz out. Not sure I'm going to enjoy washing it when they're done, though.

Product Review: Starmark Everlasting Treat Ball

The Starmark Everlasting Treat Ball is a durable rubber chew toy designed to hold two of Starmark's Everlasting Treats. It comes in three sizes to fit every dog.

Photo by Erin Koski

I bought Brisbane an Everlasting Treat Ball when he was a puppy. It was the first Starmark toy I had  ever seen, and I loved it. Brisbane was a bit on the fence, though. He loves Everlasting Treats, but putting them in a toy makes them somehow less attractive. The center of the ball has a chamber for holding kibble and other small treats, and Briz is also unenthusiastic about retrieving those treats.

The Everlasting Treat Ball comes in small, medium, and large sizes, and the medium size is intended for dogs under 40 pounds. Brisbane's ideal weight is 40 pounds, and Ulysses is currently around 42 pounds, so the two of them can use medium and large Starmark toys. Brisbane's original medium Everlasting Treat Ball gave us 5 years of service before it went missing in action. We now have two large Everlasting Treat Balls. So far they are more durable than the Everlasting Bento Ball and our extremely short-lived Everlasting Fire Plug. I can fit nearly a quarter cut of kibble inside of them. Neither Brisbane nor Ulysses thinks a chicken Everlasting Treat is worth gnawing out of them except in the most desperate circumstances, but vanilla, hickory, or liver flavors are worth more consideration.

Starmark has lots of suggestions for making their toys more challenging and exciting. If my boys were serious chewers and pros at popping the treats loose from the ball, I could put the Everlasting Treats in upside down to give them a new problem to solve. There are also Everlocking Treats made from the same material, but with a threaded treat rod to prevent the treat discs from popping out at all.

Pros: Extremely durable, has not developed any of the cracks found around the edges of our Bento Ball. Holds two Everlasting Treat chews plus additional goodies in the center. Holds up to all but the heaviest chewers. Dishwasher safe. I believe that even tiny power chewers can play with the large size safely.

Cons: Presents enough of a challenge that my dogs don't always consider the Everlasting Treat chew a big enough reward, so the ball and treat sit around untouched until I do something drastic like pour fish oil on it. Dedicated toy demolishers can probably demolish this one with enough effort, so it needs to be a supervision-only toy until the owner is comfortable with the way their dog plays with the toy. Treat refills can be expensive and non-chicken flavors can be hard to find in stores. I have to order Everlocking Treats online.

Bottom Line: I obviously like this toy enough to have bought a second one. It's handy to have around, especially for foster dogs as I determine their chewing style and which toys they can play with safely. Not as tough as a Black Kong, but definitely high on the durability scale. Power chewers should always size up, and I sometimes wish there was a extra large Everlasting Treat Ball.

Cheapass Dog Fun: Fill Food Toys Fast

This isn't actually my idea, I got it from the Starmark website. They demonstrated how to make a funnel out of the top of a soda bottle, and then use it to fill their Treat Dispensing Chew Ball.

Different-sized bottles, same size lids.

Soda bottles have standard-sized openings, and some brands have nice funnel-shaped tops. Cut the top off and the result is a funnel big enough to pour kibble through, with an end that will fit into most toys. As an added bonus, the funnels can be tossed and replaced as needed, and are easier to clean than most store-bought funnels. This has seriously changed my life as far as loading toys with goodies, now I can just scoop kibble into them instead of shoving it piece by piece.

Everlasting Bento Ball

Planet Dog Orbee Ball

Kong Marathon

Kong Quest Wishbone

Starmark Everlasting Treat Ball

Busy Buddy Squirrel Dude

Product Review: Starmark Everlasting Bento Ball

The Starmark Everlasting Bento Ball is a durable rubber chew toy designed to hold one of Starmark's Everlasting Treats. The bottom of the toy also has a place to hide kibble and other small goodies. It comes in three sizes for small, medium, and large dogs.

Photo by Erin Koski

We have a medium Bento Ball. I was a little hesitant to buy it because Brisbane destroyed the Everlasting Fire Plug in minutes and he really isn't a destructive chewer. That was quite a few years ago though, it was the only Starmark toy to fail us, and the company has had years to improve their product.

The ball itself holds an edible Everlasting Treat. These are hard, digestible chews that come in three sizes and can be enjoyed on their own or in various Starmark toys that make them harder to devour. For whatever reason, my dogs often find these to be hit and miss, sometimes they can't wait to snarf it down and other times they ignore it for months. They definitely prefer the liver and vanilla flavored treats over the chicken ones. Naturally, most local stores only carry chicken. It can also be used with the Everlocking Treats, which feature a threaded rod and two nuts that screw down onto it, all made out of the same stuff as the Everlasting Treats.

So far the Bento Ball seems to be more successful than the original Everlasting Treat Ball. Brisbane and Uly will both spend a good long time getting treats out of it, and Ru particularly enjoys gnawing on the Everlasting Treat. I often find the Bento Ball in Ru's bed with his Nylabones. I'm a bit worried about its longevity though, the lip around the edge is already developing some splits. It's not in danger of being destroyed like the Fire Plug, and the boys aren't going to be gnawing chunks off and swallowing them anytime soon.

Pros: Fun toy for hiding food, holds gnawable long-lasting edible chew. Dishwasher safe. Durable flexible material smells pleasant. An entertaining puzzle toy for dogs that are new to the concept, or don't want to put in a lot of effort.

Cons: Mine is splitting around the edges. The treat chew can be difficult to pop into the toy unless it or the ball is slightly wetted first.

Bottom Line: This toy gets a lot of use around here, the dogs seem to like it better than the original Everlasting Treat Ball. They don't always gnaw the treat out right away though, maybe it isn't tasty enough?

Puzzle Toy Review: Starmark Treat Dispensing Jack

The Starmark Treat Dispensing Jack is a flexible rubber toy with four hollow arms and a rope running through the middle. There is an opening in the end of each arm to dispense small treats and kibble. It comes in Small, Medium and Large sizes, our Treat Dispensing Jack is a medium.

Photo by Erin Koski

This is a recent addition to the Starmark product line, and I am very pleased with it so far. We have quite a few Starmark toys, and not all of them are quite so appealing. For some reason, Brisbane is unwilling to fully empty the large Treat Dispensing Chew Ball or the Everlasting Treat Ball. He gets almost everything out immediately, and then sort of loses interest. The Treat Dispensing Jack, on the other hand, dispenses treats slowly enough to keep him busy for a good long time, but fast enough to hold his interest.

Puzzle Toy Rating

Capacity: 3/5
I can fit Brisbane's entire 1/4 cup ration of kibble in there, but that's all. This is a toy for keeping dogs busy, but won't fit a normal dog's dinner.

Loading Speed: 4/5
Using a soda bottle funnel helps a little, but the holes on the Jack are a little too small for truly easy loading. It doesn't really hold that much kibble, though.

Unloading Speed (standard dog): 5/5
Ulysses has to take breaks while emptying this thing.

Unloading Speed (superdog): 5/5
Easily half an hour or more for Brisbane to get 1/4 cup of kibble out of it, and he's willing to keep working at it the entire time with great gusto.

Size: 5/5
Comes in three sizes to fit any dog. Ru would be able to use the small without being squashed or intimidated. The Medium is perfect for Briz and Uly, and the large would work even for giant dogs.

Durability: 5/5
No complaints here, and Brisbane demolished Starmark's Everlasting Fire Plug so I have limited faith in their toys. I wouldn't give this to a power chewer, but it holds up fine with normal dogs.

Photo by Erin Koski

Noise: 5/5
Soft rubber and cotton rope make for quiet play, even when Brisbane is bashing it against the side of a wire crate.

Locatability: 5/5
It doesn't roll or fit under the furniture, so we've never lost it. Meanwhile, our blue Kong is currently at large somewhere in the house.

Washability: 2/5
Not quite as annoying as the Kong Quest toys, but still pretty annoying to wash. The rope makes drying take forever, too. It's pretty tempting not to just give up and not wash it at all, but then it just ends up covered in hair and dried slobber.

Hoardability: 5/5
Brisbane prefers to empty this one out from the comfort of his crate.

Total: 44/50
This is currently what Brisbane eats most of his meals out of. With increased time spent crated, it's helping all of us keep our sanity.