Product Review: Simply Fido Plush Hot Dog Rope Toy

This plush hot dog toy by Simply Fido arrived in our summer-themed August BarkBox. I'm not normally a fan of gratuitous faces on toys, but this thing is pretty cute. It has a rope running all the way through it for tug games, and it squeaks. This toy is made from sturdy canvas.

Photo by Erin Koski

One thing I've learned about dog toys is that the cheap stuffies with ropes attached fall apart almost immediately. The ropes provide a good grip, and if they are only sewn in they rip out as soon as any pressure is applied. Happily, this is not one of those cheap stuffies. The rope runs all the way through it, so when I hold one end and Sisci grabs the other and starts tugging, the hot dog can handle it. That's why it's still around two months later.

This little thing has been through a lot. You see, Sisci is a typical mouthy cattledog, and she loves biting things. Australian cattle dogs say 'I love you!' with their teeth sometimes. The best defense against a bitey cattledog puppy is a toy to cram in their mouth every time they open it. Do this enough times and they eventually grab a toy themselves before running over to play.

Photo by Erin Koski

Sisci is mostly past the biting-everything stage, but she usually has a toy in her mouth. She
particularly feels the need to carry something with her every time she goes outside. The Simply Fido hot dog is definitely a favorite for this purpose. However, Sisci usually comes back into the house empty-handed (empty-mawed?), so our toys tend to migrate out into the yard where they remain until I gather them up and wash them.

The hot dog rope has been left outside in the sun and dirt for several days at a time, gotten absolutely filthy, and gone back to looking brand new after a trip through the washer. It is machine washable and has not split open or otherwise become a target for unstuffing.

Pros: Sturdy enough for games of tug since the rope runs all the way through it. Machine washable and cleans up nicely. Doesn't contain a ton of stuffing.

Cons: Pastel colors start looking dirty very quickly. Has a stupid face for no reason. I hate stupid gratuitous faces on things.

Bottom Line: It's not a toy I would have picked out myself, but Sisci thinks it is a welcome addition to the toybox.

Product Review: Jax & Bones Nautical Wheel Rope Toy

The Jax and Bones Nautical Wheel Rope Toy is a knotted rope toy designed to be shredded, frayed, and chewed. It is advertised as working as doggy dental floss, and can be soaked in water and frozen to provide relief for teething puppies. Jax & Bones rope toys are colored with non-toxic vegetable dyes and come in a wide variety of colors and shapes.

Photo by Erin Koski

The Nautical Wheel arrived in our August Allergy-Friendly BarkBox. Brisbane isn't crazy about rope toys unless he is being silly during a photo shoot. Fortunately, we have foster dogs. Xena enjoyed unraveling various bits of the wheel, and Darla has also enjoyed carrying it around most recently. This is a toy that will likely go home with a foster dog rather than cluttering up my toybox.

Pros: Sturdy and resists being unraveled for a good long time. Non-toxic and fun to shred. Might be a good toy for those paper-shredding dogs, though I still haven;t found a toy that simulates that great joy.

Cons: Not all dogs love untying rope toys. Could be dangerous for dogs that eat things that aren't food. May be possible to shred into super-dangerous strings.

Bottom Line: I would assess a dog's chewing style and supervise them with this toy, at least until I am certain they aren't going to swallow it whole.

June BarkBox

This month's BarkBox was a bit of a bust. Our first couple of boxes were big winners, with Brisbane-safe treats and stuffable toys. The more recent ones have been a bit more disappointing, with duck and chicken treats and chews. I've given away two bags of egg and poultry treats, and I have a lonely bag of Chicken Cordon Bleu biscuits sitting on the counter.

The biscuits are from Bocce's Bakery, and they look delicious. Brisbane would love to eat them. I could try feeding them to Ru, but he has a tendency to bury his treats between the couch cushions instead of eating them. Brisbane always checks the couch for hidden cookies.

The La Petit Treat Quiche Lorraine cookies are the best thing in this box, Brisbane thinks the only thing wrong is that there aren't more of them. It's a tiny bag. Ru loves them too.

The other two items in this box are toys by Harry Barker. The Eiffel Towel is cute, it's made from cotton canvas and stuffed with recycled plastic fiberfill. The rope ball is machine-washable and uses earth-friendly dyes. It's machine washable for when it gets all gross and slobbery. Brisbane is totally unimpressed with either of these toys. Ru briefly considered playing with the rope ball, but found it a little too heavy and intimidating.

What will BarkBox bring us next month? Hopefully something poultry-free! This month's box was Paris-themed, next time Brisbane would like something Australian, or maybe German.