Product Review: Fluff & Tuff's Clyde the Horse

Fluff & Tuff makes some very tough plush dog toys, including Clyde the Horse. Their toys come in a wide variety of styles and sizes, and are built with quality materials and sturdy construction. These toys are very pretty, they look like nice stuffed animals for children.

I have a confession to make: I hate stupid-looking dog toys. If I'm going to have these things laying all over my house, I want to like looking at them. Most plush dog toys are shaped like animals, and I'm just not a fan of bulbous heads, long stringy legs, or comically long bodies. I have never owned a loofa dog. Even the Flatties stuffing-less toys have an aesthetic that pokes a certain part of my brain in entirely the wrong way.

That's why the Fluff and Tuff toys immediately caught my attention. Most of their toys could easily look at home on a child's bed. There's nothing about them that screams THIS IS A DOG TOY...at least on the outside.

None of my dogs are deliberate stuffy destroyers, but they do enjoy their toys. Like most dogs, once a plush toy develops a hole from all the carrying, shaking, and chomping, they must unstuff it. The lifespan of a toy in our household is determined by how long it takes that toy to develop a hole. Cheap stuffies often last a day or less.

I think the people behind Fluff & Tuff had the same issue, there aren't many companies making sturdy plush dog toys that don't look like sturdy dog toys. Thick black external reinforced seams are durable, but look downright industrial. Fluff & Tuff put all that stuff on the inside, instead. Under Clyde the Horse's soft fur and fluffy stockings is heavy reinforced fabric with sealed seams.

Pros

• Durable
• Adorable
• Machine washable
• Unique designs

Cons

• Kids might fight with dogs over whos horsey this is
• No dinosaurs in the toy lineup yet

Bottom Line

Despite being the current favorite stuffy, our Clyde looks brand new after a trip through the washing machine. This isn't a chew-proof stuffy, but it's amazing for dogs that accidentally destroy their favorite plush toys.

Product Review: Patchwork Pet Pastel Caterpillar

Sisci Godzilla got this giant stuffed caterpillar from Patchwork Pet in her Easter basket. This thing is a huge 35" long, with a squeaker in each section. That's nine squeakers. It's fluffy, double stitched, and surprisingly durable. Patchwork Pet also makes a slightly more reasonable 20" version of the caterpillar, along with a bunch of other fun stuffies.

I was totally unfamiliar with Patchwork Pet when I bought this toy. It caught my eye because it was giant, colorful, fluffy, and ridiculous. I figured the girls would shred in a day or two, I'd pick up all the stuffing, and that would be the end of it.

The caterpillar surprised me! It's way more durable than your average cheap stuffy. The girls dragged it around for weeks before it got so much as a hole. So far they've unstuffed the tail segment, and pulled the squeaker out of the head, but the caterpillar largely remains intact.

Pros:

• Comically large
• Durable enough for playtime
• Tons of squeakers

Cons:

• Won't survive a toy-shredder, dedicated unstuffer, or really wild play
• Pastel color gets dirty really fast

Bottom Line:

Patchwork Pet makes some really high-quality BIG stuffed toys for dogs, and some really cute and clever cat toys, too. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for their products now.

Product Review: BarkMade Circus Elephant

This BarkMade Circus Elephant stuffy is tougher than it looks! It is available exclusively from BarkShop, and arrived in our July Allergy-Friendly BarkBox. The circus elephant comes in two sizes, ours is the smaller 6" version and the larger is 7.5".

Photo by Erin Koski

I know that BarkShop's exclusive toys are made by various other companies, like our BarkMade Shooting Star made by Swag Company for BarkBox. The company didn't announce who made this one though, and somebody ate the tag on ours so I guess we'll never know unless I get the urge to email the company.

For a toy that has gotten so much love, this one has held up remarkably well. Brisbane loved it immediately, and Sisci arrived a month later and was also immediately drawn to it. The website says this toy is good for smaller pups, but Ru mostly only likes gigantic stuffies and has ignored it entirely.

So far the stuffy has been shaken, tossed, gnawed, endlessly squeaked, and left out in the rare California rain. After a trip through the wash, it was as good as new.

Photo by Erin Koski

Pros: Sturdy enough to not split at the seams from normal dog play. Excessively cute. Seriously. Just look at it. I think it's the little circus hat.

Cons: Probably not sturdy enough to handle intentional destruction.

Bottom Line: Even if my dogs ignored it, the Circus Elephant would look adorable laying on the floor or in the toy pile.

Product Review: Coleman Brontosaurus Stuffy

This Coleman brontosaurus is one of our many dinosaur stuffies. It is a nice dark, slightly mottled color that stays clean-looking. The body is pleasantly floppy, and it crinkles just a little.

Photo by Erin Koski

According to Coleman's website, the dog toys under their brand are actually made by Unique Petz. This company has a very flashy animated website with very little actual content. They state that they manufacture products under several brands, but only show the brand logos and no actual products. I'm pretty sure Coleman-brand dog toys are not currently being produced.

I love dinosaurs with the fiery passion of a preschooler, and I was thrilled to find this adorable brontosaurus on Amazon.com. (In case you missed it, we have brontosauruses again as of April 2015.)

Unfortunately, Brisbane and Ru are not crinkle toy fans. I kept the brontosaurus around anyway because I love it, and now Sisci thinks it's pretty awesome.

Photo by Erin Koski

Pros: Lovely dark textured color hides dirt so it always looks clean and pretty. Floppy soft body is a lot of fun to bite.

Cons: The brontosaurus is looking a tiny bit threadbare in places despite it's relatively easy life at the bottom of the toybox. I can't remember if it came like that or if it happened in the wash.

Bottom Line: I think this is our cutest dinosaur stuffy. I am pleased to have it laying around the house.

Product Review: Outward Hound Lil' Rippers Rhino

Outward Hound's Lil' Rippers are durable stuffed toys with a removable shell. Dogs can get their stuffy-shredding urges out by ripping off the squeaker-filled shell, which can also be tossed like a flying disc. Ours is a rhinoceros, there is also a warthog and a turtle, which is an animal that actually has a shell. I have no idea why there is a rhino and a warthog in this collection.

Photo by Erin Koski

I like the idea of toys that can be disassembled without being destroyed. We had a few in Brisbane's younger days, mostly made by Kyjen. As Kyjen has changed their name to Outward Hound, this is basically by the same company.

We started selling these toys at work a while back, and the ones in our first shipment were much bigger than this. Those may have been under the Kyjen Plush Puppies brand. When the first Lil' Ripper of this size showed up, I couldn't resist buying it.

Photo by Erin Koski

I brought home the Ripper rhino when I was watching two of Sisci's brothers for a week. They thoroughly enjoyed the toy, but somebody chewed the tip of the horn off almost immediately.

Both halves of the toy get a lot of love around here. The shell is basically a squeaker mat, and that's hard to resist. Sisci makes sure that the two parts are never joined for long. After three months and four puppies, there is now a hole in one ear, and some fraying along the edge of the shell.

Photo by Erin Koski

Pros: Pretty durable as far as stuffies go, can stand up to multiple puppies at once as long as nobody deliberately intends to destroy it. Ours even spent a few days outside in the dirt and still cleaned up nicely.

Cons: Unlike real turtles, it doesn't take much work to separate the shell from the rest of it. (Fact: A turtle removed from its shell would look a bit like you removed from your ribcage.)

Bottom Line: Having no horns or ears, the turtle is probably the sturdiest of the three Lil' Rippers. Also, rhinos and warthogs don't have shells.

Product Review: P.L.A.Y. Star Stuffy

This totally adorable star stuffy from Pets Lifestyle and You arrived in our June space-themed BarkBox. Like all the P.L.A.Y. plush toys we've acquired so far, this one is exceptionally durable and well-made. It is a smaller stuffy, for small and medium-sized dogs. There is also an extra-small size for extra-small dogs.

Photo by Erin Koski

According to the dogs, this is the best thing that arrived in our June BarkBox. Ru loves to carry it around, and Brisbane also finds it irresistible. It's quite a bit smaller than most of our plush toys.

For all the love it has gotten, our P.L.A.Y. star still looks brand new after a quick trip through the wash. The fabric is very thick and the seams are heavily reinforced. While it won't stand up to heavy chewing, the star seems able to withstand an infinite amount of chomping and squeaking.

Pros: Durable. Small enough to be non-threatening to timid dogs. Apparently screams "carry me around!" to dogs of all sorts.

Cons: A bit small for anyone bigger than 40lb Brisbane. Bright yellow color shows a lot of dirt.

Bottom Line: So cute I won't get tired of seeing it all over the house.

Ferocious Fun with the PetLou Purple Dinosaur

This PetLou tyrannosaurus stuffy arrived in our June Pet Gift Box, and has become a beloved part of our dinosaur collection. Upon perusing PetLou's site, I recognize several of their products from my local pet stores. I'm pretty sure Brisbane had a stuffed octopus from PetLou when he was a baby.

Photo by Erin Koski

This is my absolute favorite item from the two Pet Gift Boxes we received. I love dinosaurs with the fervor of a preschool child. As much as I loved our purple tyrannosaurus rex, I wasn't certain it would last. Brisbane immediately carried it off and has been known to pounce on it when the mood takes him. Sisci has also fallen in love with the purple dinosaur, and loves carrying it around.

My impression of PetLou is that they are a company that specializes in quantity of quality. I see a lot of their toys in stores, and they are both cute and cheap. This did not give me much hope for the purple dinosaur's survival. Cheap toys tend to develop splits quickly, and once the stuffing is exposed the dogs just can't help but disembowel them.

I have been pleasantly surprised at how well the purple t-rex has held up. Despite being tossed, fetched, gnawed, and left out in the yard, it remains in pristine condition. It went through the washer and dryer just fine, and doesn't seem to be collecting dirt or stains like some light-colored toys.

Pros: Durable! Will hold up to quite a lot of biting gracefully. Adorable! It's a purple t-rex. Inexpensive! Pet Gift Box said the  MSRP for this toy was $8.99, but they seem to be selling online for $6-7 mostly. Also, it squeaks/

Cons: Probably made in China. Uncertain brand/company integrity. The "About" page on the PetLou website is inexplicable in Latin. Not good Latin, either.

Bottom Line: I can probably be tempted to buy cheap stuffies from China if they're cute enough.

Product Review: Silly Bums Bee

The R2P Pet Silly Bums are basically the back half of a stuffed dog toy. They come in a variety of different...um...species and two or three sizes.

Photo by Erin Koski

Our bee bum arrived in the disappointing May BarkBox, and was part of the reason why this box was so lackluster.

For starters, I was familiar with the Silly Bums toy line before this one arrived on our doorstep, and I've always found them sort of dumb. It's not a whole stuffy, it's just half. Which half? The butt! Stuffed animals have butts. Sometimes those butts are funny, particularly if it's a baboon stuffy. I find the butts are just as funny when they are part of a whole animal. Removing everything else just feels like they're beating me over the head with the joke.

Photo by Erin Koski

I could probably find some love in my heart for this bumblebee arse if it was just a fuzzy plush toy. It's not though, and when I found it in the BarkBox I had to double check the tag to make sure this thing was actually intended to be a dog toy.

I have never seen this much plastic on a dog toy. The wings and stripes are all made out of thin, flexible vinyl. Those bits of vinyl are sewn on via bulky turned-under seams.

Photo by Erin Koski

So the vinyl is basically designed to be ripped off by all but the most gentle dogs. I don't think I could come up with a more irresistibly shreddable design if I tried.

Our Silly Bums bee also crinkles. Brisbane hates crinkle toys. Ru finds them distasteful. Conveniently, foster dog Xena is both incredibly gentle with toys and loves crinkly things. It's hers now. When she finds a home, it will be leaving with her.

Pros: It squeaks. Someone must find this concept to be cute or funny, given that Silly Bums made it past product development and into actual stores without anyone going "hold on a second, this idea is actually kind of stupid."

Cons: Crinkles. Easily-destroyed vinyl is a questionable material for use on a dog toy, I would worry about intestinal obstruction if any of my dogs started to chew it. Butts aren't really that funny once you're out of middle school.

Bottom Line: One of my least favorite things we've ever received in a BarkBox. At least Xena likes it. If she suddenly develops an interest in shredding toys, it's going straight into the garbage.

Product Review: BarkBox Flower Bouquet

The BarkBox Flower Bouquet is an adorable plush toy made up of four different toys. It consists of four pretty plush flowers held together by a velcro sleeve printed with some doggy news. It is available exclusively from the BarkShop and made just for BarkBox subscribers.

Photo by Erin Koski

I had seen this uniquely adorable toy in pictures of other dogs with their BarkBoxes for a couple of months before ours arrived in our April box. My expectation was that the bouquet would be a little too large and awkward for anyone at my house to really enjoy.

Happily, Brisbane enjoys chomping the flowers. Foster puppy Xena likes to carry them around the house. The bouquet might be a little too awkward for Ru to carry around.

This toy is so adorable that I haven't even tried taking it apart and handing out the individual flowers. I've been waiting for the dogs to disassemble it but they haven't shown any interest in that particular feature.

Two of the flowers crinkle, and two squeak. Brisbane and Ru really don't like crinkly toys, but they can just stick to chomping the squeaky ones here. I like that they have options.

Photo by Erin Koski

Pros: Excessively cute toy makes it appear that your dog has brought you a flower bouquet when they really just want to play. Splits into multiple toys. Velcro sleeve and multiple pieces can give smaller destruction-happy dogs a project to do without actually shredding a toy.

Cons: Probably easy for a large or determined dog to destroy in short order, lots of seams and bits to grab.

Bottom Line: This is easily one of my favorite BarkBox treasures. The dogs like it, too.

Product Review: Dex & Penny Dia de los Muertos Skull Toy

This Dex & Penny Dia de los Muertos skull toy arrived in our October Allergy-Friendly Barkbox. It is a sturdy stuffy with reinforced seams and a squeaker inside. It is also a little bit crinkly.

Photo by Erin Koski

My dogs aren't normally interested in crinkly toys, but this one seems to be the exception. It's not huge, and the sound it makes isn't terribly loud.

We just spent a week babysitting a couple of puppies, which meant some of our toys got tested for durability. The Adorable Snowman got partially destuffed. The Amazeball started to split around the food-dispensing hole. One of our Mighty Stegosauruses lost a back plate.

The Dia de los Muertos toy came out looking the same as it did before the little hooligans arrived. Those reinforced seams held up beautifully, and the puppies looooved that little crinkle. I tried to get a shot of Opie carrying it around, but everything came out blurry.

Photo by Erin Koski

Pros: Tough enough to hold up to dogs that aren't hellbent on destruction. This stuffy did not develop any holes that would lead otherwise well-behaved puppies down the path of destuffing. Does not pick up dirt, still looks great even after they dragged it through the dirt outside. (I thought I told them that was an indoor-only toy...)

Cons: The slight crinkle made the skull less appealing for Brisbane and Ru. Brisbane will play with it out of obligation.

Bottom Line: Foster puppy Xena put it somewhere after the puppies left, but I can't figure out where and she isn't telling.

Product Review: Lollycadoodle Wool Snake Toy

This Lollycadoodle Snake Toy is made from 100% New Zealand wool. The wool is dyed and hand-felted in Kathmandu, Nepal. These toys are made in a Fair Trade facility from a renewable resource, they come in two sizes and five colors.

Photo by Erin Koski

This was the best thing that arrived in our March Allergy-Friendly BarkBox. This snake is so cute I can barely stand it. It's exactly the sort of thing I want to have laying around on my floor.

I used to think that felted wool toys like this wouldn't be particularly attractive to dogs because they don't squeak, crackle, grunt, or make any other sounds. I was wrong though, the dogs think it is awesome. It can be thrown, shaken wildly, and loving gnawed on.

There's definitely something about the texture of this toy that the Brisbane really likes. He enjoys biting his toys rather than chewing them, and the Lollycadoodle snake is obviously quite nice for biting.

Photo by Erin Koski

Pros: Sustainably made in a Fair Trade facility, how cool is that? No squeakers or noisemakers, and no stuffing to spread all over the house. This is a stuffingless toy that doesn't feel flat and dead.

Cons: I'm not actually sure how to wash this toy.

Bottom Line: When the foster puppies start collecting toys in a pile, this is one of the first one they claim.

What is your dog's favorite toy?

Product Review: Pet Qwerks Pawpcorn Toy

The Pet Qwerks Pawpcorn toy is a stuffy that squeaks and crinkles. It arrived in our March Allergy-Friendly BarkBox, and nobody liked it. Not even Darla the foster puppy, who was adopted by a very nice retired couple on Friday, liked this toy.

Photo by Erin Koski

I think it's the crinkling. Neither Brisbane nor Ru like toys that crinkle. The foster puppies all seemed to like them ok, but this one just didn't catch anyone's attention. I ended up contacting BarkBox to use their Scout's Honor guarantee.

Pros: Seems to be well made and durable. Very crinkly.

Cons: White color looks dirty instantly. Too big around for medium-sized dogs to get their mouths around. Very crinkly.

Bottom Line: After a lot of coaxing, Briz made a half-hearted attempt at shredding this toy. I should see if Xena likes it, she likes weird stuff.

Product Review: Harry Barker Stuffed Mardi Gras Mask Toy

This Harry Barker Stuffed Mardi Gras Mask with Rope toy arrived in our February Mardi Gras-themed BarkBox. Like our other Harry Barker plush toy, the mask is made from canvas with a picture printed on one side. It has a natural rope for tugging on either end, a squeaker inside, and some fuzzy trim on the back. This is the smaller size of the mask toy, there is a larger version available.

Photo by Erin Koski

I am always a little leery of plush tug toys, especially the ones with ropes attached. Brisbane had several cheap ones in his younger days, and they all ended up getting the ropes ripped out of them within a day or two.

This is a well-constructed toy. The fatal flaw in our cheap rope-and-stuffy toys was the fact that multiple ropes were stitched to the toy but not each other. When a toy like that is tugged, it rips apart.

Photo by Erin Koski

Happily, this Harry Barker tug toy has the rope running all the way through it. It has lasted through quite a bit of tugging, shaking, and tossing with no signs of wear. Brisbane loves the squeaker, and the foster puppies love to shake it so that the ropes hit them in the face.

Pros: Durable enough for actual tugging. Stuffed with eco-friendly fiberfill. Machine washable. More fun that a rope-less plushie.

Cons: A serious chewer will be able to shred this toy immediately.

Bottom Line: I'm not a huge fan of Mardi Gras, but this is a pretty neat toy.

Product Review: P.L.A.Y. King Crab Stuffy

This P.L.A.Y. King Crab stuffy arrived in our July BarkBox, the last chicken-tastic box we got before the new allergy-friendly option was introduced. This is a sturdy plush toy with heavy duty seams. It is part of P.L.A.Y.'s Under the Sea collection.

Photo by Erin Koski

I've referred to the P.L.A.Y. Crab many times, usually in reference to our stuffed squid from the same collection. I love that squid. The dogs love that squid. This crab is cool too though, and this review is way overdue.

You'd think that this would be any easy toy to shred, those legs look like a lot of fun to pull off. The King Crab has been gnawed quite a bit, but so far it has held up admirably. After a trip through the washer it looks brand new again. Despite all the biting and shaking, it has yet to split a seam.

Photo by Erin Koski

Pros: Sturdy and well-made. Flappy legs make it fun to shake. Holds up to mild gnawing.

Cons: Not a squid.

Bottom Line: It's not as awesome as the P.L.A.Y. Giant Squid, but the King Crab gets a lot of love around here.

What's your dog's favorite stuffy?

Product Review: Delca Corp Adorable Snowman

The Delca Corp Adorable Snowman is a plush dog toy that lives up to its name. The adorable fuzzy exterior and unique squeak make this toy irresistible.

Photo by Erin Koski

The Adorable Snowman arrived in our January Allergy-Friendly BarkBox, and was an instant hit. Ru dragged it out of the box when I set it down to take a picture. Ru loves stuffies that are bigger than himself.

Brisbane also adores the snowman, and it has endured a liberal amount of squeaking and shaking.

Who else loves the Adorable Snowman? All of the foster puppies!

Photo by Erin Koski

Pros: Durable and fun to bite and squeak. The squeaker itself is also durable, it still works after a whole ton of squeaking.

Cons: That white fur is going to get dirty fast.

Bottom Line: Thank you BarkBox for sending us a toy that my dogs adore and that I would never have picked out myself.

What is your dog's favorite stuffy?

Product Review: P.L.A.Y. Garden Fresh Carrot Toy

The P.L.A.Y. Garden Fresh Carrot Toy is a durable stuffy with a squeaker inside. The stuffing inside is made from recycled plastic bottles, and the whole toy is constructed with strong stitching and heavy reinforcement to help it stand up to tough play.

Photo by Erin Koski

This toy arrived in our November BarkBox, and I wanted to keep it looking nice for pictures. These pictures were taken when I handed the carrot to him for the first time, and obviously he thinks it's awesome.

My dogs aren't major shredders, but Brisbane is an experienced stuffy-killer. He likes to bite, toss, bite, catch, bite, squeak, bite, and shake his toys. It's not that Briz deliberately tears holes in his toys, they just tend to happen. Of course, once the stuffing has been exposed, it must be removed. I'm not a huge fan of stuffingless stuffies because I feel they rob my dog of one of the great joys in life.

Photo by Erin Koski

The P.L.A.Y. toys aren't your average stuffies. These things are durable, with tough seams that resist splitting. The fabric is difficult to tear holes in unless the dog really wants to tear holes in it.

Pros: Stands up to rough play. Looks totally adorable. Small enough for itty bitty dogs. Irresistible, my dogs have all started playing with these toys spontaneously. Machine washable and dryable.

Cons: Won't stand up to actual gnawing. Light color starts looking dirty pretty quickly.

Bottom Line: I don't know what it is about the P.L.A.Y. stuffies that is so compelling, but the crab from our July BarkBox still gets more play than any other stuffy in the house. In fact Syd the puppy is carrying it around right now. Clearly the crab needs a review of its own.

Product Review: Simply Fido Penguin

The Simply Fido Penguin is a flat stuffingless plush dog toy with a crinkly belly. It is made in soft pastel colors from organic cotton.

Photo by Erin Koski

This toy arrived in our December BarkBox. It is not a toy I would personally have picked out, and is the first item I've used the Scout's Honor promise on.

The Scout's Honor guarantee seems to be a new thing that started with the opening of the BarkShop. This is basically a satisfaction guarantee, the company will replace one item per box by giving you store credit at the BarkShop for the value of the item. They request that the unwanted item be donated to a shelter or rescue for less fortunate and/or spoiled dogs.

Photo by Erin Koski

Brisbane does not approve of crinkly toys. I think the whole concept of crinkly paper and water bottles inside toys came about sometime after he was a baby. At least it wasn't nearly as popular or widespread. It's just as well, I'm not totally on board with the idea of convincing my dog that every discarded water bottle is actually a fun toy.

Simply Fido has some really cute toys, including owls, giraffes, and alligators. I'm not a huge fan of the pastel color scheme though. Frankly, I'm not a fan of pastel colors at all. Give me bright, bold, and dark colors that hide the dirt!

Photo by Erin Koski

Pros: Earth-friendly, adorable, and totally cute. Comes in eco-friendly packaging and is certified safe and nontoxic by a bunch of different organizations. No stuffing to scatter about the house. Crinkly texture is lots of fun for puppies.

Cons: Crinkly things are not things that Brisbane willingly puts in his mouth. Pastel color gets dirty easily. Omitting the stuffing feels like robbing my dog of one of life's greatest pleasures.

Bottom Line: The Simply Fido Stuffingless Penguin is currently entertaining assorted foster puppies, with whom it is quite popular.

Product Review: P.L.A.Y. Giant Squid Stuffy

This squid stuffy is part of P.L.A.Y.'s Under the Sea plush toy line. It is stuffed with 100% recycled plastic bottle stuffing, made of reinforced yet soft and fuzzy fabric, and squeaks like all good stuffies. Part of the proceeds from each squid sold go to the International Fund for Animal Welfare, so buying a squid stuffy does a little to help a worthy cause.

Photo by Erin Koski

After several people commented on how much they loved the squids they got in their July BarkBoxes (we got a crab instead), I finally embraced my love for cephalopods and purchased a squid for Brisbane. I have no regrets.

Officially it's a giant squid, but it's not really that big so it could just as easily represent a Humboldt squid, or a pencil squid, or a common arm squid. I am of the opinion that it most represents a flying squid, with the calamari being a close second. Yes, that does mean I just spent upwards of thirty minutes looking at pictures of squid on the internet. Make of that what you will.

Photo by Erin Koski

This is a surprisingly sturdy stuffed toy, several people have mentioned it holding up far better than most of their dog's plush squeakies. Maybe there's something about P.L.A.Y. stuffies that doesn't scream "Disembowel me!"? Brisbane has not attempted to shred it yet. He doesn't normally set out to destroy, but once the toy is breached and the stuffing exposed, the urge to unstuff is too great.

Pros: Reinforced seams and sturdy fabric. Soft, bite-able mouth feel. Tentacles make it fun to shake and kill. It's a squid. I love squid.

Photo by Erin Koski

Cons: Do you know how many tentacles squids have? Two. Squids have two long tentacles plus eight shorter arms, for a total of ten appendages. How many does this squid stuffy have? Six. It has two long tentacles, but only four shorter arms. I know making a full compliment of squid appendages would have been needlessly expensive and possibly compromised the durability of the toy, but it still makes my inner zoologist kind of twitchy. This Giant Squid may have been in some sort of tragic accident, or lost half its arms in an epic battle with a sperm whale.

Bottom Line: The P.L.A.Y. Giant Squid is everything I dreamed it would be.

Product Review: Hear Doggy! Flats Deer

The Hear Doggy! Flat Deer is a plush toy with a squeaker that operates at a pitch undetectable by human ears. It is stuffingless and blissfully silent.

Photo by Erin Koski

I'm not a huge fan of stuffing-less stuffies, I always feel like I'm depriving Briz of one of the joys of being a dog. He's not a militant unstuffer, but he does enjoy emptying out his stuffies when they are finally breached.

That said, this is the best squeaky toy ever, even better than that Kong thing with the off switch. It is the best squeaky because I cannot hear it. Hear Doggy! toys obviously make noise, because my dogs perk up and get excited when I squeeze them.

Hear Doggy! is a brand in the Quaker Pet Group family, along with goDog and Sherpa.

Pros: Finally a squeaky they can enjoy without driving me nuts. Awesome for OCD dogs that Just. Can't. Stop. Squeaking. Cannot be used as an attention-getting device by annoying dogs.

Cons: I have no idea if this thing still squeaks or not because I can't hear it. Did they break it yet? Should I sneak up and start squeezing it when they're sleeping?

Bottom Line: We got this in a BarkBox, otherwise I may not have purchased one. I am not totally in love with our flat deer, but I will probably get Briz a flamingo or a starfish in the future because these things are pretty awesome.

Product Review: goDog Dragon

The goDog Dragon is a sturdy plush toy with a squeaker inside. It uses the company's Chew-Guard technology, a type of fabric that makes it difficult to destroy the toy. There are several different goDog dragons, and the company makes a huge variety of hilarious and awesome stuffies that I wouldn't mind having scattered all over my house.

Photo by Erin Koski

I like this dragon because it's pink. Brisbane likes it for reasons he hasn't specified. Right after I removed the tag he grabbed it and began squeaking it. Ru also loves the pink Dragon.

The lack of stuffing in this toy is pretty cool. It isn't totally limp like the Skinneeez toys that feel like a sad remnant of a toy. The Dragon does have a bit of stuffing, so it isn't flat and lifeless. It just isn't overstuffed, the squeaker is easy to locate, and it's fun to bite.

Photo by Erin Koski

Pros: Durable enough to not become an immediate unstuffing project. Minimally stuffed so it won't look like it snowed inside my living room when the inevitable does occur. Super cute, looks great casually laying on the floor. Dog toys count as interior decor at some point, right?

Cons: Probably won't stand up to seriously destructive dogs. The bright color probably means I will be washing it a lot.

Bottom Line: The Dragon is so cute I can barely stand it. The dogs grab it to play without being prompted. It's definitely a winner over here.