Product Review: Genuine Dog Gear Tug Leash

Genuine Dog Gear makes tug leashes, tug toys, bungee leashes, bungee tugs, ribbon collars, and a ton of other agility stuff. These fleece tug leashes have a nylon webbing strap braided in for strength. They are available as basic snap leashes, slip leads, and limited slip leads. Standard leashes are 5' long and legal for AKC agility. These can be ordered in a near-infinite number of color and pattern combinations!

Photo by Erin Koski

Tug leashes make a lot of sense when your dog wants to bite everything on earth. Sisci Godzilla cheerfully chomped through all of my nice leather leashes, so now we're using either steel cables or tug leashes. 

I bought this leash at the Hoots and Hounds booth at Bark at the Park 2016. I always hit the vendor booths filled with hope that I'll meet some amazing new vendors, and Hoots and Hounds inevitably ends up having the best booth there. They just have so much more stuff than everyone else, and so many different options! 

It's tough to buy gear online without being able to touch it and feel the weight and workmanship myself. This leash caught my eye immediately, not only because of the colors, but because it is perfect weight and length for me and Godzilla. The clip isn't super heavy, and the leash itself feels sturdy without being bulky.

Photo by Erin Koski

I like this leash so much, that I bought a second one after Godzilla ate the first one on our camping trip. I foolishly left her tied up while setting up my tent. Tug leashes aren't chew-proof, but they stand up to interactive tugging nicely.

Pros

• Lightweight
• Sturdy
• Incredibly customizable
• Easy on teeth

Cons

• Not the perfect leash in all situations, fleece picks up burrs and stays wet on outdoor adventures.

Bottom Line

This is now our primary dog sports leash. I love that Godzilla can chomp and tug to her heart's content, it really helps keep her focus on me and off the multitude of things happening around her. It's also the perfect shade of pink, not too light, not too fluorescent, just right!

For a genuinely chew-proof leash, check out my reviews for the Vir-Chew-Ly Indestructible Leash and the Last Leash.

Product Review: Tugaway Raccoon Reward Pouch

Zip thinks the Tugaway Raccoon Reward Pouch is the only thing worth getting excited about at agility class. This thoughtfully-designed toy has features a velcro treat pouch covered in soft fleece on one side, and a piece of real raccoon hide on the other. The handles are braided fleece with rope reinforcement inside.

Photo by Erin Koski

I bought this tug toy for agility class, right before we took a break for several weeks. Sisci Godzilla is going back to basics for the new session, just because it fits my schedule better. Zip and I are doing baby beginner agility even though she has most of the foundation behaviors already. This is her very first class experience of any kind, ever!

Sometimes I forget what a big deal classes really are for dogs. Mine can do all sorts of wonderful things in my backyard, at work, or at the park. Put them in a new place with a bunch of other dogs and humans with varying concepts of manners and personal space, and it's a whole different game. Godzilla spent her first three agility classes stress sniffing and staring at everybody and everything. She was introduced with some agility obstacles, but mostly she just processed the general environment and became familiar with this new concept.

Photo by Erin Koski

With this in mind, I had very low expectations for Zip's very first class ever. It was a very, very easy class, we worked on asking for and rewarding familiar behaviors, teaching our dogs to follow along on either side, tugging as a reward, and basic training concepts.

The first thing we started with was clicker training. Zip came to me terrified of clicking noises. We've slowly worked up to using a very quiet clicker as a marker for extremely exciting rewards. Half a dozen people popping noisy box clickers? Nope, nope, nope! We ended up taking a stroll while everyone else practiced their clicker skills.

Zip is not terribly food motivated, sometimes I think she eats the treats just to be polite. When the clicking stopped and we finally came back to class, she just sort of melted into the grass and couldn't engage with me. That was when I pulled out the Tugaway Raccoon Reward Pouch.

Photo by Erin Koski

No exaggeration, Zip suddenly acted like a completely different dog. She's never seen this toy before, but she immediately became obsessed with it to exclusion of absolutely everything else in the park. From overwhelmed and shut down to focused and engaged in an instant.

Pros: Sturdy enough to handle a whole lot of tugging. The fur is attached very securely, more so than on our bunny bungee pouch. Secure treat pocket can be used to help motivate a dog that is less toy-motivated, or hold a squeaker. Two-loop design gives multiple option for holding the toy.

Cons: This is a shorter toy, so harder to keep your hands out of harm's way if you have an overly enthusiastic tugger. To get a choice of colors, you have to find a physical storefront and choose from their selection. I don't think Tugaway does custom colors.

Bottom Line: Tugaway is a home business in Wisconsin, and they care enough about their product to tell you exactly where the hides used in their toys came from, and what they were tanned with. Not only are their tug toys superior to everything else I've used, I also get warm fuzzy feelings when I give them my money. Go Tugaway!

Product Review: Chuckit Floppy Tug

Petmate's Chuckit Floppy Tug is a unique rubber tug toy that changes shape when you move it. The toy starts out as a coiled spring, but can be pulled into a big loop. Let go and it coils up again. This is a surprisingly heavy toy with a lot of potential energy. It snaps back into shape rather quickly, but also uncoils under its own weight.

Photo by Erin Koski

I bought this toy on clearance, thinking it might be too heavy for Godzilla. It's really amazingly heavy. As my friend's toddler remarked while tossing toys for the dogs, "That one is too much." The newer version might be lighter, but ours weighs about 2 lbs. That's a lot. 

The combination of weight and shape gives this toy a lot of potential energy. Stretch it out, and it will spring back with a lot of force. If somebody lets go suddenly mid-tug, whoever is at the other end is gonna get whomped. 

I brought the Floppy Tug along to play with a client's pit bull, who thought it was amazing. When he shakes it, the toy whacks him in the face. This makes it incredibly exciting. Zip and Godzilla avoid shaking this particular tug toy for the same reason. It's too much.

Photo by Erin Koski

Pros: Very exciting toy, especially for dogs that enjoy rough play. Spring shape practically moves on its own. Soft enough to throw and catch without breaking stuff. Good on hardwood floors.

Cons: May be too heavy for some dogs. Can snap back and hit hard when stretched. Not as durable as expected.

Bottom Line: This toy lasted approximately three weeks after the girls discovered it. They didn't tug it, we just played fetch, but it started getting bite marks pretty quickly. It's marketed as a tug and chew toy, but best just as an interactive tug if your dog tends to destroy stuff.

Product Review: Tuggo!

Tuggo is basically the answer to your tug-a-holic dog that can never get enough playtime. It's incredibly durable, can be taken to a park or other open space for playtime, and can be enjoyed by more than one dog at a time. Tuggo is a giant ball made from hard plastic, fill it with water and it provides enough resistance to keep your dog tugging happily while saving your arm. There is a replaceable rope running through the middle of the ball, so a dog can tug it from either end. The larger version is a whopping 10" in diameter, and can be weighted with up to 18 pounds of water. There are also 7" and 4" version for smaller dogs.

Photo by Erin Koski

This was one of the first things I was given at SuperZoo, and I was highly impressed. Look at it! It's so big! Big enough for a huge mastiff to tackle! It's a hard ball too, and most dogs won't be able to get their mouths around it. That's what the rope is for.

The rope is threaded through a passage in the center of the ball, so it doesn't get wet and is easy to replace. Tuggo sells a replacement rope, but you can always pick one up at the hardware store too.

There are a few different self-tugging dog toys out there. The springpole is a classic, but requires some DIY skills and also something to hang the toy from. I saw a toy at SuperZoo that stakes into the ground and is mounted on a shock-absorbing flexible shaft. The Tuggo is different though, because you can change the weight of the ball by adding or draining water. It is also movable, easy to toss in the car and get out at the park or on a playdate.

Photo by Erin Koski

This is a serious dog toy for serious dogs. It rolls, it makes some noise, and it can actually get quite heavy. It's precisely the sort of challenge that a lot of terriers and bully breeds enjoy, and the ball rolling around and hitting them just makes the game more exciting. The size and weight of the Tuggo might be a little intimidating for more sensitive dogs, though.

Pros: Extremely durable and tough. Weight can be changed. Extremely attractive for certain dogs, maybe even a little addictive. Builds muscle and can really tire a dog out. Allows tugging play without human interaction.

Cons: Plastic can crack in very cold weather. Rope is easy to chew through if your dog has a desire for destruction. Definitely an outdoor-only toy unless you don't really care about your floors/walls/furniture. May be intimidating for some dogs.

Bottom Line: This is a fabulous toy for a certain type of dog. It's a great way to let a pit bull, jack russell, or other drivey physical dog go hard at something for as long as they like. Ideally they wouldn't even need human interaction, you just point them at it and get out of the way. That said, the Tuggo taught me that my superintelligent herding dogs are primarily interested in tug as a way to interact with me. I had thought they loved it for the sheer joy of tugging, but it turns out they only care if there is a human on the other end of the toy. They also find the huge ball to be intimidating rather than exciting, they get worried when it rolls toward them. It's wonderful for some of my client dogs, though!

Product Review: West Paw Zogoflex Air Wox

The nice people at the West Paw Design booth gave me this Zogoflex Air Wox toy at SuperZoo. It's got a unique texture that is clearly irresistible.  The shape is obviously fun to bite, given how much biting goes on around here. It's also fun to shake and tug. There are two other toys in the Zogoflex Air line, a disc and a ball. All are backed by West Paw's one-time replacement guarantee, and you can get a sturdier toy as a replacement. These are recyclable, dishwasher safe, they float, and they are made in the USA.

Photo by Erin Koski

It don't know what it is about this thing, but Sisci Godzilla feels compelled to hoard it in her crate. She's not gnawing on it in there, she just...likes to take it with her.

I'm pleased with the Wox because it combines several qualities that I don't normally find in the same toy. It floats, and it floats high in the water so that dogs can spot it while they're swimming. It's soft, so if I accidentally bean my dog with it, she'll be ok. We can play tug with it. It's durable and doesn't scream "SHRED ME!!!" like toys with fabric covers or ropes seem to.

Photo by Erin Koski

The shape of this thing is particularly fun. The legs wobble all over the place, and when the dogs bite or shake it, those legs thwap them in the face. For some reason they LOVE this. Face thwapping seems to be a major perk.

Pros: Durable enough to handle quite a bit of chomping. Guaranteed for a one-time replacement if your dog manages to shred it. As a tug toy, it's easy on both my hands and my dog. Floats high enough for dogs to see even if they are swimming with their eyeballs barely above the waterline. Does not absorb water. No parts to rip or shred. If I set it on its feet on a hard floor and nudge it, I can kinda make it walk.

Cons: Not as durable as some of the original Zogoflex toys, it's an interactive toy and not a let-your-dog-reach-chewing-nirvana toy.

Bottom Line: It's a weird toy made out of a weird material and my dogs LOVE IT.

Product Review: Jolly Pets Romp-N-Roll

The Romp-N-Roll ball by Jolly Pets combines their self-inflating ball with a fun tug rope for an irresistible toy. The ball won't ever go flat, even if punctures it just pops back into shape. It also floats, even when full of water. The cotton rope is durable and soft on mouths. It is available in four colors and six sizes.

Photo by Erin Koski

Brisbane and Sisci love these things so much, I had to buy a second one. Jolly Pets basically added a tug rope to their irresistible Jolly Ball. Now the balls are slightly more interactive!

The only thing bad about Jolly Balls is that my cattle dogs find them addictive. I have the 8" balls, and there's nothing they like more than unhinging their snakelike jaws in order to chomp these balls. Over and over. Rhythmically. Because herding dogs come preloaded with OCD. Even before Brisbane's first surgery, when he had a huge nasty tumor in his mouth, he was happy to bite his Jolly Ball.

The rope makes it a little bit easier to snap Brisbane and Sisci out of Biting Stuff Nirvana. They both like playing tug, so I can finally join them in their Jolly Ball games. The dogs also love to carry and shake the balls by the ropes. This means the absorbent cotton rope can get a bit gross, fortunately these balls also are great for kicking.

Biting Stuff Nirvana
Photo by Erin Koski

The Jolly Pets website actually recommends the Romp-N-Roll toy for water play. The ball is made from buoyant material, so it will still float even when waterlogged and filled with holes. It floats high, and is easy to see from swimming-dog-level.

This ball comes in three different sizes. Mine at the largest, 8" in diameter. There are also 6" and 4.5" versions for smaller or less determined dogs.

Photo by Erin Koski

Pros: Made in the USA. Cotton rope can be easily replaced at the hardware store. Soft enough to kick, tough enough to stand up to a ton of biting. Will not go flat. Large enough for the largest dogs to play safely.

Cons: It's not a chew toy. The biggest complaint about this toy seems to be that heavy chewers can destroy it easily, though it is not sold as a chew toy. The largest size of ball is also quite solid and heavy, so smaller and more sensitive dogs may need one of the smaller sizes.

Bottom Line: Best as an interactive toy if your dog is a heavy chewer. Aside from Kongs, this is actually the only toy I've purchased two of. My dogs like it so much they don't want to share.

Product Review: West Pet ZogoFlex Bumi

The Zogoflex Bumi is a durable dog toy from West Paw. Intended for games of tug, it is throwable, chewable, and recyclable. It stretches, floats, and is easy on the teeth. As an added bonus for some dogs, it can be shaken wildly so that the ends thwap them in the face. The Bumi comes in two sizes, the large is about an inch bigger than the small.

Photo by Erin Koski

This arrived in our highly disappointing May BarkBox, and I was not happy to see it. Brisbane really doesn't like solid rubber toys, and will only hold it to be polite. The Bumi doesn't squeak or make any noise at all when he bites it, so he just doesn't see the point.

Sisci, on the other hand, thinks the Bumi is pretty cool. She is determined to play with all the toys, and absolutely must carry something around when excited. She thinks the Bumi is very nice to gnaw. When thrown end over end, it skips across the ground in a way that is lots of fun to chase and bite.

This is the smaller of the two sizes, and it's still bigger than Ru. He ignored the Bumi completely until Sisci started playing with it. Ru loves to play tug with Sisci, sometimes she even notices and plays along. The shape of the Bumi is just right for Ru to grab and end and run along with her. They can even gnaw on it at the same time, which is excessively cute.

Pros: Super durable. Stretchy to absorb shock during vigorous tug games. Stands up to a decent amount of recreational chewing. Easier on the teeth than rope tugs, and it lasts longer too. soft enough for indoor play on noisy hardwood floors. Provides places for multiple dogs to grab.

Cons: Won't stand up to a power chewer on a mission of destruction. Does not come in a size suitable for tiny dogs.

Bottom Line: I appreciate the Bumi a lot more since Sisci and Ru started using it for the most adorable tug games ever.

What is your dog's favorite tug toy?

Product Review: The Moo To You Udderly Fun Tug

The Moo To You Udderly Fun Tug is made out of milking machine parts. The rubber bits have definitely spent prolonged contact with cows, these are bits that attach to the udders. They are clean, but presumably full of cow essence. My cattle dogs certainly adore them. There are multiple sources of milking machine part dog toys, this one came from a dairy farm in Maine.

Photo by Erin Koski

I first heard about tug toys made out of recycled milking machine parts a decade ago, but back then there was only one person selling them and they had to be ordered online. Fast forward a few years and they're becoming more and more common. I found this one at the Dog, Dog, Cat store in Tahoe.

So what is this thing made out of, exactly? We all know that cows are mostly milked by machine these days. The bits that actually touch the cows are called "milking inflations". These rubber tubes delicately massage the udders, and over time they lose some of their flexibility. Obviously nobody wants stiff rubber milk inflations massaging their udders, so these parts need to be replaced often.

What's a dairy farmer to do with all those food grade, made in the USA rubber parts? Tie a rope through them and make a kickass dog toy! It's safe, non-toxic, made, milked, and assembled in the USA, and keeps all those rubber milk inflations out of trash. What's not to love?

Of course, the tubes are cleaned and sanitized before they are turned into dog toys, so they don't smell like cow or carry any risk of disease. The long skinny part of the tube is usually cut off and used as a comfortable handle.

Pros: Made in the USA by a dairy farmer on a dairy in Maine. Food grade rubber tube made in the USA. Doesn't smell like cow to me, but totally does to the dogs because they have amazing noses. Simple and durable.

Cons: Hard to find in stores. Not for unsupervised missions of destructive chewing.

Bottom Line: I feel this is a very appropriate toy for my cattle dogs. The cattle dogs agree.

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: Kong Wubba Classic

 The Kong Wubba Classic is a toy designed for tugging and tossing, consisting of two balls covered in ballistic nylon, with four strips hanging off the end. The Wubba comes in three sizes and a variety of colors for dogs of every size.

Photo by Erin Koski

Sometimes Kong comes out with  things that make me wonder whether anyone involved in the design process actually took the product home and used it on a regular basis. I am absolutely certain that anyone with hard floors would rapidly take the Satellite right back to the drawing board in less than a week, and nobody involved in the making of the Starpod ever tried to washed the damned thing.

And then sometimes Kong comes out with a spectacular invention that makes me wonder how I ever lived without it.

Photo by Erin Koski

The Wubba if definitely in the second category. Like the company's flagship product, this one feels like it is filling a void in the otherwise huge selection of dog toys. It is a durable, floating squeaky toy with flappy tails. Brisbane thoroughly enjoys biting it, even after it has ceased to squeak. The tails, along with the weight, make it easy to throw a very long way. It's soft enough for indoor play, quiet enough for hardwood floors, and tough enough to last for years longer than a stuffed toy. The tails also make the Wubba incredibly fun to shake and "kill". Most dogs seem to figure this out right away, I like to cheer them along with encouragements like "That's right! Break its neck!"

We have several Wubba Classics in both the large and small sizes. There are several variations that range from "great idea" to "trying way too hard". The floating water Wubba with the neoprene fabric? Totally awesome until Brisbane feels compelled to rip the fabric off. Fleece Wubba with stuffed animal heads? Quit while you're ahead, guys. Wubba Classic is the only worthwhile Wubba.

Pros: Super durable, strong enough for a good game of tug. Squeaks for a while, but not in a fashion that makes dogs want to tear it apart to kill the squeak. Sturdy enough to swing the dog around during a good game of tug. Super fun to shake, throw, and catch. Does not inspire dogs to disassemble it. Soft and quiet enough for indoor play on hardwood floors, tough enough to muddy water play and rustic games of fetch.

Cons: I've never had a Wubba squeak for more than a few days. I have no idea what happens to them, Briz doesn't compulsively chomp them like he does tennis balls, they just rapidly cease to squeak. Most iterations beyond the Wubba Classic are just stupid.

Bottom Line: I haven't found anything quite like the Wubba, and it is a cherished part of our toy collection.

Product Review: TugAway Bungee Reward Pouch

The TugAway Bungee Reward Pouch is a tug toy with features. The nylon bungee handle is attached to a velcro pouch that is covered with real fur. It comes in several colors and with different bits of real animals, I've seen them in bunny, bison, coyote, and sheepskin.

Photo by Erin Koski

This toy is clearly designed with Brisbane in mind, because I haven;t found anything that he goes quite as crazy for. Sure, he likes to tug, but the TugAway really ups the ante. First, it's basically an extremely sturdy pouch that closes tightly with velcro all the way across the opening so that no treats can leak out at all. This means I can stuff it with the most horrible, smelly, godawful treats on earth to make it uber-motivating.

Photo by Erin Koski

Second, the TugAway is covered with actual dead animal. Brisbane has bunny fur. Between that and the treat smell, this toy gives him an instant case of crazy-eyes. The rabbit skin isn't totally durable, he has managed to rip a big hole in it so the toy looks extremely ratty, but this has not decreased his motivation in the slightest.

Third, the TugAway has a bungee handle. This means that it creates tugging action like a springpole, storing some of the energy Briz exerts and uses it to tug back so I can use less effort to swing him around by his face.

Photo by Erin Koski

Pros: Where to begin? The sealed pouch means I can use food as a motivator along with the toy. I can toss it in front of him and have him run to it and then open it and give him the treats. It's sturdy enough that he can't get to the food on his own in the time it takes for me to catch up and open it for him. The bunny fur probably taps into the part of his brain that we normally only use when hunting gophers.

Cons: I'm told that when the dog lets go the bungee effect can cause the toy to snap back and hit the handler in the face, but Briz doesn't willingly let go of it so I wouldn't know. Bunny fur isn't the toughest material out there, and bit of it are currently blowing across my lawn. The slightly-shredded pelt and general disorderly appearance of the TugAway is kind off gross for non-dog people. I suspect the velcro fabric pouch concept goes over best with herding breeds, retrievers, and other dogs who are on board with the concept of humans solving their problems for them. I think a more independent dog would just take off with it and shred it at their leisure, but I have not actually experienced this because I'm not a big fan of primitive/Nordic/hound/terrier breeds.

Bottom Line: At agility class I carry this thing draped over my belt like a sordid trophy. It's slightly macabre, just the way I like things. Also, Brisbane wants to bite it more than he wants to bite almost anything else. Best tug toy ever, I just have to keep it out of his reach when we're not training.