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?

Dogzilla Versus Kong

There are several different companies making durable rubber chew toys, but I'm pretty sure Kong was the first on the scene in 1976. Today there are quite a few different brands to choose from, but none is quite as similar to Kong as the Dogzilla toys by Petmate.

Photo by Erin Koski

The current Dogzilla toys are blue, and they make a big deal out of this. Earlier Dogzilla products were a very familiar red. I always found them for sale in stores that didn't carry Kong products, and wondered if they were trying to confuse people into buying Dogzillas thinking they were Kongs.

I personally think the Kong toys are better designed. The hole ion the toy is big enough to shove a biscuit through, but small enough to prevent most goodies from simply falling out. The inner chamber is deep, and significantly wider than the opening. In contrast, the Dogzilla toys tend to have very wide openings that are nearly as wide as the toy. The inner chambers tend to be shallow. Our Dogzilla dumbbell also has a super tiny passage that leads into the other end of the toy and is far too small to be unpacked even if I wanted to spend forever stuffing one kibble at a time through it.

The Kong company is clearly a dog-centered business. I genuinely believe that their earliest products in particular were designed by dog lovers for their own beloved dogs. I haven't been as impressed with some of their more recent offerings, but the intent to make awesome things for wonderful dogs is still there. Kong also has outstanding customer service, and complaints about their products are usually met with apologies and coupons. When I send a message or ask the Kong company a question, I expect to get back a personal response from an actual person. If I search around the Kong website long enough, I will probably be able to find a picture of this person's dog.

I don't have the same warm fuzzy feelings about the Petmate company, makers of Dogzilla toys. They don't have nostalgic tales about the company founder and their beloved dog gracing the Petmate website. They don't have a community presence or donate to charities on a regular basis. Petmate toys aren't routinely donated to animal shelters, as far as I am aware. They're just a large corporation trying to make money. If I had a problem with one of their products, I would expect to receive an impersonal and mostly useless response, like the time I contacted Premier about an issue with a product and they offered to sell me another one at the regular price.

But my feelings about the companies that make them aside, how do the toys compare? Well, on Amazon most Dogzilla toys have about a three-star rating, with most of the 1- and 2-star reviews complaining that their dogs had never destroyed a Kong but shredded the Dogzilla toy in minutes. Many customers were surprised because their dogs had never done such a thing before. The average Kong rubber toy has a 4.5-rating, and the 1-star reviews consist almost entirely of people lamenting that their super-power-chewers had destroyed the toys. I have yet to find anyone claiming their dog destroys Kongs but the Dogzilla is holding up admirably.

It is my opinion that Kong toys are superior to Dogzilla toys, both in design and durability. There are plenty of dogs who love their Dogzillas, and the brand has many happy customers, but I think Kongs are a more durable product and a better value.