Product Review: Planet Dog Orbee-Tuff Raspberry

The Planet Dog Orbee Tuff Raspberry is an itty bitty durable, stuffable chew toy for itty bitty dogs. It is made in the USA of recyclable materials, and is part of Planet Dog's line of produce-shaped toys. The Orbee-Tuff Raspberry comes in one size: tiny.

Photo by Erin Koski

This is basically the cutest stuffable dog toy ever. It's slightly larger than an actual raspberry and it's pink. I can fill it with peanut butter or spray cheese-like-substance, and I can freeze it to make it last longer.

There aren't a whole lot of stuffable toys out there for toy breeds. We have an assortment of ridiculously tiny Kongs, but nearly everything else is made for real dogs. I've been avoiding bringing home toys that are way too small for Brisbane, but I've been crating Ru while we work on his housebreaking/UTI issues. Brisbane is also remarkably careful with tiny toys, so Ru gets his wee Kongs and Raspberry in his crate, and if Briz gets it later it's not the end of the world.

Photo by Erin Koski

Pros: Sized just right for under-ten-pounders. Maybe cats too. Made in the USA of recyclable materials by a very cool company. Way too cute.

Cons: Too tiny for real dogs, the much larger artichoke and eggplant just aren't as cute.

Bottom Line: I need a drawer full of peanut butter-stuffed raspberries in my freezer.

Food Friday: I and Love and You Simply Sea Recipe

I and Love and You is a really weird name for a dog food. There, I said it. That's probably what the company wants me to think though, being weird is a great way to stick in people's minds. I found this at my local Ralph's grocery store, which was also really weird. I tend to refer to low-quality dog foods like Beneful as "grocery store dog food", though I know some dog nerds who feed their dogs Purina Pro Plan or Purina One. Even relatively high-quality grocery store foods aren't normally usually safe for Brisbane's egg and poultry allergies, if they're not made out of eggs and chicken meal, they're filled with "meat and bone meal" that could contain anything.

The Hype
I and Love and You makes the usual claims about all-natural everything. It also calls itself "nude food", which is cute. This brand prominently sates that it contains no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives, which feels like it goes without saying for most high-end foods. The bag and the website state that Simply Sea is made out of cod, but it's primary protein source is actually fish meal.

Following the Trail
As far as I can tell, I and Love and You makes their own food in their own facility. I can't find any mention of a co-packer, and the bag says "Distributed by NatPets", which owns the brand.

The Good Stuff
This is a Dog Food Advisor five star kibble. That I bought at the grocery store. Crazy.

Simply Sea is a grain-free, poultry-free, gg-free kibble that Brisbane can eat with his chicken/duck/turkey/egg allergies. It would be a good choice if I had to pick a single food for my dogs, and an amazing choice if I didn't have access to all the amazing pet stores around here and was stuck buying my dog food at the grocery store.

Also the kibbles are each shaped like hearts. How cute is that?

Product Review: Kong Aqua

The Kong Aqua is a floating water toy with a rope attached for throwing. The Kong Aqua is not a stuffable chew toy, but it is a highly-visible and floats high in the water. The Kong website states that the toy comes in medium and large sizes, but I've only ever seen the large.

Photo by Erin Koski

Brisbane is pretty hard on water toys. After he retrieves them, he wold really like to shred them. He ripped the cover off the Water Wubba, and will tear chunks out of our Chuckit disc and bumper given the opportunity. I get the feeling that the people who designed the Kong Aqua have the same problem.

The rope on this toy is really long, at least 2' if not 3'. This makes it super easy to lob the thing way out into the ocean without getting my feet wet. It's a braided plastic rope, so it doesn't absorb water and Brisbane can't shred it once he comes ashore. He tries, it just doesn't come apart.

This is the same size as a large Kong Classic, and no significantly bigger than a tennis ball. Brisbane has a lot of trouble locating a tennis ball or Ultra Ball in the surf. The Aqua Kong is far more visible, even when he is swimming with his nose right at water level.

Pros: Nearly indestructible, holds up even when he stands on the toy and tries to rip the rope off. High visibility. Easy to throw long distances.

Cons: Extra-long rope makes it kind of awkward to carry. Plastic rope doesn't feel great on my hands when playing tug. This Kong is not stuffable because it is filled with floating foam.

Bottom Line: This might be our new favorite swimming toy.