Everyone gets their dogs' presents for under the tree. Our dogs love unwrapping their presents on Christmas morning – the more paper flying, the better!
If you're like a lot of us, you're not done your shopping yet. Which is good because I've got some ideas I think you (and your dog) will love!
The good folks at Hartz sent us a box full of their newest Angry Birds toys. We let the Smart Dog U toys test them out and the verdict is in:
They love 'em!
If my dogs like something, I generally like it, too. And the Angry Bird toys fit the bill for both the human and the dog.
Here's what I love about the toys:
- ease of purchase — they're at Walmart! (And other places, too, it's just that Walmart's so convenient for us.)
- cost — they're high quality toys, but won't cost you an arm and a leg
- quality — I like that these toys are well constructed and that they've lasted more than a week! Our dogs are a little rough on toys. Most toys aren't intact after a week or so. These are still going strong.
- variety — there are four different types of toys (Hard Heads [my favorite!], Plush Ball, Tuff Stuff Flyer [another SDU favorite!], and Two Heads).
I like the Hard Heads toys because of the squeaker. Our favorite game is to squeeze all the air out of the toy, then toss it into the air for the dogs. It takes awhile for the toy to "re-inflate" and there's a long, drawn-out squeak that makes the dogs silly. You know that crazy cute head tilt that dogs do? They ALL do it simultaneously when we squeeze all the air out then let it re-inflate. Great for taking pictures if you want to get that cute head-tilt in a photo!
The Tuff Stuff Flyer is another favorite because of it's construction and durability. There's a different character on each side of the toy (which is fun all by itself, we think!), and the material is tough polyester fiber with stiff, durable double rings (covered by fabric) so the toy stays in it's disc shape even after repeated throws and retrieves. If you're looking to play tug with your dog, this is a great toy. There are three "handles" for you to grip while playing. In our house, the dogs like to tug with each other, rather than with us. Often, we'll get three or four dogs in the game. This is a nice toy for them to tug because everyone has a spot to grip.
Have you tried these toys yet? If so, leave me a comment and tell me what you think. I'd love to hear from you!
Hartz sent us these toys free of charge, for our dogs enjoyment, and for a review. My review is an honest review, not influenced by Hartz.
Do you think the Tuff Stuff Flyer would hold up to some chewing? Riker LOVES frisbee-type toys but destroys stuffed things. Would this be a good middle ground? I love Angry Birds, and my husband would definitely get a kick out of a toy like that!
I do think the Tuff Stuff Flyer would be a good middle ground. The very center (the bird) is lightly stuffed with a squeaker, but the rest of it is just double-ply polyester fiber. If Riker’s a really tough chewer, I don’t think these are chew-proof. But I do think they’d hold up to moderate chewing and tugging.