My dog’s mission in life is to destroy every toy we give her—at least that’s what must go on inside her doggie mind every time we come home with a new toy. She sees it as a personal challenge.
Yesterday, while we were buying dog food and treats at Pet Food Express, my husband and I saw a toy called Tuffy, that claimed to be extremely durable and “tiger-tested.” A Pet Food Express employee even wrote recommendation saying that her pit bull terrier had one of these toys for months now and it was still in one piece. We thought we’d give it a try with our dog, an Australian shepherd mix.
We took it home to her, and after the initial excitement and protectiveness of her new treasure wore off, she began to dig in. I’d say in less than 30 minutes, she had punctured through and was pulling out the stuffing. I managed to get the toy away from her and finished pulling out all of the stuffing so she would ingest any of it. So much for being tough. The manufacturer even has a video of a tiger with the Tuffy toy to show how strong the product is. Well, the tiger’s a real pussy cat with this toy compared to our dog.
I noticed on the VIP Products website, you can sign your dog up to be a toy tester. The only toys that have stood the test of our dog are an extreme Kong toy (the ones in black), a couple of tennis balls and a Zogoflex made by West Paw Design. The rest are in tatters around the house or in the designated toy box. Perhaps we should sign her up as a dog tester, because she’s clearly good at finding weaknesses in product designs.
Most Popular Breeds
The American Kennel Club announced the most popular dog breeds nationwide for 2011. They are:
- Labrador Retriever
- German Shepherd Dog
- Beagle
- Golden Retriever
- Yorkshire Terrier
- Bulldog
- Boxer
- Poodle
- Dachshund
- Rottweiler
The beagle and the dachshund advanced in popularity and the Rottweiler edged out the Shih Tzu from making the top 10 this year. Sorry Shih Tzus--it’s a dog-eat-dog world.
Pet of the Week
This week’s pet in need of a home is Lucy, a 1-year-old boxer and pit bull terrier mix. She’s described as a “bouncing ball of energy at times” and would do best with an active family who likes to hike, run and play ball with her. She has a wonderful smile and would thrive with some obedience training and a loving home.
For more information about Lucy and other dog available for adoption, visit the Humane Society Silicon Valley website.
