From the Experts

• 

  “This dog is fun to chew, but he doesn't know how to hold himself together! ”

  — Moe
• 

  “I love this little dog and I love to carry him around, but he never stays long!”

  — Cresswell
• 

  “I like to squeak this dog and try and steal him out of Cress's bed.”

  — Eddie

The first toy we bought Cress was one of these plush dogs, he loved it so much he would snuggle in bed with it. Since that first dog, several have entered our house all nice and fluffy and left a couple of days later without limbs, squeakers and ears.

Description

This plush dog is cartoon-like with big eyes, floppy ears and very soft fur. The main squeakers are in the head and body, but each foot also has a small one to maximise ‘squeakyness’. The big eyes and nose are stitched-on material, so your dog doesn’t have any plastic parts to chew off and swallow.

Durability

The Cuddlies Muff Pup is not long lasting unless your dog just likes to snuggle with its toys. It is definitely not recommended for dogs who are tough on their toys or who like to play tug of war with them. My dogs have managed to rip off ears, legs and unstuff the dog after 4-5 play sessions. However, Moe (a Labrador friend of ours and today’s guest reviewer) is known to destroy one of these dogs in an hour or less.

Value

I have seen the small version of this dog range from between $14 and $16.50 depending on where you buy it. I have purchased several as Cress goes wild when he sees it – one time he pulled it off a rack in our vet’s waiting room! In my mind it is a reasonable price if your dog goes easy and uses the toy as a comforter and not a chew toy, otherwise an hour of play is not good value for any toy!

Safety

As with most dog toys your dog should be supervised while using them, but with this toy in particular I would recommend vigilance as a leg or ear can come off very quickly and then your dogs can easily chew the synthetic stuffing and plastic squeakers.

Sizes

Small, Medium and Large. We have purchased both small and medium sizes, but I have found the smaller size more durable and that is what is featured in the photos on this page.

Pros

• They are fully washable, so if they get a bit sticky you can give them a clean.
• Dogs love its look and feel.

Cons

• They don’t last the distance and quickly get torn apart.

Overall

The biggest downfall of this toy is its longevity. If you are looking for a durable toy for your dog, choose something else. The Cuddlies Muff Pup is only suitable for young puppies and dogs without much strength or no desire to see what is inside their new best friend.

Have your dogs owned one of these toys? What was your verdict?

Published on August 2, 2010