Herbie's favorite game of all time is tug of war. Unfortunately, even the sturdiest rope tugs don't last long around here. Even if she doesn't destroy them during the actual game, she'll unravel them given five minutes of alone time with them.
On top of that, playing tug with her takes its toll on me too. She is flat out stronger than I am (and I wrestle thousand pound animals for a living!) She has no quit and the way she thrashes back and forth means I need my chiropractor to snap my shoulders back into place the next day. Let's not even get into the fact that my hands get raw pretty quickly in the process.
So when friend and fellow-blogger, Katie, came up with Red Dog Tugs, I was thrilled. She owns two pit bulls herself and I know that they play every bit as rough as Herbie. I love to support my online friends in their endeavors, and at only $16 a pop, how could I say no? I requested a large pink and purple tug and it was ready before I knew it. Ordering through her Etsy page made paying easy.
I came home from my 80 mile ride to see the package sitting on the coffee table in the living room.
"Herbie, what is this? Is this for you?" I asked my dog, who was getting increasingly excited. Clearly I DID have something for her!
Herbie's tug on the right.
My first impressions of the toy were that it felt sturdy, but surprisingly light. The colors were, of course, brilliant, and the long ends were just enough to tease my ferocious pibble.
Herbie sniffed cautiously, the end of her tail wagging at a hundred miles an hour, waiting for permission to grab the toy. The one thing we've done all along is make it very clear that it's only ok to tug when the humans decide to tug. Her destructive tendencies are, thankfully, something she reserves only for things that are definitely hers.
I gave her the "OK!" command and she grabbed the toy. Thanks to the square braid, she was able to really sink her teeth in and get a good hold. I braced, waiting for impact. Herbie pulled back and... the toy stretched!!! Herbie thrashed and my shoulders stayed in their sockets! We played and played and played and the skin on my hands was in tact! The toy, which is tough, tough, tough, was easy on my body while giving my dog a hell of a work out.
And when we were done, the toy just shrank back down to its original size and shape, ready for round two. Herbie walked away panting, and collapsed in a satisfied heap on the carpet.
We've had the toy for a week now and it is still in one piece. Aside from the fact that there are some slobber stains on the light pink fleece, it still looks good as new. Even the loose ends are in tact.
On top of that, this tug has become Herbie's #1 favorite toy, hands down. She actually knows it by name, and if you tell her to go get her 'pull', she goes skidding across the kitchen floor to fetch it. We play tug several times a day and I've actually found a toy that makes it possible for me to exhaust her without wearing me out.
But don't take my word for it. Check out this video of Herbie playing with her new toy and Mike in the back yard after work:
I just might need to check her sight out. Been wanting to find something that could stand up against my Great Dane.....my Boxer-Pit mix used to LOVE playing tug, but she's slowing down on play now, maybe this would perk her up again.
ReplyDeleteI think my Lab/Husky needs one. She chews everything in sight and trying to teach her not to, although she is only 4 months old.
ReplyDeleteNice moves Herb!!
My pit needs one! She is exactly like Herbie with toys. . .nothing lasts more than a few days or a few hours. Even horse toys get destroyed by her overzealous chewing. I think a pink and purple one might be in Maggie's near future! Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteThose jaws!! They're just unbelievable!
ReplyDeletewhat a great toy! My sister has an adorable rusty-red pit mix Murphy, who destroys everything. No Kong is safe. This will work for pulling, but now I'd love to find a chewy toy, nothing we've stands lasts for long, though every xmas I give the dog something fun to destroy in 10 minutes, it is worth the look of joy on his face!
ReplyDeleteIf you find a chewy toy that holds up for more than a few minutes, let me know. The only thing that lasted with Herbie was a three foot long bully stick, but that's only because she got thirsty halfway through and had to go get a drink.
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