Hey, PawTracks readers! Meet Jack:
This dude is 75 pounds of pure dingus (and we love him for it). He sleeps on his back with his paws straight up in the air, he has to be part of every hug, and his howling is basically just yelling. I’m not entirely convinced he knows he’s a husky-malamute mix.
Even though he sometimes acts like a small dog, he certainly plays like a big one. As sweet and nonaggressive as he is, his sheer weight is enough to tackle me sometimes. He really doesn’t know his own strength.
Recently, his other human and I have stopped splurging on cute toys at the pet store in favor of dollar store toys. Being the rambunctious husky that he is, nothing lasts very long with Jack, whether we spend $1 or $15. When we got the chance to review the Chuckit! Flying Squirrel, though, I was hoping we’d finally found a toy that would stay intact long enough to tire him out.
I was right! After an afternoon of being chased, sniffed, tugged, and chewed, the toy barely has a few marks. It looks very vibrant among the neutral colors of the rope toys and brown-bear plushies in the toy box, which is probably why Jack was immediately so interested in it. As soon as it was out of the envelope, he was curious.
After a bit of encouragement, he knew it was a toy for him and took it right out of my hands before I could even toss it for him. He had no trouble holding the toy in his mouth as I chased him around the yard. Its curved, animal-like shape makes it easy for Jack or me to pick it up, too — as a person with long fingernails, I’ve struggled to toss Frisbees in the past.
The occasional tug-of-war was definitely a workout for my arm but apparently not for the Squirrel. Jack’s teeth inflicted zero damage on the canvaslike fabric, and the shape wasn’t stretched at all from the pulling, though a few scuff marks from the yard are there to stay. I preferred holding onto the corner of the toy where the rubber feet are, but Jack liked to hold it from the side. Instead, he chewed on the rubber feet after our game was over. When he was bored with that (his attention span isn’t very long), he couldn’t find much else to chew on this streamlined toy.
He looked so confused when the toy he had just been gnawing on began to fly! He cocked his head and watched it float across the yard before bolting off after it. As I threw it, it felt exactly like a heavier Frisbee. It wasn’t difficult to throw at all, and the little extra weight definitely helped it stay in the yard. Under windy conditions like we had, a regular Frisbee probably would’ve ended up over the fence. I can see how this toy would be great for dogs who love to run, especially if you have space in your yard or park to really give it your all.
While Jack doesn’t quite have the attention span for fetch, we gave the Flying Squirrel a really good test during playtime. I am confident that we’ll be happy with the long-term durability of this toy considering what we put it through. It’s not an expensive toy, so I’d be willing to replace it every now and then if we end up needing to.
Jack is napping peacefully now, snoring on his back, and I think I might settle in for a nap myself. The Chuckit! Flying Squirrel tired us both out, which makes it the perfect toy for dogs with a lot of energy…and an owner who needs a workout!
If you’re interested in more, learn how to teach your dog to fetch with 5 easy steps.
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