Customer Reviews

AKC Squirrel Dog Toy, Large

5 star:		(114)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

I can say that this AKC squirrel instantly became my dog's favorite toy the second she saw it. The squirrel is exceptionally realistic looking, especially from a distance. I set the toy out on the lawn and the dog, already an avid squirrel chaser, took off after it like a bullet. It is the only squirrel she has ever been able to catch! She immediately took it and ran with it into the house and jumped up on the bed to chew on it (which I suppose is a preview of coming attractions should she ever happen to catch a real one). I have tried to get her to play with her other toys, but if the squirrel is anywhere in sight, she won't even look at the others. If the squirrel is anywhere she can get to it, she will grab it and go jump up on the bed to gnaw on it. If the squirrel is out of reach, and she can see it, she will stare at the squirrel, then look at me, then stare at the squirrel, then look at me, until I can't stand it any more and either give it to her or hide it. So why only 3 stars? Unfortunately, the squirrel is a bit fragile for my particular dog. Some reviewers have said that their dog has had this toy for months or years. From that I can surmise that their dog is not a Norrbottenspets. Norrbottenspets are a 'primitive' breed with strong instincts for chasing, catching and gutting small ground animals. It is not surprising that this same fate would be in store for stuffed toys that resemble small ground animals. The squeaker in the tail didn't last 5 minutes before it was pierced by a sharp canine tooth. Next were the feet. I left the room for 10 minutes to take a phone call, and when I returned the squirrel was footless and stuffing was decorating the bed. So I put the toy away and, to make it last a bit longer, I have tried to let her have it only when supervised. However, even that is tricky. She is very good at holding it in her paws and hiding what she is actually doing to it, such as chewing its legs off. And I can't watch her every second. The squirrel lost two legs during a recent bathroom break. So after a week, we are down to a squirrel with only the vestige of one leg remaining, and a tail chewed just about in half. Lately I can see that she has turned her attention to its head. The ears were the first thing to go once that happened. I fully expect that before the month is out, the squirrel will be headless as well. Then it will join company with the five other stuffed animal torsos currently in the sewing room awaiting surgery. So, while this is a great toy, and dogs love it, if you have a toy-shredder like I do, it may not be the best choice for you. It's a bit pricey as a "sacrificial" toy. I can buy similar sized stuffed toys at Pet Club for a couple of bucks, that I don't feel bad about just throwing away once they become a legless, decapitated torso. I found a small stuffed toy dog there (at least I think it started out as a dog) that was constructed in a way that the legs and ears could be chewed off without getting into the body cavity, and the head and torso are basically one piece. So, while it, too, has been reduced to a legless, earless head/torso, the squeaker still works and the what is left of it is not leaking any stuffing. That one has gone a few months and is still hanging in there (although you can't tell what it used to be. It looks like a fuzzy cylinder). It only cost $3.97.

I purchased this because my lab loves to attempt to catch squirrels...He is rough with it and it looks the same after 2 months as the day it came.

I have a young Siberian Huskey who LOVES to chew. He has ripped holes is many of this stuffed animals, except he has yet to do so with any of his Jakks plush animals. He has several of their animals and loves them all, expecially the possum. They are well made and I recommend them highly over any other plush for dogs.

First, his little nose went, then his paws. Now his head is hanging off. My keeshond puppy insists she did not do this, but no one else in the family tends to attack squirrels, so I doubt her story. Rest in pieces, little squirrel-you had a full life in your three days at our house.

This is not a dog toy, this should be sold as a stuffed animal to put on a shelf. In less than 30 seconds my dogs had all the stuffing out of this toy and the tail was ripped from the body. I don't know what they sewed the seams with but it needed to be reinforced. Very disappointed!

This toy seems to play well and due to the fuziness of it and lack of internal stuffing, a lot of chew happens without a lot of the material being torn into or ruined. Light weight, fairly small, I'd recommend for a 25 pound or less dog.

I wasn't sure if my dog would like this at first. She loves squirrels, but it isn't real. She fell in love as soon as she saw it. Years later it still looks great after tons of wear, and lots of squeaking!

This is another one of the AKC toys that I bought for my dog (does this stand for THE American Kennel Club and do they recommend these toys???)
If they do, they should not. All but one of these brand of toys quit (the noise makers) within a few minutes after giving to my dogs. My dogs love the squeakers and do not want them after they quit working. The only one that held up in this brand was the raccoon. We have several toys of a different brand that have worked well for years - even after washing them - the squeakers still work!
Bob

but my Pomeranian enjoys playing with it and chewing on it. It is very soft... she likes to sleep curled around it.

Given the rather large size of the small chipmunk, I thought the small fox would be perfect for my 50 lb dogs who sometimes enjoy small furry things. This toy appears so diminuative, though, I was taken aback. The stated dimensions say that it's at least 8 inches! So far, they've shown little interest in it, even though it's a great looking toy--for a Small Dog!