Customer Reviews

Premier Busy Buddy Tug-a-Jug Treat Dispensing Dog Toy

5 star:		(178)
4 star:		(76)
3 star:		(89)
2 star:		(71)
1 star:		(78)

 

 

This toy takes more effort to get food out than the Buster Cube, which I like because it occupies the dog longer. I find that the cube, even on its "hardest" setting only takes a few minutes to get out most of the food, and then the rest doesn't come out no matter how long the dogs work it. With the bottle the dogs can get nearly all the food out if they keep at it.

At first you should fill the bottle so that it is over half full. This way food can come out more easily when it is on its side. This will encourage the dog to play with it. Once the food level goes down food will only come out as they toss and pull the bottle. It took my dog a few days to get to this, but now she seems to have mastered it. She stands the bottle up and knocks it over, putting food into the neck, then she works the rope a bit and manages to get a piece of kibble out. When I first got the toy I thought she would never be able to figure it out, but she has. Even so, it takes a fair amount of work to get out just a few pieces of food, so it can keep them occupied all day.

Our 16 month old yellow lab loves to play with empty 2 liter pop bottles. I bought him this toy because I worried he would cut his mouth and gums on the sharp plastic shards of those flimsy bottles. No worry about that with the Tug-a-Jug...this toy will most likely survive through the next millennium!

To fill with treats, just twist off the bottom; couldn't be easier. It's a lot of fun watching our dog figure out how to get at the goodies inside.

I honestly don't think the rope pull is going to last very long; especially if you are buying this for an aggressive chewer. However, don't let that stop you from buying the tug-a-jug. Even without the rope, it's still a great and challenging toy.

Length:: 1:01 Mins

Tucker was nervous about this toy at first (as you'll see in the video) but really warmed up to it quickly and has enjoyed gnawing on it. However, this has not worked very well for us as a treat dispenser. I consider Tucker to be quite a clever puppy, but after fiddling with the tug-a-jug for a couple days, he just began bringing the thing to me and dropping it at my feet for me to dispense the treats for him. (I suppose that may be evidence of just how clever he is!)

I have a medium size dog - 38 pounds. He enjoys to chew on things but I have never thought of him as a heavy chewer. The night I received this he was so excited about it. It was so tempting to see, hear and smell the treats. Well, within 20 minutes the toy was in the garbage. He chewed off the rubber toy that blocks the treats from coming out. He then started to chew where the smell of the treats is able to escape. The plastic fell apart so easily! He then started to break off little pieces. I woudl not recommend this for a medium or large sized dog!

Our dog loves her Bad CUZ, but this toy she loves more than any other. She's a VERY tough chewer, and it's survived for quite some time with no damage. One thing - protect your toes with this toy - it's pretty heavy and does get swung around a bit. I wouldn't recommend this toy if you have low tables with knick-knacks, sensitive shins or teeny kids that may get bonked with it. Ours has gotten thrown (by the dog) repeatedly down the stairs onto a hard floor and hasn't broken yet.
As far as treats to go into it - remember that the rope is knotted inside the jug, so don't put anything into the jug that's soft or the rope will end up smelling REALLY nasty...

I was very disappointed with the tug-a-jug. It came in the mail today. The dog had it for 5 minutes and she had the rubber rope chewed in half in that short amount of time. A waste of money for me. I have yet to find something that this black lab doesn't destroy in record time.

This toy is great for preventing my dog from inhaling all his food. Unfortunately it takes him less than an hour to empty it, so it's doesn't keep him as occupied as long as I'd like. So far minimal/suspected wear (bottle is scratched up and some of the nibs of the rubber chew part are gone) and I'm waiting to see if he manages to untie the knot of the rope (like he has on another toy).

Update 6/30/07: The screw on part has suffered some damage. It's almost as if Jasper bit it while it the toy was intact, nearly breaking a chunk out of it. Looks like I'm gonna have to buy another or find another toy. (So if I could I'd drop my rating to 3 stars.)

Update 12/30/07: Now the rope is "unraveling" near the top knot and it's getting stuck in the opening, making it hard for even me to get the rope out enough to dislodge the food. So it's definitely time for a new toy to dispense Jasper's food, which could very likely be this one simply for the ease of loading the food.

My Beagle, who is an avid chewer, really enjoys the tug-a-jug. It took her about a day to figure out the fastest way to get to the treats, but even so it still takes her some time to work everything out of it. It's better than other treat-dispensing toys I have which make the treats either too easy or too difficult to get out. The only reason I wouldn't give this toy 5 stars is that my dog was able to chew right through the attached rope within the first hour of playing with it, so that part of it was not too durable. Still, even without the rope it's a good product.

I purchased two of these for our labs at Christmas. I filled them with their usual training treats, and the dogs loved them...they played with them for about 30 minutes trying to get to the treats. Then...the two dogs figured if they bit off the ball on the end of the rope, they could get the treats to fall out sooner. Yup...within 30 minutes the plastic ropes were destroyed. It could really be a danger to dogs if swallowed. (This is why I watch the dogs when they get new toys...and thank goodness I did.)

Anyhow, totally disappointed with the product, it's safety and the price. THESE TOYS ARE NOT LAB-TOUGH!

I have a 7lb Maltese boy who loves this toy! I was a little hesitant when I first received it because it is about half as big as he is. It took him a little while to figure out how to get the treats out but he definitely has his methods now. From dragging it around the living room to standing it up by the couch and knocking it back over. Also keeps his interest for a very long time whether it has treats in it or not!!!! I would recomend this to keep your canine pal entertained.
My furbaby loves to have kibble or multi-grain cherios plus some biscuits in his!****

*****5 months later and I had to write an update. Gizmo is still in love with this toy. He loves to pull it around and scratch on the bottle to see if he can get at the rope, lol. Does he play with it every day...no. But, he doesn't play with any of his toys everyday. I'm so glad that I bought this for him, it has been a great purchase. He still loves it and loves to play with it regardless of treats being in there or not. If your dog is active, smart, loves to pounce and dig this is a great toy option. Is every dog going to love it....no but you can't get a promise of that with any toy! I highly suggest you give this toy a try.