Dog Blog - Dog Product Reviews

Product Name: TreatStik

Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price: $14.99

Tester: Six-year-old Labrador Retriever, Boudin, who can and has destroyed every other toy she’s ever had, except for natural femur bones.

Reviewer’s Comments: The manufacturer created the TreatStik for large dogs who were tough on other toys. It’s an interactive toy that you load up with treats. It can be a fetch toy or treat-dispensing toy and is made to stand up to the toughest dog. I was skeptical, because other tough toys have ended up in the trash at my house. My Lab is an aggressive chewer, who uses her back teeth to grind hard on any toy. She pops tennis balls in minutes, shreds Rhino Bones and Tough Kongs, and chomps down “tough” chews that are meant to last for days and weeks.

I gave her the TreatStik, loaded up with treats and she went to town. She pushed it all over the house to get the treats out, and when they were gone, she sat down to give it a good chew. She gave it a dedicated try day after day for months, and although it’s scratched up and catches carpet fuzz now, she has not been able to destroy it. She hooked her long canine tooth into the treat-dispense hole and went to town. It’s frayed and slightly larger, but it held. She ground her teeth all over the top and length of the TreatStik and it has held together with nary a crack.

It’s a great toy to leave with your dog when you go to work, because it keeps them busy and interested. You can load it with beef jerky as well as kibble. When the kibble’s gone, the jerky still smells good and keeps the dog’s interest. If you’re worried about your dog’s weight, you can load it with low-cal kibble or treats, cubed carrots, or Cherios.

The only reason we need to get another one now is that she has learned to unscrew the top. I am not kidding. I thought it was a fluke the first time or two when I came home and found the top off. But the last five times I’ve given it to her, I’ve come home and the top has been off, so I guess she really has figured it out. Who knew? I will say that even when she took the top off and chewed the crap out of the threads, I was still able to screw the top back on. This plastic they use is TOUGH!

I’ve heard the company is planning a smaller size, for smaller dogs, which is great, because I’ve talked to small dog owners whose dogs need toys for aggressive chewers, but the toys that are out there are too big. Can’t wait! Meantime, I’m going to get another TreatStik and see if I can thwart Boudin’s attempts to open it.

Lisa Woody, Lake Dallas, TX