Mutt Mop

The Mutt Mop is a moppy, chewy, zingy new toy that’s soft and surprisingly durable. It’s made of strips of fleece fabric tied securely to a rubber ring. Dogs can toss it themselves, or you can play a game of fetch with it. They can chew on it, which helps clean their teeth, or they can play tug with either you or another dog.

I gave a large one to my Irish Setter, who destroys most other toys (the skunk-with-no-stuffing had to be thrown out and the house vacuumed within a week). He plays with it every day and he’s not gentle on it. It has to be said … this dog likes to tear fabric. He gets ahold of the kids’ toys and Pillow Pets and tears ears and legs off. He tears holes in blankets. He chews holes in any plush toys I give to him. And this toy was no exception. When he got it, he eventually sat down to have a good chew and seemed delighted that no one was taking it away from him.

He did manage to chew through the fabric in some places, but the beauty of this toy is that there are DOZENS of fabric strips. So if he chews a hole through one strip, it does not affect the quality of the toy. In fact, the more frayed it gets, the more he’ll probably like it. Dogs like toys that slap them in the face; it triggers their hunting instincts and drives them crazy. This toy is floppy and will get even moreso if it’s chewed.

By the way, hard kibble dog food does not clean teeth, no matter what the bag says. Does eating cereal clean your teeth? Kibble tends to stick to the teeth more than wet dog food, resulting in tartar along the gum line. Toys like this are great for cleaning teeth if you don’t have time to brush your dog’s teeth every day. If your dog has brown buildup on her teeth, give this toy a try and see if it doesn’t help.

The Mutt Mop is machine wash and dry, so it’s easy to keep it clean and ready for more play. If your dog is hard on plush toys, if he chews holes in your laundry, linens, children’s toys and pet toys, try this toy. Available in two sizes and various fleece fabrics from www.muttmops.com.