JW Pet iSqueak Rubber Ball Toy

I bought this toy at Petco about 6 weeks ago because The Naked Dog loves to play fetch.  I'm pretty sure he'd play ball until he dropped if my arm didn't give out first.  Where an 8 pounder gets that kind of energy, I don't know, but if I could bottle it, I'd be rich.

The ball is a very tough and thick feeling rubber and is 5 inches from top to bottom, but the manufacture states 2.75 inches. Measure how you will, it's a lot of ball for a little dog and bigger than a tennis ball.

Despite the size, this ball held up poorly.  The front of the ball is in perfect shape, but the back of the ball where the squeaker is located didn't fair so well.  The Naked Dog took a fancy to this part of the ball and as a result, the squeaker is coming out of the ball.  He didn't play with the toy constantly, because it was lost for a while under the couch.

The cost of the ball was $7.49, so it was most certainly not a cheap toy. The fact that the durability was so limited makes for an expensive toy and does not bode will for The Naked Dog Review.  I've retired this toy to the trash rather than risk a swallowed squeaker and a big vet bill.

Based on the poor quality and short life, The Naked Dog Review gives the JW Pet iSqueak Rubber Ball Toy a paw and a half.

Himalayan Dog Chews - Yak Chews

Yak you say?  As in that big hairy looking thing from Nepal?  Yup, that's the one.

During our first visit to the pet trade show in Chicago, we found two companies selling Yak chews.  We got a sample at the Himalayan Dog Chew booth.  We actually got two samples, same product, just in different forms.  One was a complete chew, about 4 inches long and one was a "nugget" which is just a nugget size of the chew.

So by now, I know your asking yourself, is this really from a yak?  Yes, it is.  It's Yak and cows milk along with just a bit of salt and lime, which helps with the curdling.  Where people in Nepal get limes, that I don't know.  Perhaps there is a type of lime which grows there or it's brought in from another region.  I'm not familiar enough with Nepal to know their produce patterns.

The Naked Dog has been working on the full size Yak chew for  hours now and it's down about an inch.  It therefore seems reasonable that full on chewing will result in about an inch an hour, of course this could vary from dog to dog.  The Naked Dog is just a year old, so he's got tons of stamina.   He has it in a solid death grip and is completely engrossed and loving this chew. (note: he's on day 2 and still about 3 inches long)

The chews are made in Nepal and this is a fair trade product benefiting the economy of Nepal.   The chew is actually a cheese, a VERY, VERY hard cheese made for centuries by the Nepalese.  Who ever decided this would make a good dog chew is beyond me, but it makes a DANDY one.  

One of the best parts of this chew is that there is no waste.  If they get down to a little nub, simply pop that into the microwave for 30-40 seconds and it pops up into a popcorn-like nugget that you can give back to the dog and it breaks down like a big popcorn puff.   And if the dog swallows a chunk, well, it's not like rawhide, this is a food and it breaks down and passes in the end. 

I tested the nugget sample on Flick my foster.  Flick has never been a chewer of anything, but he grabbed that puffed nugget and took off like he found treasure.  So all around, this product more than surpasses the "bravo" factor.  In fact, we're so impressed that our rescue, www.RatTerrierResQ.com will be carrying the nuggets in our store.  

The Naked Dog gives this product 4 paws and a tail up!