The video I shared yesterday of Luke playing with his monkey toy got me thinking a little bit. It’s easy for me to say that we spend a fortune on stuffed toys that just get destroyed around here. While getting some freebies is one of the joys of being a pet blogger, I do still buy quite a few toys for the crew.
However, in spite of destruction, the toys really do last a long time. Even though Luke and Sheba both might go “straight for the heart” of their toys, and by “heart” I mean “squeaker”, that is not normally the end for them. In fact, Cricket will rarely even pick up a stuffed toy unless the “gutting” of it has already been begun by her siblings.
Cricket doesn’t enjoy the destruction, starting the holes and then removing the squeaker (and I try to get to that squeaker before they can, especially if they are the small ones). She does enjoy the de-stuffing part though. Even when the stuffing has all been pulled out, the carcasses that are left over are often her favorites. I’m not sure what that says about her as a dog!
Take, for instance, the Blue Suede shoe toy which came in our Pet Treater box back in September. It has long since been destroyed and de-stuffed – Sheba was seen in action doing that in this post – and you can see in the photo below that even half of it is gone. Yet, that’s the toy that Cricket will often drag to bed on a weekend morning, and the snarling and growling at her siblings will ensue (all in fun) because everyone wants the toy she has, even though it’s now a stuffless shell of a toy, and half gone to boot.
Once in a while I’ll even throw some of the carcasses in the washing machine (though probably the smell of them is part of the attraction!), or sneak one that’s in really rough shape into the trash when they’re not looking. When I’m not looking, they’ll sneak one outside and if it ends up in the rain and mud, I’ll throw it out eventually. But for the most part, these toys are around for a long time, and we have a toy box full of the “remains”.
The real thing that keeps me spending money is the fact that this time of year Luke starts to get bored in the evenings, and nothing but a new toy will stop his whining (honestly, I try to ignore him, but it’s HARD. And then I blame myself thinking I didn’t do enough with him that day). Even when I hide some in another room and try to pass them off as new, he doesn’t fall for it. Plus, if a new toy comes and I try to stash it away for later, and he sees me do it? He does not forget, and he’ll go right to the door or cabinet where he knows I put it.
So I’ll continue to spend money, but I won’t try to claim that toys don’t live long around here. They’re just kind of “crippled”, which I guess just makes them the perfect Christmas toys – they’d fit right in on that Island of Misfit Toys seen on Rudolph.
This post is lovingly dedicated to our late blog friend Easy Rider, who was well known for the “snowstorms” he created when destroying toys in record time. Easy Weimaraner tragically passed away this last week due to complications from bloat. He was too young, and his parents are understandably devastated. Easy was a “rock star” in the pet blogging community. His antics and those of his family were hilarious. Every time “he” left a comment on this blog, it would bring a smile or a laugh. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. He may have lived an ocean away, but he was close to all our hearts, as are his parents.
For bloggers that knew Easy, I wanted to mention in case you didn’t know, that there is a fundraiser going on for his family to help with the ER vet bills that were not covered by insurance. You can visit the Idaho Pugs by clicking here to learn more.
Condolences can be left on Easy’s blog. RIP big guy. Luke is going to miss his “partner in crime”.
Callie was always gentle with her toys, unless Shadow tried to get one away from her. Now stuffed toys are hidden away. Ducky destroys all but the very toughest ones. And I hate to see Callie’s favorites torn apart like my heart was when she left us.
I think you should continue to treasure those toys. ♥
You had us at ‘free.’ Nice monkey and I have no doubt our fur-iend Easy Rider would have made pawsome snowfetti outa him in no time. ????
I really do need a dog toy sponsor or something though – LOL!
Our Golden Retriever kept all his toys in pristine condition. He never chewed them. When he died at 12, he left a pile for puppy Thunder, who promptly destroyed them.
Well, I’m sure your golden would have been happy to know his legacy was enjoyed. 🙂
“Crippled” toys. That made me laugh. Bentley was a voracious chewer of stuffed toys so we rarely got them for him. His favorite activity was to gnaw the twisted rope appendages off his toys. Once the appendages were gone, the toy was dead and tossed away. We’d have to limit his chewing time – one appendage per gnawing session! I’m glad your toys have a length life, even once they’ve been gutted.
Oh, the rope toys! I had to give up on those, because they would eat all the strings. I won’t give you the gross details of how I know that. 🙂
We are heartbroken over Easy too, I think he’s the only one that could destroy a stuffie as good as me, I had a real crush on the big, handsome guy. I don’t get stuffies to destroy any more because I pull out all the stuffing and then Taffy eats it. Love Dolly
I used to worry a lot about Sheba or Luke eating the stuffing, but I watch them closely and they don’t. They do, however, sometimes eat the pieces of toys so I have to keep an eye on that.
I have snow storms here with toys too and toys that have been here forever. My heart breaks for easy family. Thanks for sharing the fund raiser link.
Dogs are much harder on toys than us cats. Y’know…we have some toys for years and they still look brand new. 🙂
Sam has brand new looking toys too, but that’s only because she never plays with them….MOL!
Thank you for letting us know about Easy! I’ve gotten behind on reading posts–so I’ll head over to send his parents love.
And I might be sending you Rye! Barley only wants toys that are perfectly stuffed and still squeak. If they don’t squeak (like a rope toy or a plush toy that’s had it’s squeaker damaged), she has no interest. There are a few flat toys that I’ve bought her before and she’ll sometimes play with those in the yard and shake them, but she wants toys she can snuggle with. Rye isn’t all that focused on destuffing them, but she does love to gnaw arms, legs, tails, ears, noses, etc. off (which is what I just posted about! We’re so in sync!) and she loves squeezing them until they don’t squeak anymore.
I hope Barley isn’t horrified by Rye’s treatment of toys! 🙂 Our golden retriever, Moses (Sheba’s littermate) was SO gentle with toys too. But Sheba would just steal them and destroy them so I stopped getting them for him. After he died so young from cancer, I felt guilty about that. So that’s why I just bring the toys in now and let them be destroyed! I just want everyone to have fun. I’m sure you will figure out a way for Rye and Barley to each have their own toys. 🙂
Toy destruction is a team sport in your house 🙂
That it is!! 🙂
Does your monkey need to go to the ER?
Lily & Edward
Intensive care, most likely. 🙂
That monkey looks fun!
It’s been a sad week in this corner of blogville.
The boys have gotten better about not destuffing all of their toys. (Pierre) It only happens when he gets really excited. He killed a stuffed squirrel last week for the first time in a long while. ☺
The pups only have non-shreddable toys such as balls and frisbees…they had some stuffed ones when they were puppies, but they didn’t last very long. Cricket reminds me of one of my dog walking clients, Bailey. She also loves playing with the “carcasses”.
I am very sorry to hear about Easy. I never followed him closely but have seen him comment on many blogs over the two years of my blogging journey. May he rest in peace.
Oh yea, I knew Angel Easy would be proud of the destuffing!
We have a room upstairs called the toy room where there are most likely 30+ toys just lying around. In our bedroom, we keep our stuffed bunnies. Funny thing is, Madison will sneak upstairs to grab a bunny. She passes right by all the other toys and comes trotting back down with a bunny. Everyone has a favorite I guess. We rotate our toys, and many have been mended. There seems to be a never ending supply. We are so sad about Easy, such a loss and he wasn’t that old either.
I have always hated sewing, so mending anything is out of the question for me! I like the idea of having a whole room just for the toys though…we might have to do that with one of our spare rooms upstairs some day (instead of having piles of toys in various rooms around the house).
you brought a smile to me with your post. many many thanks for mentioning or boy. I agree to be a dog toy is a hard thing… it’s probably not the job I would pick …
We were so glad to bring you a smile. ♥