Skinneeez: Toys that are soft but not stuffy
By Kim Campbell Thornton
July 11, 2010
Squeak, squeak, squeak. Squeak, squeak, squeak. Squeak, squeak, squeak.
That’s what it has sounded like around our house ever since I brought home a lion — a Skinneeez lion, that is. Flat, floppy and filling-free, it has two squeakers: one in the head and one in the body. It’s soft, reeeaaallly soft to the touch, which is what attracted me to it. I bought it for Harper, but unfortunately for her, Twyla was in the room when I brought it out of the bag. She claimed it immediately, and Harper has been smart enough not to go near it.
Twyla carries her new baby around, and when she decides where she wants to settle, she starts in with the squeaking. The manufacturer says that unlike stuffed dog toys, the floppy dog toys feel more like real prey. Maybe so. I’m guessing that Twyla simply likes the softness and the squeaking sound. I like that there aren’t bits of fiberfill floating around. It’s also a great way to get Twyla’s attention. Just a few squeaks and she comes running in search of it.
The toys are long and, well, skinny, making them fun for playing tug if that’s your dog’s game of choice. I imagine they wouldn’t last long with an aggressive chewer or tugger, though. They also have the potential to be great cat toys, although I wasn’t able to test them for that purpose. The squeaker in the body has already died after just a couple of weeks, but the one in the head still works. If your dog is more of a gnawer than a ripper, this toy may be a good choice. It comes in various sizes, ranging from 15-inch minis to the 27-inch fox. Other prey and predator forms include chipmunk, rabbit, raccoon, chicken, flamingo, polar bear, penguin, monkey and beaver.
Skinneeez Stuffing-Free Dog Toys are available at pet retailers nationwide.
These are fantastic toys! When I worked at a pet supply store these were one of our best sellers. The feedback we got was great too. They seemed to hold up better than people thought they would. It might be nice if they made it so you could easily replace the squeaker.
Comment by Joani Schofield — July 11, 2010 @ 9:34 am
Our dog is a big de-stuffer, so we’re big fans of these (he still rips them open to get the squeaker, but at least it’s less of a mess). One note- while they LOVE the fox, the faux fur on the tail was just begging to be plucked by all of our dogs- leading to a mess that was even more obnoxious than stuffing (and also attached to their faces and jowls quite well)
Comment by Anne — July 11, 2010 @ 2:33 pm
When my golden arrived at our house he glommed onto a Skinneezz tiger that he will, to this day, still go back to. Of course, it has been stuck in the snow/ice and was all muddy and stinky, but I guess a stinkkee skinneezz is okay too.
Comment by Jill — July 11, 2010 @ 8:28 pm
My 12 year old Chinese Crested has always enjoyed chewing. As a puppy, she dug into a stuffed chair and chewed on the coffee table. I found that she could satisfy herself by destuffing soft toys. I still keep a box of stuffed toys available to her, and I have to pick up piles of fluff every day. I don’t mind too much - better the toys get destroyed than the furniture.
Comment by Susan G. — July 12, 2010 @ 8:05 am