Saturday, July 17, 2010

Busy Little Bumblebee

I suppose this can count as my first-ever MargeBlog product review!

A couple of months ago, I went on a little Amazon spending spree to get some new stuff for Marge.  We tried out some new treats (which were good), tried a new treat-dispensing toy (which was returned, won't get in to that), and, for the first time ever, an interactive plushy toy.

The Hide-A-Bee!



I had seen this toy before, but never ordered it.  I saw it for the low price of around $9 on Amazon, just enough to get me free shipping on the rest of my order.  Since the summer time is when we don't get to do as much training and walking, I thought it would be a good time to give it a try.

When we first got it, Marge wasn't really sure what to do with it.  Instead of pulling the little bees out, she was perfectly content with walking around, squeaking the entire bee hive with the little bees lodged inside of it.

To keep it novel, I only bring it out once every couple of weeks or so.  Tonight, after a not-so-good (AKA extremely stressful) walk out in the field (fireworks at 4 PM in the afternoon - saw them with my own eyes, the immature, inconsiderate idiots - and I tried to call the Park Service on them, but there was no answer), I thought we needed to have a little bit of fun.

Here she is getting to work.  With a little bit of practice, she now understands that the idea is to pull the three little bees out and then squeak the heck out of them.


She still does like to stick her head completely inside of it every once in a while.  Sometimes, she even walks around with the bee hive covering her face.  It's very cute.


And, finally, with the ultimate prize - a perfect sized bee to chomp on.  They have gotten a bit worn, especially since Marge is a moderate chewer, but using them sparingly has definitely elongated their life. The squeakers inside of them are very powerful, though - all three still work.


Pros:
- Affordable, comes in many different varieties (Hide a Bird, Squirrel, etc)
- Good way to keep your dog mentally stimulated without the use of treats
- Takes a familiar toy (squeaky toys) and spins a whole new concept on them
- Replacement bees available should yours get worn
- Good size for most dogs (except the very tiny or very large, perhaps)

Cons:
- Not suitable for aggressive chewers; bees do fray pretty easily
- Might get boring if used too frequently
- Some dogs will need encouragement before they pull the bees out

Maybe it will work for you, too, and you can use it to give your dog something fun to do without having to go out into this oppressive, unwavering heat (and, for some of us, the darn fireworks that go with them).

Disclaimer: This post was not, in any way, endorsed by the Kyjen company.  I have had no contact with any one - this is my own review of my own experience with this product, no strings attached.

16 comments:

NAK and The Residents of The Khottage Now With KhattleDog! July 17, 2010 at 11:12 PM  

Thanks fur sharing that!

Marge looks furry khute with it!

Sorry 'bout the stressful times -

Hugz&Khysses,
Khyra

Cyndi and Stumpy July 17, 2010 at 11:14 PM  

Looks like fun! I could totally see Stumpy getting into that (forgive the pun) Unfortunately, Stumpy is not a moderate chewer. She goes into destroy mode, immediately!

Chris and Ricky July 18, 2010 at 7:42 AM  

Sorry about the idiotic fireworks at 4:00 in the afternoon! Ridiculous!

Marge seems to really like her bee toy! I have a hide a squirrel and I like to carry the entire things around too or just sit and bark at it - LOL!

houndstooth July 18, 2010 at 10:56 AM  

We have one of those, and our dogs love it! We've had it for about five years now and they still toss it around. You can buy extra bees for it if they wear out, but so far we still have our original bees!

AC July 18, 2010 at 11:18 AM  

Darn fireworks. Glad Marge got some playtime to recover. I saw the hide-a-squirrel at out local pet shop and thought about getting it for Kona, but I know she'd have those stuffies demolished in minutes. Her joy with soft toys in ripping them apart...

Marge looks very cute with her nose stuck in the hive!

Sue July 18, 2010 at 11:21 AM  

Thanks for the review.I've seen that toy and wondered if the dogs would know what to do with it. Maybe I'll give it a try.

Kyjen is a wonderful company to do business with. They made our life jackets and replaced one when a ring broke on it. They're customer service people are great.

Rufus and Indie July 18, 2010 at 11:56 AM  

That toy is great! And very colorful (for us anyway)!
It is hard to find good and not very expensive toys!
Cute pics!

Kisses

Kathy Mocharnuk July 18, 2010 at 1:04 PM  

It looks like Marge gives it a big paws up, and great idea to just bring it out to be special. Sounds like a great price for the toy too. We used to have one like that with chipmonks inside a tree trunk or something? Anyway, I should have kept it up but everyone loved the little chipmonks and they lasted a long time, but if I had kept it for special occassions it probably would have been even more fun!

Anonymous July 18, 2010 at 4:44 PM  

I wanna be a hide-a-bee and have Marge lick and chew on me :)

Rascally rhymin,
Roo

Lorenza July 18, 2010 at 6:24 PM  

Sounds like a pawesome toy!
Glad Marge enjoys playing with it!
Happy Sunday!
Kisses and hugs
Lorenza

Kari in Alaska July 18, 2010 at 11:27 PM  

it sounds great but I feel like mine would just tear it to shreds trying to get the bees out.

Don't forget, we are changing our blog this Friday. Please update your reader to follow dogisgodinreverse.com

Raegan July 19, 2010 at 12:57 AM  

Neat! I've been eying the squirrel version at my FLDS (friendly local dog store) for a while. Might have to splurge on it. And how freaking cute is Marge with her face in it?!

Diana July 19, 2010 at 4:01 PM  

That looks like an interesting toy. Im not sure I would buy it but I could see it being useful. Diana

LauraK July 19, 2010 at 10:49 PM  

I've seen these toys and always thought that my dogs would love them. Thank you for reviewing it, maybe I'll just have to breakdown and buy one now. Marge sure looks like she approves too!

Roxanne @ Champion of My Heart July 20, 2010 at 7:39 PM  

I've always wondered about this category of toys. I think mine would shred it, trying to get the bees out, but I do love the idea of it.

Cinnamon and Mint July 20, 2010 at 8:59 PM  

Thanks for a toy review. This hive toy looks like fun! Although I am a power chewer, who breaks an Extreme Kong within a couple of hours, I don't usually destroy soft toys. I hope my humans get one of those hive toys for my birthday or Christmas!

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