Crazy Critters

Crazy Critters is another silly As Seen on TV Product but boy I wish I thought of this one. It's brilliant because it's so simple. It's basically just a chew toy for dogs but it's really fun and a great conversation piece.

I still cant get used to the fact that pets have sophisticated toys. When I was a kid my dog had a tennis ball and that was about it. I don't even remember the rope pulling being in vogue, but now you see those things everywhere. I suppose have lots of dog toys is cool nowadays and Crazy Critters Dog Toys seem to combine the features of some of the best of them.

What got my initial attention was the fact that my current dog pepped up his ears when he heard the commercial. Inside each Crazy Critter are those squeeze toys that make noise. When he was a puppy, my dog had a cheeseburger that made a very specific sound and it's pretty much the same one as what's in the Crazy Critter. I've been looking for a toy that matched the old cheeseburger but hadn't been able to find anything close and my dog never took to any of them.

I was pretty surprised that as quickly as the squeak came and went in the commercial, my pal noticed and my heart melted right away. He's pretty old these days and doesn't perk up for much, but there was a time when he loved playing with that cheeseburger so I had to give in.

I don't know if you remember Earl The Dead Cat but Earl was a gag gift back in the late 80's which was pretty much a stuffed animal with no stuffing. Earl was a flat cat who had gotten run over and even came with a death certificate. Well, I had one and my dog at the time eventually got to chewing and pulling on it just like the rope toys you see today.

It never occurred to me that the same idea would have such mass appeal today but except for the little squeakers inside the Crazy Critter, you pretty much have a modern version of Earl. I should have jumped on that and made a zillion dollars, but I suppose, that business is for the As Seen On TV people. We've all probably had an idea as good as this simple little thing but it's the action plan we never really have which is the most important thing. I kind of invented a grill mitt for work only to find out about the Grill Glove years later.

So before we go crazy over crazy critters, let's watch the commercial and you'll see how simple this product really is and see if you can figure out why I think it's so brilliant.

Did you catch what I was talking about? Why I think Crazy Critters are brilliant? When I first watched the commercial I only noticed what my dog noticed. That was the sound of the squeaker which he recognized and immediately sucked me in.

I had been looking all over the place for his old cheeseburger or anything that sounded like it. By the way, I know the cheeseburger toy is in just about every grocery store or pet store, but the sound is different and he really has no interest.

But what I eventually learned about Crazy Critters Dog Toys and why I think it's such a brilliant toy, is that combines all the toys which dogs instinctively love. First and foremost is the chewing. Some dogs just love to chew up anything they find. I've always been fine with that. In fact, when my puppy would chew a pillow or completely destroy something, I was actually kind of proud. However, some dogs are really destructive around the house and chew on furniture, door frames, and any fabric they can find. So Crazy Critters are great for getting young dogs into the habit of chewing on the right things. They will be pretty into the critter, especially if they are not being yelled at. Chewing on the right things will ensure that you never reinforce negative behavior which happens to be the kiss of death in animal training.

So chewing aside, the crazy critters are shaped perfectly for, and tough enough to simulate the chew ropes. Dogs love to play that tug of war thing with us and this is perfect for that. Now, I have a small dog who doesn't do this, but I see a lot of dogs out on walks who love to carry something in their mouths. The crazy critter is perfect for this behavior and also makes a great toy for fetch.

What I'm trying to say here is that In my opinion Crazy Critters put all the things dogs love about their toys into one toy. The noise, the chewing, the pulling, the fetching and the head shaking. My contention is that dogs will be more drawn to this one toy which provides fun and satisfaction for them than anything they can destroy in your house. I'm no dog psychologist (and I don't really believe anyone is), but to me chewing on the sofa only provides one payoff for the dog. It satisfies the urge to chew but there is no noise, there is no way to shake the head which satisfies some type of hunting urge and they can't carry their prize kill around the house or bury it.

If your dog is attracted to the crazy critter, or you trick them into loving it somehow, I think it will keep you both really happy! Mine loves the raccoon. He pretty much chews on the tail where one of the squeakers is and tries to keep me from pulling it away from him. He's a little too old to fight back but I he likes to let me know this is his toy with a little growl. I imagine that a few years ago we would have had a lot of fun with his critter but I think he likes having it around for comfort. Believe it or not, the only thing he really enjoyed and really cut loose with over that last few years has been a soft mesh laundry bag I got at Target.

If you order online, the web site doesaccept credit cards so if you are unhappy with the product, you can get a refund. People are still hesitant about ordering online so using the protection offered by your credit card company can give you piece of mind.

Emery Cat, Dog-E-Minder, Bark Off and Pet MD