Dog Toy Reviews

Kyjen Hide-A-Squirrel, Large

Written by Kevin Sando

You know the look.  The “take me on a walk right now or I just might explode” look.  Half hope and half desperation, all dogs seem to have it perfected in order to evoke the strongest sense of emotion in their owner. Amazingly they don’t always seem to pick the most convenient time to get this idea.  On such an occasion, wouldn’t it be great to occupy them for a little while until you can give them all the attention they deserve?  This is where Kyjen’s Hide-A-Squirrel dog toy comes in.

Product Description

Kyjen’s Hide-A-Squirrel is considered an interactive dog toy.  This means that it will keep your dog stimulated and interested while playing by themselves.  Hide-A-Squirrel is a stuffed toy consisting of a plush tree stump and three small squirrels which fit inside of it.  The intended use is to “hide” the squirrels inside the tree stump, and watch your dog have a blast figuring out how to get them out.  This activity is more difficult than it sounds and can lead to hours of stimulation for your dog.  This toy comes in several sizes, ours is the Jumbo, which is roughly 8″ x 8″ x 8.” There are also several other varieties available including Hide-A-Bee (in a beehive), Hide-A-Bird (in a birdhouse), and Egg Babies (Platypus with eggs).

Product Review

We had our eye on this product for a long time before purchasing.  It is not the most inexpensive dog toy around so we wavered whether or not it was worth the cost.  Finally, after reading so many rave reviews online, we decided that of course Harley was worth it.

Let me start off by saying that we were not disappointed.  Squirrels are Harleys arch-enemy so it took little provocation to get him to “hunt” them out of the stump.  I felt that the difficulty in removing the squirrels was just enough to keep your dog interested, without them becoming frustrated or destructive.  This toy is great for use time and time again, and your dog will love the game that it turns into.  It is also fun to see the pride which they display by jumping around after “catching” their prize!

When not using this for its intended purpose, Harley also loves to carry the stump around the house and cuddle with it.  This is a high quality dog toy, and quite durable for a stuffed toy.  We have had ours for nearly a year and it looks good as new.  We have found that the squirrels are also great for fetch and hide and seek around the house as well.

Final Thoughts

This is a very creative dog toy that was well thought out and constructed.  I love the idea of keeping your dog stimulated during play, especially when you are not able to provide that stimulation yourself.  I felt that Harley was getting a very unique experience when playing with this toy, which more than justifies the cost.  Overall I was very impressed with Kyjen’s Hide-A-Squirrel dog toy and would highly recommend it.

About the author

Kevin Sando

Kevin is a mechanical engineer with a degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology. He has move than a decade experience in new product design, prototyping and early stage manufacturing. Pairing this background with his love of dogs, gives him a unique perspective to evaluate the design and execution of new and interesting pet products.

1 Comment

  • Hi Kevin, thanks for visiting my blog. Lady has this toy and she loves it, although it took her German Shepherd brain only about a minute to figure it out, so not quite the do-it-yourself, keep-the-dog-busy entertainment I’d hoped for. We’ve had it several years and still play with it though. To make it more challenging and interesting for her, I stuff the tree trunk full with all sorts of toys and objects before giving it to her. Little toys, big ones, even the occasional cat toy (a real find!).

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