★★★★★ 3
3.5 Stars -- Sturdy but Limited
Color: Purple, Size: Large (Pack of 1)
I got the Barnacle toy in size Large for my ~45 lb mutt. She enjoys food toys, and I wanted to find one sturdy enough that I felt safe leaving her with when I left for work since she tends to destroy her toys quickly.
First thing -- there's no way any dog is going to be able to destroy this. The "rubber" is super thick and a good balance of flexible and sturdy, so she can't do her favorite "pick at a weak edge and slowly disembowel it" trick. I've had it for a couple months now and it looks brand new.
However, it isn't great for feeding her kibble. She eats 1 cup at morning and at night, and none of the compartments fits that comfortably. I don't really feel like dividing her food into 3 portions every day to split it between either. The bigger problem is the hole size, or rather the ratio of kibble-to-hole size. The holes are very big with rubber "fingers" inside to slow the food spill. I've still found that it tends to dump a fistful of kibble all at once, or not let anything go for a long time. This may have to do with my dog's "technique", as described below.
Another problem is that since this has three separate chambers, this toy is not hollow and is surprisingly heavy. While my dog has no problems throwing a kong around (and I mean THROWING a kong around), the weight and asymmetrical shape makes it difficult to throw or roll, which is my dog's preferred way to use a food toy. This toy works best when a dog slaps it with her paws or picks it up and drops it, which may be why my dog gets frustrated with getting her food from it.
What this toy is really great for, for us, is high value treats. If I am leaving at an unusual time and anticipate that she's going to fuss, I can put "the good stuff" in this toy and then she doesn't mind the struggle at all! The different size chambers make this especially nice if I'm breaking up odd sized or home made treats and want her to stay busy for a while. Since it's so sturdy, she can chew on it all she wants, but she has to do the work to get the treats.
All in all-- this toy isn't great for my dog's daily feedings, but it's great for high value treats and a change of pace.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2015
