I got an e-mail the other day from Fucini Productions, the company that makes a new toy called the Flappy.  It’s a chew toy with a cylindrical body, and  tails on both ends that “flap” to enhance your dog’s enjoyment.  The picture here shows braided tails, but on the model I received, they were unbraided.  They have five types, each in four different sizes:

• The durable, reinforced green and blue woven fabric of the Tuffy Flappy make it a great all around dog toy. Not only is it tough and strong, but it squeaks, too!
• Soft, cuddly and crinkly – that’s the Fluffy Flappy! Covered in a sherpa-like fabric, Fluffy Flappy features flaps that crinkle, making it great for puppies or other dogs with a craze for crackle.
• Teething puppies will love the surprisingly durable Fleecie Flappy’s soft and cozy fleece because it feels good against tender gums, and older dogs will love it because it cleans gums and teeth as it’s being chewed.
• For the dog who loves rope toys, there’s Flossy Flappy, the bright pink Flappy with flaps made of yellow cotton rope. Flossy Flappy is all-natural, sturdy cotton canvas, and it squeaks, too!
• Ideal for retrievers and water dogs, the bright blue and orange nylon Floatie Flappy has a floating rubber core and is weighted for tossing during retrieval training or canine sports. The bright colors make it highly visible in the water.

They even sent me a couple of them to try out on my dogs.  Here’s the scoop:  my dogs LOVED the Fleecie Flappy, even though they are not teething.  However, (and perhaps because they aren’t teething puppies) they were able to totally destroy the toy in a day or two of rough play.

They weren’t wild about the Tuffy Flappy.  It does look a lot more durable than the Fleecie, but if they don’t play with it, I’m not sure it’s worthwhile.

Now, at this point, I have to tell you, that Cooper (my Vizsla) plays by the toddler rules of ownership:  if I see it, it’s mine; if I think you want it, it’s mine; and if you touch it, it’s definitely mine!  So, while he tried to hog the Fleecie, I squeaked the Tuffy to try to get him interested in it.  He came over and took it out of my hand (both toys are now in his mouth), but he dropped it again as soon as he was sure I wasn’t going to take it away from him.

Now that the Fleecie Flappy is gone, we’ll see if they turn to the Tuffy.  I really think they just don’t like the texture, taste, or whatever of the fabric.  It’s the same basic toy as the other one and has the same squeaky noise, but it just doesn’t appeal to them as much.

I hope you won’t take this review as totally negative, because while it lasted my dogs had a BLAST with the Fleecie Flappy.  Penny even took it outside and gave it a good dragging through the mud.  My youngest didn’t want them chewing on mud, so he washed the toy.  It handled hand-washing very well and is advertised to withstand machine washing, although we didn’t try that.

Have you tried this toy?  Did your dog have a different opinion than mine?

Until next time,

Good day, and good dog!