![heartbeat dog toy heartbeat dog toy](https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/two-dog-toys-heart-18043466.jpg)
Within five minutes, he was identifying weak seams, and within ten, a serious campaign of destruction had begun. She knew it was a win when he brought the toy out of his crate in the morning and presented it to her, something he only does with his most prized possessions.Īnd Oscar? Allie thought Oscar approached the heartbeat toy with a little more reserve than he usually does with plush things. He even started using the toy as a pillow to fall asleep on. Kelsey found over the next few days that with the heartbeat toy, Remus was sleeping more soundly through the night. I was shocked to later find that Ruby had wandered in there on her own for a nap! (Ned was “sleeping” only a few inches away.) On a whim, I placed the Snuggle Puppy inside the kennel one day. Ruby does not use the kennel voluntarily, and certainly not by herself. We always leave the door to the kennel open, and Sabine regularly naps there. I’d catch her laying on it or placing her head on top of it throughout the day. Slowly but surely, Ruby warmed up to the SmartPetLove Snuggle Puppy. He was as calm as could be when the warm plush was placed on the carpet for him to inspect. Oscar’s prep involved a snack and some soothing couch time with his two humans, who made it clear they were going nowhere on a rainy Sunday afternoon. She placed the plush in his crate and turned on the pulsing heart to see what would happen. So Kelsey started giving Remus the toy at night, when he sleeps in a crate in her room-though not always very restfully.
![heartbeat dog toy heartbeat dog toy](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0086/6674/2850/products/Heart_Pad_1_600x.jpg)
Daytime play with the heartbeat toy was out, since her anxious pup shares the house with a chew-aggressive young sister who’s still working out the finer points of sharing. Sabine tests the Snuggle Puppy Heartbeat Toy. (I forgot to mention, Ruby can get a little jealous when someone else is getting all the attention.) As a result, her initial interest in the heartbeat toy centered around placing herself squarely between me and the plush.īut she had no qualms later when we snuggled it up to her while she was resting. Next, I placed the stuffed heartbeat toy (who the kids named “Ned”) in Ruby’s bed, and I gave it a little hug. She obliged but wasn’t terribly interested. To start off, I let Ruby sniff the stuffed animal in the packaging. Once it’s closed, sure enough, you can feel both heat and a heartbeat from the outside. The manufacturers designed it to beat in a rhythm just like a dog’s, simulating that comforting feeling of being with a littermate or mother.īoth the heating pad and the heart go into a small pouch in the toy’s belly that fastens shut with Velcro. The plush dog toy comes with a single-use heating pad and a small plastic disc “heart” that actually beats! (Batteries are included.) The heart has two settings: one for eight hours (think overnight) and another that will beat continuously until switched off. Each pup tested this toy for several weeks to determine if it might help calm them during stressful situations. Oscar kindly requests nobody leave the house.Įnter the SmartPetLove Snuggle Puppy Heartbeat Toy for dogs. ridiculously sweet.) We thought she might appreciate the Snuggle Puppy. She’s had several litters of puppies over the years, so has a natural affection for all things snuggly, particularly my toddler and five-year-old. She’s a ridiculously sweet dog who suffers from anxiety-especially when she’s left alone or confined to small spaces. We adopted Ruby as an adult dog from a farm. Meet Ruby, Heartbeat Toy Tester Extraordinaireįirst, a little bit about Ruby. This toy hit the market back in 1997, and it’s been used ever since to calm nervous dogs, reduce anxious behaviors like whining and barking, and help pups adjust to new situations. Sounds fantastic, right? But are they too good to be true? To test how anxious dogs respond to heartbeat toys, we put nervous six-year-old Bernese Mountain Dog Ruby on the case, with support from protective Eskie Remus and charming-but-destructive Miniature Dachshund Oscar.Īll three pups tested the original heartbeat toy for dogs, the SmartPetLove Snuggle Puppy Heartbeat Stuffed Toy. The combination is intended to help puppies adjust to new environments, comfort dogs of all ages in stressful situations (like car rides or thunderstorms), and train pups in new routines and behaviors without undue anxiety (think crate training).