Paws up
Ikea offers durable dog accessories

By Barbara Douglas

In our house, when it comes to dog toys, the watchword is durability. It may be pretty, it may make odd squeaky noises and even light up when you toss it, but if it can’t eat nails, it’s in the trash and out the door faster than you can say, "bad dog." So we were pleasantly surprised with Ikea’s line of reasonably priced, super durable plush dog toys.

 Bastis dog toy

Our favorite is the Bastis sneaker-toy in bold primary colors that we’ve given the pet name, "Sneaker Freaker."
Sneaker Freaker was among a posse of toys, bowls, fleece items and other dog treats that Ikea provided to Pets Press’s two-legged staffers, or rather, their four-legged charges, to put to the test. And test we did, in that most thorny of testing grounds. The suburban dwelling.
Sneaker Freaker has been on the playing field, so to speak, for nearly a month now. It’s become Daisy’s – our 3-year-old standard poodle – constant companion (meaning it goes everywhere clenched in her slobbering mouth). It’s been to the dog park in Branford, and West Woods in Guilford; it’s gone kayaking in Lieutenant River in Old Lyme, floated in the bathtub, fallen into the food bowl, and slept with us every night.
The Sneaker Freaker remained wholly intact through dog slobber and washing, with seams holding and insides inside. Its demise was not due to destruction but to theft. While romping in a local dog park, it was stolen by a larger canine, whose owner neglected to return it. A lesson in dog part etiquette: Please return toys that may be swiped by your dog.
Despite the theft, it’s defied dog destruction better than any plush toy that has passed through our paws. Two paws up for Sneaker Freaker! Ikea has made a dog toy with moxie, costing just $4.99. On behalf on misbehaving dogs everywhere, we thank you.

 Bastis shaggy gray blanket

There’s nothing a dog likes better than a cozy, familiar place to curl up and relax. And when she’s not busy wreaking destruction, Daisy likes to snuggle down on a cushy armchair. Designed for the back seat or compartment of a car or SUV, we easily recommissioned the large 32 x 32-inch gray Bastis blanket as a supplement to Daisy’s favorite armchair. Seeing as though there’s no such thing as too cushy, we placed the blanket on her favorite spot and waited.
Another winner. Soft and snug, the blanket has secured a spot in Daisy’s little corner of the world. A good quality fleece product, it has gone through the wash several times and still looks and feels great. It can be tossed in the laundry over and over and returned to Her Royal Highness, clean and ready for another round. And despite several spins, it’s still soft and stout. The keyword, again, is durable, and a bargain at just $8.99.

 Bastis plastic food bowl

Which leads us to Ikea’s plastic food bowl a nondescript plastic dish that looks much like the armies of plastic dog dishes that line shelves at pet shops and discount mega markets everywhere. So in order to test its mettle, we took it with us on a few dog outings to see how it held up in the field.
The bowl held up just fine, and is of a better quality – plastic-wise – than the dime-a-dozen plastic dog bowls found everywhere. Plastic it may be, but it’s not a throw away item like so many low-priced dog accessories that cost little, but last a correspondingly short time. However, at 79 cents, they can be considered disposable.

 Bastis flying ring

The Bastis flying ring ($3.99) didn’t do nearly as well as the other items in our test group. From a dog’s marauding perspective, faulty design is the culprit. A dog toy constructed of flimsy, fabric-covered wire and a thin expanse of nylon is begging to be butchered. And so it was. In less than a few hours, the flying was history, a twisted shadow of its former self. Daisy quickly lost interest soon after she torpedoed the toy. Not a smart investment, and definitely not in the same class as Ikea’s other dog toys. Daisy gives the flying ring two paws down and urges a thorough redesign – pronto. After all, there’s no such thing as a bad dog toy. Only a badly designed one.
Barbara Douglas of Guilford serves as staff to three poodles, Daisy, Ivan and Karma.