Your dog has already torn through a hundred different toys. And every time you go to the pet store to pick up another one, one that promises to be stronger than the last, it never fails to end up in 20 different pieces before the night is over. Eventually, after countless rounds of replacement rubber balls and stuffed tacos that lose their stuffing in minutes, you finally go online and search for the strongest dog toy you can find. After searching through pages of Amazon and PetSmart, you finally decide on one that promises to be“indestructible” and has a “lifetime guarantee.” I mean, anything with a lifetime guarantee must be the best. The problem is, it’s just like the countless other toys before it and by the time you figure it out, the receipt is gone and the website is shut down. So much for that lifetime guarantee.
Unfortunately, with my experience with bulldogs over the years, 1 out of 30
“indestructible” toys are actually tough enough to earn that title. I finally learned my lesson after rushing my 8-month-old bulldog to the emergency hospital after she ate half of that “indestructible” toy in less than 10 minutes. This scared me. And it scared me enough to really begin to research these toys with their so-called lifetime guarantees, right as I sat in that hospital.
Is the lifetime guarantee a scam? To be honest, I don’t have the answer. I do believe that some companies do, in fact, stand by their products while others are quick to take advantage of some inconspicuously placed small print hidden in their guarantee. Depending on the company, I definitely feel like they are,at the very least, walking the moral line. These are the companies that are invested in the idea that people are either too lazy or too busy to do anything about a faulty product, even if they believe they’ve been ripped off. It’s a marketing scheme as old as marketing itself. And I know it works because I have fallen for this gimmick a hundred times before and I’m sure I’ll fall for it at least a few more times. But when it comes to dog toys, I have learned my lesson and my dogs gets no new toy without me checking it every 2 minutes the first day to carefully assess the damage. But this diligence has paid off, as I have had to take numerous “indestructible” toys away from my dogs within minutes because they were, in fact, destructible.
Fortunately, the “lifetime guarantee” is harmless with most other products. But when it can cause illness or injury if ingested, as with dog toys, this harmless promise can suddenly have deadly serious consequences. And all to make a profit. Promising the very best in quality and at no risk to you with their promise to return your money, and even after it’s been devoured by your dog. The entire premise is absurd and truly disheartening.
Luckily, my pup Penny was ok after it was all said and done. And after looking at her X-rays, the doctor determined the pieces were small enough that she would pass them. So, ever the faithful owners, we followed her around and she was lucky to pass them without any blockage. While our story ended only with a lesson learned, others aren’t so lucky.
This article isn’t meant to deter you from rewarding your furry friend with their favorite toys, and it’s not to say most dog toy companies aren’t run by honest, trustworthy people, but it’s just something to keep in mind and remain cautious of. Those lifetime guarantees and promises of indestructible strength are just reminders that some things really are too good to be true. And you can never be too careful, especially when it comes to something as important as your dog’s safety.
