Likely, it’s no coincidence Halloween and the Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations are close together. Halloween’s October 31 and The Day of the Dead – actually several days – runs October 31 to November 2.
While Halloween is about scaring the spirits (and collecting candy), The Day of the Dead is about honouring the deceased and inviting them into homes.
According to Mexican lore, the gates of heaven open once a year on October 31 and spirits of deceased children reunite with their families. On November 2, spirits of adults come back to enjoy festivals and feasts prepared for them. Keeping spirits happy, after all, is a cautionary insurance policy.
Alters are created in Mexican homes ornately decorated and filled with food. Folk art skeletons and colourful sugar cookies (representing a dead loved one) are made and sold – and that bright tattoo-like graphic is generally what many people associate with Day of the Dead.
Who can resist that big colourful skull with a weirdly toothy smile?
Not dogs, apparently.
Meet Worldwise Inc.’s GoDog Tough for Fun Sugar Skulls Dog Toys with Chew Guard technology.
(Worldwise sent us a GoDog Toy to review. All opinions are our own).
Soft colourful embroidery on one side, and textured chenille on the other side makes these visually enticing for fur parents, but the durability is designed for rough fur babies.
According to the company, Chew Guard technology is a manufacturing process that adds a durable liner to the toy making it strong enough to stand up to the toughest dog play. “Dogs are tough but Chew Guard is tougher!” they claim.
My cute terrier-cross Victor is full of energy but fortunately not too tough on toys. We’ve had a few stuffies last months because for the most part he only wants to grab, shake and occasionally play tug.
But is lab friend Sasha is a different story. Stuffies don’t survive 15 minutes in her presence and she rips even the strongest tug-toys apart. So, who better than to give Chew Guard tech a whirl?
After all, GoDog offers a one-time replacement for customers in the U.S. and Canada within 30 days of purchase.
So how did the GoDog toys fare? Glad you asked.
Victor, my 12-year-old cocker-cross, did ok with the toys. They were a little big for him but he wasn’t able to ripped them apart easily and, like a lot of his toys, lasted months.
Sasha, however, a lab and Belgian Malinois combo, can bite through a two-by-four. She loved the skeleton and instantly gripped the rope, recognizing it as her new toy. Then placing one paw on the head, she leaned in and attempted to rip the fabric as she always does. No luck. So the toy survived its first day, which is more than most.
However, within 72 hours, Sasha had the skeleton head torn open, stuffing out and arms dislocated from the body. The toy was toast. Ironically, November 2nd was the day it died.
I’m still looking for the toy that will survive Sasha. But if you’ve got a dog who can’t bite through lumber, GoDog Sugar Skull will do the trick and look good while doing it. While Mexico is appeasing the spirits of the decease, I’m busy appeasing spirited fur babies in the here and now.
Check out Sugar Skulls Dog Toys on Amazon.com (affiliate link)
WIN! Leave a comment below and you could win a Worldwise Inc. GoDog Sugar Skulls Toy.
Winners will be selected by random draw by on November 30, 2017.
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The post you published here is very nice. Playing with toys can be an enjoyable means of training young children for life in society. Different materials like wood, clay, paper, and plastic are used to make toys. Many items are designed to serve as toys, but goods produced for other purposes can also be used.
[…] demolishes everything easily. (Check out our review of GoDog toys here). So, when a company claims its toys are durable and they survive her jaws of destruction, that’s […]
my youngest would love this toy. we have several Godog toys. she likes to chew the appendage off, then starts on the rest of the dog. the first day, the appendages are gone, then slowly the stuffing comes out. the last toy i gave her, was not a GoDog but it was already ripped in 10 minutes and she is just a small dog. she goes thru toys fast.
I know a few like that. Fortunately, my dog is a bit older and they last a bit longer now…
My dogs love GoDog toys!!
my youngest would love this, she love toys that she can tug and drag and make noises. Harley has a new record for destroying a toy, 10 min. the stuffing was already out. she loves to rip the appendages off. even the go toys she has now, have no appendages, but still have the squeaker.
I get my best friend anything sugar skull wise.. she collects them. even make her sugar skull ornaments for christmas tree…last yr was a sugar skull cat who looked just like her cat 🙂 this would be so cool for her dogs.
A sugar skull cat… that is very cool.
This would be amazing for my husky mix. She plays hard and has the spirit of a puppy still even in her senior years. She is a sweetie and I love surprising her with toys!
My dog Mac would adore this! He is a major chewer and loved toys.
I want one for my dogs, my dogs can only have rubber toy. This toy is too cute
OMD, these are almost too cute to let the dogs have them! I have three rescued Treeing Walker Coonhounds, and my two boys just love toys (and are really rough on them). I think they’d like these!
They are very pretty … but like actual Sugar Skull Cookies, are meant to be consumed.
Cute. Tippy was like Sasha when she was younger, but, this year she had actually had normal stuffed toys that have lasted since Christmas, with no damage. I guess my little girl is growing up.
Sasha is about 4 so maybe she’ll grow out of it. Tippy seems very sweet.
Thank you. I think she is.
My dogs, a mini dachshund and mini beagle, would love this toy!! Too cute
It would likely last a long time with them. The ones I have to give away are the green heads in the picture.
i would love to win this toy for my dog
Great, your ballet is in the bowl!
I’d love to try this toy out on my girl. She’s rather hard on toys (understatement!). Haven’t tried a 2 x 4; concerned about splinters 😉 btw, this toy is super cute!!
Yes, the splinters are an issue. Obviously Sasha was given a piece of wood, but found it during renos and didn’t get to ‘finish’ it.
I think this toy might survive Artie as he cannot bite through a two by four.
Good thing. Artie sounds cute.
Sasha really loved this particular toy. Outlasting most of her previous stuffed toys. Hardly a fair test however with Sasha. She does literally rip through 2×4 like it was a tooth pick. Luckily for us she is a shy and gentle soul
She definitely is. And a good buddy.