Best Buddies

I was in Petco about a year ago, when little rubber smiley faced toys called Toy Buddies caught my attention. It might have been the bright colors, funny squeaky sound they emit when squeezed or the varied expressions on each toy that attracted me to them - and also the price, $1.99. So I bought one for Axel to see if he'd enjoy playing with it.

Thus began a love affair between Axel and these toys. Axel goes crazy with joy each time we give him a new latex Toy Buddy. He throws them up in the air, he squeezes them between his jaws making them squeak loudly and he dances about. Often they end up rolling under a table or furniture, and my husband and I will be forced to go down on our knees to rescue his buddy - all the while, his tail is wagging at a million wags per minute. Toy buddies usually last for about 2 hours before Axel kills the squeaker. At that point, he loses interest in the toy and usually buries them in his toy box which is full of squeaker-less Toy Buddies.

Toy buddies are not that easy to find, but they are well worth searching for. I have only seen them at Petco, usually near to the check out counter, not in the toy section. They are only about 5 inches in diameter, so probably only suitable for smallish dogs as they could be swallow risks for others. Also, not advisable for heavy toy destroyers - Axel has never ripped the latex but I'm sure more destructive dogs could - so always supervise your dog with this toy.

If you have a problem locating a Toy Buddy - give Petco the serial info:SKU #938424 - LB-2"PUPPY SWEETIE-LATEX. I encourage you all to try out a Toy Buddy - they are the cheapest and most fun dog toy around! Right Axel? Woof!