★★★★★ 5
Cute, durable toy.
Color: Squeaker Matz Gator, Size: X Large (Pack of 1)
It's about as durable as you can expect a stuffed animal to be. I have two new puppies who are still teething and they love these things. I got the Kyjen sheep mat version (it's a square shape, rather than the two rows of squeakers) for the little girl. Both dogs sleep with it in their crate and we take them on trips with us. I've gone so far as to open up the toy and replace the broken squeakers (costs about 5$ for 30 large squeakers).
The rest of the toy is fine. Our german shepherd puppy absolutely loves the rattle that's located in the head of the gator as well. The rattle also helps initially getting the dog engaged with chewing on the toy rather than your clothing or furniture. Then they discover the squeakers and it's endless entertainment and a good distraction for your dogs.
I haven't had any problems with the thin, decorative material that's represent the teeth, claws and back fins. It's a slightly thicker felt that's soft and flimsy. Honestly, I'm not worried about it. Even if they were to eventually chew these off, they're not a choking hazard. Our little guy has thrown up solid pieces of kibble that are larger and harder than this. Seriously now, common.
The eyes are sewn into the head, so there's no risk of pulling them off and swallowing.
I toss these in the washer on a gentle cycle to clean off the slobber and dirt about once every couple weeks and the squeakers are fine, though they sometimes have to dry out to be 100% functional again. It never takes long.
Overall, I love the amount of squeakers just due to the breaking problem with have with single squeaker toys. Once they break, the dog loses interest. Which is also a nice way to train the dogs the difference between the non-squeaking kids toys. The dogs absolutely love this toy and wont sleep without it. When the fabric eventually wears out (not even a slight issue after a few months), I'll be buying another one.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2012