Hedgies Galore!

I am so happy to announce I have teamed up with Petmate.com. PetMate brings fun and innovation to all things pet-related. They have wonderful products in the travel, home goods, and pet toys.

They carry paw-some brands that Ryder and I love. You can find Chuckit!, Dogzilla, and Aspen Pet.

If you have followed us for very long, you probably know that Ryder is absolutely in love with all things Hedgehog. He seems to seek them out. It is absolutely adorable. I, myself, have fallen in love with Hedgehog toys simply because of the smile they put on my boy’s face.

I mean, let’s be real… Look at this kid!?

WHAT A SMILE!

Since we discovered this unique love, we have had many “Hedgies” in our day. Personally, I love the ones that grunt. I try to go out of my way to find the grunting ones.
What can I say? I’m not a huge fan of loud (annoying) noises… Read: I don’t have children. LOL.

The first time I took Ryder in to get his nails clipped, I could tell that he was nervous and a bit stressed. He did well, so on the way out, I told him he could choose one toy to bring back for being so brave.

Normally, it is a free-for-all walking down the toy aisle. His nose plunged into each and every shelf and drawer of plush goodies.

This time, he was not his normal self. He just walked up and down the aisle face forward without a care.

I was worried I stressed him too much by coming in. I kept asking him, “Do you want a toy?!” … “Toy, Buddy?” .. “Toy?!”

Nothing.

 

 

We were at the end of the last aisle. I was about to give up and decided to walk out.

Then, Ryder pulled my arm to the side and shoved his snout under the display shelving. I wondered if someone has accidentally dropped a treat he could smell.

I tried to distract him and pull away, but he persisted. He actually starting a digging motion to get at whatever was under there.

He could sense that I was not going for it. So, he just sat down right there, as if to point out the prize.

With a reluctant “okay”, I knelt to peek under the shelf.

How that heck he spotted this, I will never know. But lo and behold… a stuffed Hedgie.
“Is this it?!… This is what you want?”

An excited whimper of agreement squeaked out as I pulled out the Hedgie. A Hedgie that looked exactly like one we have at home, just a different size.

From that point on, I was convinced. He really is a Hedgie Dog.

 

I reached out to PetMate and told them of Ryder’s love affair with Hedgehogs. They were extremely kind in giving us our next stockpile of stuffies in exchange for an honest review.

So, without further delay, today we will review some of the Hedgehogs toys that PetMate has in stock for you.

 

Which Ones Did We Receive?

 

We received five of the most awesome hedgies! Ryder is thrilled. I will go through and talk a little bit about each one.

 

Brand Heggies

Price: $9.99

Size: 7″ X 4.3″ X 3.9″

Type of Squeak: Grunts

Where can I get Pilson?
This Fisherman is, by far, my favorite! His name is Pilson, to be exact. His tag says that Pilson loves “relaxin’ on the water”. We have had some of these Heggies before and I was so excited to see that Petmate included Pilson. He was next on my list!

Petmate Heggies far exceed my expectations. Ryder is not your average chewer. His toys last a fairly long time. He just likes to toss them around and make them grunt by giving them a little poke with his nose.

That being said, as soon as there is a hole in any toy he will go in after all the innards. Stuffing, squeaker, threads. Everywhere.

We have had the Farmer, Snowboarder, and Army Heggie from this line. Most of their costumes are made with a canvas, giving them another layer of durability. Keeping the innards in place for longer than regular stuffies.

Of course, my favorite part of this line is all the little personalities. They all come with names and a little saying for their character. Sometimes, we make up our own names, but they are always so much fun to read.

And like I mentioned earlier, the grunting noise is so much more pleasant to the ears than a squeaker. I find it to be adorable actually!

 

The Pros

• Great price. Petmate does an awesome job at keeping their prices down. I had paid around $25 for one of these Heggies when I wasn’t sure who made or supplied them.
• Great costumes and characters
• Grunt noises
• Durability

The Cons

• Once the toy gets ripped, the grunting mechanism is easily ruined. They are not like squeakers, which are just one round insert. They have a long tube attached to a plastic bag. Once the tube has been pulled away or flatten chewing the grunting noises are over. I have not yet researched if these can be replaced or mended in any way. But they are definitely more complex than a squeaker “bubble”.

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Brand Aspen Pet

Price: $3.99

Size: Medium 4″ X 3.5″ X 4.25″

Type of Squeak: Squeaker

Where can I get this little guy?
This is a very cute and compact hedgehog toy. It would be a great toy to take traveling because it doesn’t take up too much room. Ryder and I like taking toys to what can be stressful places, like the vet.

Having a toy or comfort item with you during times and appointments that might not be fun is a great distraction. It can ease the stress of your pup.

This size is great for playing toss. This guy is almost completely round making it easier to play fetch with.

The Pros

• Even better price.
• Compact size for traveling or for smaller dogs.
• The eyes and nose are made of felt, so they are less tempting to pick apart.

The Cons

• This is probably not really a con for most, but this one has a squeaker. We like the grunters. It is also a louder squeaker.
• This one has a loop on the top of his head, most likely for displaying. I fear that this could get caught on things or pulled and rip the toy’s seam easily. You can always cut it off.
• There were also a few loose strings on this one. But none of them compromised the toy.
  

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Brand Aspen Pet

Price: $7.99

Size: Large 4″ X 4″ X 7″

Type of Squeak: Squeaker

Where can I get Booda?
This one, I believe is from the same makers as the last one. He is the size large. We are going to call this one Booda, because he has a nice chest tattoo. LOL. This guy is a good size for us to play tug-a-war with.

Ryder also says that this one makes for a great pillow for a post-play nap.

 

The Pros

• Price is great again for this toy.
• Compact size for traveling or for smaller dogs.
• The eyes and nose are made of felt, so they are less tempting to pick apart.

The Cons

• This is one also has a squeaker. (I know we are weird.)
• Because this is from the same maker, this one also has a loop on the top of his head.

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Brand Zoobilee

Price: $5.99

Size: 6.7″ X 4.3″ X 3.9″

Type of Squeak: Grunts

Where can I get Little Red?
Okay, just look at this toy. She is too cute! Little Red even comes with a basket of goodies to take to Grandma’s house.

Her dress is made of a sturdy canvas. Her hooded cloak and basket are made of a felt-like material. And by the way, her hood is fully functional.

Ryder feels like he is the Big Bad Woof while he plays attack with Little Red. She is absolutely adorable!

The Pros

• Awesome price. Like I said earlier, I have paid $25 for a customed Heggie like this. $6 is a GREAT price point!
• A lot of thought was put into her adorable outfit.
• Durable Canvas outfit.

The Cons

• Her basket is only held on by a few stitches. I’m afraid this will be the first to go when roughhousing begins.

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Brand Zoobilee

Price: $9.99

Size: 6.3″ X 4.3″ X 3.9″

Type of Squeek: Grunts

Where can I get Super Heggie?
Super Heggie! We actually have this one. It is waiting to be mended before he returns to the city to fight crime.

This one did not have a Heggie tag, so it did not have a given name. The first Super Hedgie we had was a Heggie brand, but I do not recall his name.

His cape is only attached around the neck like a real cape. This makes for an adorable fly away feature. His cape is made of a silky material.

He also has a very nicely embroidered “H” badge on his chest.

Who doesn’t need a superhero in the household?!

 

The Pros

• Great price.
• Wonderful Quality.

The Cons

• I feel like the cape could be made of canvas instead. However, the cape is not attached to the body. So, it would not save it from being chewed through.

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The First Encounter

We got the box in the mail about a week ago. Ryder was around when I opened it to peek in, but I did not let him have them. (I’m such a mean mom.) He did end up getting his snout in the box a little. I’m pretty sure that he somehow knows EXACTLY what is in here.

I wanted to capture the first encounter with the stuffies to show you just how happy this boy is about Hedgies. So, this is his genuine impression of his Hedgehog collection from PetMate. You can’t edit this excitement!

Here is Ryder’s first encounter wiht his new toys.

What About You?

Does your pup have a favorite toy? Is it a Hedgehog? Leave a comment below and tell me about your pup’s playing habits. If you are interested in getting these toys, use the coupon code below to save. Offer expires 5/15/18.