An Expert’s Breakdown – Dogster

 

Design: 4.5/5

Durability: 3.5/5

Entertainment: 5/5

Value: 4.5/5

Finding a way to entertain an active dog that doesn’t involve treats or hours of your time can be difficult. Luckily, with their new Crinkit toys, RuffDawg may have just found a brilliant solution.

Famous for their indestructible toy options, these products from RuffDawg are a little different. They don’t quite stand up to the jaws of the heaviest chewers, but they do provide hours of entertainment to keep your active pup distracted.

Crinkits are unique rubber toys made to hold empty plastic water bottles. They allow dogs the fun of chewing and crunching plastic bottles while protecting their gums and teeth.

My dogs are too small and too old to appreciate the genius behind Crinkits. But luckily, I was able to test them out on my parents’ behemoth Labradors while pet-sitting recently. Bo and Burley, two eighty-pound mega-beasts, were more than happy to put these unique chew toys to the test.

Keep reading to find out how much they liked them (spoiler: a lot!), how well the toys stood up to their jaws, and to see my full RuffDawg Crinkit review.

At a Glance: What We Reviewed

About RuffDawg

Of all the pet companies I’ve reviewed, RuffDawg may have one of the most original origin stories. The company is a division of Jefferson Rubber Works, a family-owned business that’s been making rubber products since 1975.

In 1999, when sales for one of their flat rubber gaskets slowed, they had an innovative idea. They sent the rubber frisbee-like product home with all their factory owners who had dogs. When the workers reported their dogs loved the product, RuffDawg was officially born.

Where Are RuffDawg Products Produced?

RuffDawg is still owned and operated by Jefferson Rubber Works. All of their toys are made in-house at their Worcester, Massachusetts rubber factory.

The rubber used for the toys is BPA and phthalate-free. It’s also FDA compliant and recyclable.

Which Types of Pets Are RuffDawg Toys Best Suited For?

RuffDawg specializes in making highly durable toys for large dogs and veracious chewers. They have a line of products that all come with a lifetime warranty. These are made to be so durable that not even the strongest chewers can destroy them.

Other products from RuffDawg, including their Crinkits, are not guaranteed for life and are meant for less destructive chewers.

Whether your dog has a long history of destroying every toy you buy or just really loves the texture of rubber toys, you’ll be able to find something for them at RuffDawg.

Key Features

Crinkits are a fun and highly interactive toy for low to moderate chewers. Here is a breakdown of the product’s key features.

Material

Like other RuffDawg products, Crinkits are made of durable rubber. This rubber is safe for dogs to chew and provides a much better play option than hard plastic, which can damage teeth.

Where most RuffDawg toys are thick and therefore difficult to penetrate even with sharp canines, Crinkits are fairly thin and flexible. They still have that high-quality rubber feel that will keep mild to moderate chewers from destroying them, but they don’t stand up to hard-core chewers.

Uses

Crinkits have multiple uses, which makes them a highly versatile toy to keep your pup entertained.

With a crinkly, crunchy water bottle inside, this toy provides hours of self-driven entertainment. Dogs can chew on the rubber without damaging their teeth while still enjoying the pleasing sensation of crunching a plastic bottle. Once the bottle is crushed flat, simply replace it with a new one for lasting fun.

The Crinkit also has the perfect shape to be used as a retrieving toy. And because it floats, it can be used to tire out your retriever on land or at the lake.

Sizes

Crinkit comes in two sizes, original and extra-large.

The original size is 5.5 inches long. It fits the stubby water bottles that you can buy at the store for kids’ lunches and those often given away at outdoor events.

This Crinkit size is marketed for small and medium dogs. However, it’s just as large around as the extra-large size, making it suitable only for small dogs that still have a big mouth, such as Corgis and Scotties.

The extra-large Crinkit is 9.5 inches long. It fits standard-sized water bottles.

This size is just as wide as the smaller size, but the extra length gives it more weight. It’s a good option for medium, large, and extra-large dogs.

Both the original and extra-large Crinkits come preloaded with a water bottle so your dog can start having a blast as soon as the package arrives.

Colors

The bright coloration makes them easy to see when you’re playing fetch in the yard or at the lake. And, let’s be honest, it just makes them that much more fun!

Reviews of the RuffDawg Crinkits We Received

1. Crinkit

This smaller-sized Crinkit is lighter than the extra-large option so smaller dogs can more easily pack it around. It comes in four bright neon colors and provides hours of entertainment for small dogs with big mouths and for medium-sized dogs.

The rubber on this size is just as thick as the larger option. It’s durable enough for mild to medium chewers, but cannot withstand heavy chewers.

Each new Crinkit comes preloaded with a water bottle. Once the bottle is smashed and no longer “crinkly,” it can be replaced with a new one. Simply pull the old water bottle out through the end with the criss-cross opening, and then slide a new empty water bottle inside.

One downside of this size is that it only fits short water bottles. If you don’t typically purchase this kind of bottle, they can be harder to find.

I recommend supervising your pet while they play with this toy as the water bottle will slip out the end once it’s flat enough.

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The extra-large Crinkits are just as wide as the smaller size, but four inches longer. They are big enough to hold a standard water bottle.

These are a little heavier, so are best suited for medium and large dogs. They are made of the same material as the smaller ones, so again, are not well-suited for heavy chewers.

The extra-large Crinkits come in four bright neon colors and are pre-loaded with an empty water bottle. As with the smaller size, the water bottle will fall out the bottom once it has been sufficiently flatted, so I recommend watching your dog while they play with this toy.

These large Crinkits make very good water toys. They float well and are easy to see. The Labs in my family love playing fetch with them when we go to the large pond by our land.

Pros

• Good size for large dogs
• Fit standard-size water bottle
• Great for water fetch
• Available in four colors
• Reloadable

Cons

• Not durable enough for strong chewers
• Requires supervision
• May be too heavy for smaller dogs

Our Experience With RuffDawg Crinkits

I don’t often get to test out dog toys since both my pups are seniors and not overly playful these days. But when my parents asked me to watch their two massive, teenage Labs, Bo and Burley, while they went on vacation for two weeks, I knew I’d need some new toys to keep them entertained.

I’m happy to report that the Crinkits I got from RuffDawg did not disappoint.

I tried both the extra-large and standard-sized Crinkits on Bo and Burley. They seemed to love both equally. And, since both sizes have a wide circumference, both were a safe fit.

From the moment I handed the Crinkits out, it was chaos—deafening chaos! Bo and Burley just could not stop crunching and crinkling those bottles.

Bo, who prides himself on fitting as many toys as possible in his mouth at all times, was determined to get his jaws around two Crinkits at once. He did eventually get one large one and the end of a small one is his mouth.

While Bo was occupied with this, Burley did what he does best: chew. He managed to rip the end off one of the Crinkits and get the bottle out within about 15 minutes.

I’d assumed this would happen given that these dogs are master chewers and because these rubber toys aren’t overly thick, especially at the ends.

Meanwhile, Bo had managed to flatten one of the smaller bottles and get it out of the rubber shell.

After that, it was supervised play only. Once they stopped crunching and started chewing, the toys went back to the closet.

In hindsight, these two mega beasts probably would have been better off with one of RuffDawg’s “guaranteed for life” toys. Still, I can’t deny how much fun they’ve had playing with their Crinkits. Despite not being the most durable things in the world, they have provided hours of entertainment.

Conclusion

If you have an active dog who loves chewing on water bottles, you have to try the Crinkit toy from RuffDawg. This genius rubber shell gives pups all the pleasure of chewing on plastic bottles but keeps their teeth and gums safe.

While this toy is not as durable as many of RuffDawg’s offerings, it is a great option for mild to moderate chewers. Not only does it provide plenty of entertainment for doggy-only playtime, but it can also be used as a retrieval toy on land and in the water for hours of fun.