I'm sure it's a situation many dog owners find themselves in... a brand new plush toy, dog excitedly starts to play with it and then about 50 seconds later, said plush toy has been well and truly disemboweled, squeaker removed and the stuffing knocked out of it - quite literally.
I've lost count of the number of toys Mina has disemboweled, pulled apart and shredded. Cheap toys, expensive toys, Mina pretty much destroys them all - if not within a matter of seconds, then usually a few hours. I sometimes wonder if she sees it as a personal challenge (if any dog toy manufacturers are reading this - I'm sure I could hire Mina out as a toy tester!)
So, what's survived and what's made it onto the Mina Wall of Shame?
The Wall of Shame...
Valentine's teddy (only a £1 from poundland)
Sadly, this teddy didn't live long past Valentine's day. I bought three teddies in total - one for each hound - and yes, you've guessed it, Mina destroyed them all!
Only one of the original teddies now remains. This Ted is minus his innards and one leg, but still gets thrown around by Mina and Jasper on a fairly regular basis.Twas the night before Christmas....
...well, OK then, it wasn't really; it was Christmas day and each hound received Rudolph the Rope Reindeer.
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| The 'before' shot of Stevie's reindeer |
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| 'Caught in the act' |
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| The 'evidence' |
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| "Who me?" |
Even poor Rudolph couldn't stand up to Mina's inquisitive and supercharged squeaker seeking capabilities. I suppose you could say it was her alternative to the stuffing served with the turkey!
Boyes finest - Freddy the Frog
Another multiple buy, I have lost count of how many versions of Freddy the Frog I have bought - he croaked it too! The slide show is like an animation of Mina in full squeaker seeker and destroyer mode.
The pièce de la résistance...
After five long years, toys were no longer enough and Mina turned her attentions to her bed. In fairness, I think there was a little, tiny hole in the cushion and Mina being Mina couldn't resist pulling at the stuffing. From there, one thing led to another....
To find out what toys have survived the Mina Wall of Shame, watch out for The Alternative Toy Story, Part 2...coming soon to a blog near you.
If you've some stories of your dogs toy terrors, do share them too.
