And then the market exploded: Lots of hollow rubber and plastic objects of varying designs that you can shove treats and food into so your dog can knock it around your house spewing food everywhere and inevitably get it stuck under the TV console.
To be honest, I never found the Kong to be a good treat dispenser. The hole at the bottom is far too large unless you’re filling it and freezing it to use as a licky mat sort of activity.
Tucker has tried a few different shaped treat dispensers, but none really wowed me. In 2019, we came across a pretty good one: M.C.works Pineapple. While it’s pretty durable and Tuck enjoyed it, he also really enjoyed gnawing chunks off the leaf at the top, which he had used as a handle to flip the toy.
Tucker hates corners and protrusions; he believes everything in life should be like the planet: Round. So off I went in search of a more Tucker-loving shaped treat dispenser. And in 2022, I found it: The M.C.works Dragon Egg.
Dragon Egg Dog Chew Toy
An Egg Designed By A Human
While the dragon face will appeal to D&D gamers and fantasy book readers, it’s not terribly necessary for the dog. But it does add some interesting texture for the dog to grab onto. The raised face doesn’t stand out enough for Tucker to chew it off, but it does offer nubs for his teeth to grab purchase when manipulating it.
The hole at bottom from which food comes and goes isn’t just the standard round shape. At one inch tall, it’s .5 wide in the middle and .75 wide at the ends. It’s a nifty shape that doesn’t allow food to fall out all at once. It can also be challenging to put food in there, but that’s the game for us people. [Note: I find that Vital Essential Turkey Nibs are the perfect size.]
I really like the extra hole at the top of the egg that acts as a safety measure. This allows air to escape so on the off chance your dog somehow jams their tongue into the bottom hole and gets stuck, it won’t be suctioned in there. (It’s the same reason there is a similar hole at the top of the Kong.)
The additional “vents” on the sides let Tucker be able to smell the food and also help him get a grip when he’s flipping it about. Design-wise, I don’t see any major flaws.
Tucker’s View
Tucker may get a little frustrated with how long it takes me to funnel pieces of food into the egg due to my lack of fine motor skills, but he keeps his eyes to the ground so should I be so clumsy as to drop anything on the floor, he can pick it immediately. Even a loss is a win for him.
Due to its perfect egg shape, Tucker can easily roll it from one room to the next (not my choice, but hard to prevent).
It also makes it easy to nudge it into corners to get it to flip over.
The small edges make it easy to pick up and manipulate it into position as needed.
Tucker enjoys the challenge to it and that the top part is small enough to fit in his mouth and flip it over. It’s not unwieldy, but not too easy either—it’s just right for a challenge.
Pros
- Made of safe and durable food grade rubber.
- No protrusions to gnaw off.
- Vents help scents to escape and provide grippage.
- Has uniquely shaped hole for treats to fall out one at a time.
- Additional safety hole at top for peace of mind.
Cons
- Light color shows dirt.
- Vents can capture fuzz and dust when rolling around.
- Hole is too small to be able to really clean inside well.
Dragon Egg Dog Chew Toy
The Final Bark
A few reviewers have said their strong chewers have destroyed this within hours or days. We don’t utilize it as a chew toy, so perhaps that’s why it’s lasted for Tucker. It’s a treat dispenser, an enrichment activity, a puzzle game. I fill it up after dinner and that’s his desert and main activity during our evening programming. When he’s finished, I pick it up, rinse it off, and it goes on the top shelf until next time.
It’s lasted over 3 years, and while it’s not an everyday toy, it does see quite a lot of action. It travels with us, and has been used on carpet, hardwood floors, and tile. While it does pick up fuzz and dust from the floor once the vents are covered in Tucker slobber, the exterior can be rinsed off. At under $20, it’s a fair price for its durability and longevity. And, Tucker gives it his stamp of approval for it being challenging enough to be engaging, but easy enough to always win.
