When my partner’s and my dog — a 70-pound German shorthaired pointer named River — isn’t actively on a run or chasing balls in the dog park, he’s bringing us toy after toy to throw for him or play tug with. Wearing him out is a task in itself, so when suction cup pull toys started popping up on my Instagram feed and Amazon ads, I figured I’d give one a try.
The idea behind the Yudian Suction Cup Dog Toy is that the toy attaches to the floor via suction cups, then the dog plays tug-of-war by itself. If I could get my dog to wear himself out on his own? And for under $25? Count me in.
Knowing River is quite the chewer and very strong, I searched through quite a few options that could withstand his teeth and strength. I decided on one that had two suction cups for the floor and touted itself as being durable enough for “aggressive chewers.”
Although my dog doesn’t play with it constantly, this toy is well worth the $15 to keep him engaged.
For the pet parent looking for new ways to tire out their dog, the Yudian Suction Cup Dog Toy is a cheap, effective pick for pups who love to tug.
How I found the Yudian Suction Cup Dog Toy
My partner and I spoil our dog all the time, so it’s no surprise that many of my targeted ads are for gifts, toys and plush beds for him. If River isn’t trail running with us, he does need to be relatively entertained at home, at least until he gets tired enough to snooze. When I saw the suction cup pull toys for dogs popping up on my ads, I was a little bit skeptical. Would it stay secure to the floor? Would my dog just chew it apart? Would he even play with it?
Given the affordable price point of the Yudian Suction Cup Dog Toy, I figured it was worth testing out.
Why the Yudian Suction Cup Dog Toy is a score
Even if my dog only played with this toy every once in a while, it seemed worth it to give it a try. Honestly, he’s ripped apart other $20 dog toys immediately, so if this lasted longer than those, I’d consider it a win. Turns out, not only does he play with it, but it has also withstood his ferocious chewing and pulling for two weeks now.
The package comes with the main toy (two suction cups attached to a rope that is attached to a rubbery chew toy) as well as two clear sticky boards in case the suction cups don’t adhere to your floor. The suction cups did not stick to my linoleum floor, so I put the two clear sticky boards down instead (about 5 inches by 5 inches each) and the cups worked on that. They are quite stiff, so to get them to really stick down, I stepped on them with a sturdy shoe.
One downside: The sticky boards are not exactly reusable. I tried to pry one off with a butter knife, which did come off with no residue left over, but I could not re-stick it elsewhere. I was, however, able to stick one suction cup to the leftover sticky square and one to my baseboard. Since you can’t really move the toy around, it’s important to pick a good spot that’s out of the way.
Once the toy was stuck to the ground, River was vaguely interested. At first, he didn’t exactly know what to do with it. We started playing with him and he eventually figured out that he could pull and tug it by himself. In general, we still need to initiate the start of the play for this toy, but once he gets going, he’ll tug for about five to 10 minutes, then revisit it later. We have also been able to attach some of his favorite squeaky toys to it; if any toy has a loop, it can fit fairly easily over the chewy stick. That way, if he isn’t interested in the chewer part, he can tug his other favorite toys.
The chewer itself is by far the best part of the toy. Since it has jagged protrusions in different sizes all around the stick, it can actually help keep your dog’s teeth clean on top of providing much-needed entertainment. Part of the chew stick is open, so you can stick toothpaste in the holes to help with cleaning, or even treats, soft cheese and other snacks to help your dog engage with the toy. River enjoys the Yudian tug toy best when there are treats or toothpaste inside; it’s an easy way to get him playing by himself.
So far, after about two weeks of the toy being stuck to the ground, River hasn’t been able to destroy any part of it; everything is intact, including the chewer stick. And for a dog that will literally destroy a new stuffie in 10 minutes (even the “super chewer, indestructible” ones), this is a big feat.
He has chewed on the stick a few times each day and really digs in when I crumble treats into it; no protrusions have come off, and there aren’t teeth marks in it either. No matter how hard he’s pulled and pulled, the suction cups have stayed put, and the connecting rope remains intact. River has sniffed around the rope and suction cups, but I’ve warned him off from chewing those and guided him back to the stick.
If you have a dog that loves tugging and might need a bit of extra engagement, try out the Yudian Suction Cup Dog Toy. I’ve been pleasantly surprised at just how durable and entertaining it is for my dog, and when you throw in the fact that it helps clean your dog’s teeth and costs just $15, it’s a no-brainer.
