Tater tested the TrustyPup Strong ‘N Silent Platypus – a SILENT squeaky toy with Chew Guard Technology.
I confess, I found the Strong ‘N Silent toys by TrustyPup by accident. Having a migraine attack lasting over a week, I found myself Googling “silent squeaky toys” as soon as I could manage it. Did I expect any results? Not really, no. Certainly, I didn’t expect anything but suspicious claims attached to highly priced dog toys.
Then, I saw the TrustyPup Platypus, which was on sale during Amazon’s Black Friday sale.
Yes, I was still dubious, but since it was on sale, I felt it was worth a try. After all, my unexpected health crises had left poor Tater bored and bereft; he’s one of those dogs who loves to self-soothe by holding a squeaker and biting it every half-second or so. My migraine couldn’t handle this rhythmic “squeak…squeeeeak…squeak” for 30 minutes to an hour while my beloved little guy slowly passed out.
Could this problem-solving dog toy be for real?
A silent squeaky toy is something I’d dreamed of long before this point. Typically, I don’t mind that one of my dog’s primary hobbies is making noise; it’s entertaining to observe his clever dedication to finding ways to make as much noise as possible, experimenting with tossing toys and chews from different heights and at various velocities. However, there are times when even I want to watch a show or listen to my podcast sans Tater noise, and I’m not the only human in the house. Tater’s grandmother has many dog-loving coworkers at her work-from-home job, but incessant squeaky toy shrieks while on important calls with attorneys is less than optimal.
We totally needed a toy that had Tater’s favorite elements – fuzzy exterior, crinkling possible, and a squeaker – while being quiet and durable enough to last him longer than mere minutes to hours. Until discovering this toy, I didn’t imagine that both were actually possible and available! Well, you know what had to happen…
I bought it. Tater tested it. Here’s our review!
A Quick Note from Coydog:
TrustyPup Strong ‘N Silent Platypus Review
See below for where to buy and the detailed review for the extra curious!
Tater Tested, Tater Approved!
Overall, we give it 5 stars.
Here’s why:
The squeaker truly is silent, and its existence isn’t fraudulent; all three dogs and cats in our household clearly indicated that they could hear it. Additionally, it actually drove Tater even wilder than standard squeakers do.
This toy is definitely durable, too! TrustyPup’s Chew Guard Technology is no joke; Tater had constant access to his toy for a week without damaging it. Even the areas I suspected would be weaker points, such as the cute webbed feet, bill, and eyes, remain exactly as they were right out of the shipping box.
“Platy,” as we now call the toy, was an immediate hit! Tater loved this toy, and they were inseperable for a full week. He was always carrying it around with him, offering it to others to ask for play, repetitiously biting and squeaking it, and sleeping with it. When Tater bonds with a toy, he takes that relationship seriously – “Platy” was brought to his nightly TV Time, meals, whatever Tater was doing.
Unsurprisingly, feline mascot, Sixlette, was quite interested in the toy as well, and the two other resident kitty ladies clearly indicated that they could hear the squeak. Coydog senior dogs, Chad and Vesta, were into “Platy” right away, and as soon as Tater lost enough interest that it was . The toy has real pet appeal!
This toy is:
- not a scam – it does have a squeaker inside, pets can hear it, and you cannot!
- durable – this toy survived intense, continuous Tater Attention for a week before the other resident dogs even got the chance to play with it (it was in his mouth or right next to him until then), without any damage. It would take over a month and the interaction of two determined, large breed seniors to finally damage it.
- appealing – in addition to the ultrasonic squeaker that attracted attention from both dogs and cats, the toy has a lot of senory appeal. Fuzzy hair is distinctly different from the short, almost felt-like texture of the flippers and bill. It also has a nice, light crackle, remniscent of crinkle cat toys, that all the Coydog Crew enjoyed.
Coydog recommends this awesome toy!
Caveate: please read the update! This toy might not be as durable for large, determined dogs if left available at all times. Always remember that your dog is an individual.
Be sure to check out the full lineup of TrustyPup Strong N’Silent toys (affiliate link) – there are multiple varieties to suit your particular dog’s toy preferences, as well as other great offerings from the brand. Some might be a better choice in durability for your dog’s play style, and let’s be real, sometimes we guardians can’t help but be swayed by a toy’s aesthetics and appeal too!
Where to get your own Strong N’Silent toy
TrustyPup brand products are made by the PetWise company, the same company behind other familiar brands like Sherpa and SmartyKat. Researching PetWise, I was pleased to discover the company’s interest in sustainability, producing safe and needs-based pet products, and involvement with pet rescues.
Tater’s Platypus, as I mentioned, came from TrustyPup on Amazon↗ (affiliate link). You can get it right here ↗ (affiliate link) and check out a variety of others in the Strong ‘N Silent line that might appeal to your individual dog’s toy preferences.
If desired, find this toy at Walmart here. I’ve never seen these specific toys in-person at a store, but they’re available online. In-store, I’ve often purchased their SmartyKat products for the Coydog Cats, with much satisfaction.
Of course, TrustyPup and this toy line are available at Chewy as well. So, if you’re already grabbing some supplies, you can add one more great item to your order.
You can find TrustyPup and the Strong N’Silent line at just about any online retailer that carries pet supplies, as well as resale sites, but those listed above are definitely genuine products, and have consistently great pricing of around $12 (without shipping). We all know that the more you save on pet products, the more extra pet items you can buy (look, I did Girl Math there), so if you get free shipping with Amazon Prime, Walmart+, or another program, go for it there.
Wherever you get yours, Tater and I think you’ll find this toy is a great value!
I mean, look how happy Tater was to get it! And, you can hear (or not hear, rather) in the video that the toy is truly silent. Priceless.
Detailed Review
Hey, we don’t want to leave anything out that could help you decide whether this is the right toy for your dog! This more detailed review will give you a more complete picture, and even has some bonus tips, like washing the toy. All while including more pics because Tater is very cute. You deserve Tater in your day.
Meet your Tester – Tater!
Size: Largest end of “small” or smallest end of “medium.” Tater weighs between 25 and 30 pounds and is about as tall as a Shetland Sheepdog.
Age: at the time of writing, he is 1 year, 8 months. His birthdate is March 6, 2024.
Breed: Miniature “Texas Heeler,” a purpose-bred cattle working mixture of Australian Shepherd and Australian Cattle Dog, full-sized or miniature.
Play style, other Tester Features: Though a mix of at least two intense and intelligent herding breeds, he takes after the Australian Cattle Dog (blue/red heeler) predominantly. This means he’s very programmed genetically to “herd with his face,” as I say. That is politely saying that, like all heelers, Tater’s love language, herding and play style, and general response to most things is biting. Including how he bites, bites, bites his favorite toys. He’s also a living seam ripper who loves to beat his own records for quickly dissecting and destuffing toys. Tater might not have the bite strength of a bully breed, but he makes up for it in intense determination!
The Squeaker – Silent? Appealing still?
Is it actually silent?
It is! You will hear absolutely NO SQUEAK! (Video proof.) This is due to having an ultrasonic squeaker. This squeaker makes noise above the human range of hearing, but within your dog’s superior hearing range.
When you squeeze the toy yourself, you can feel a standard squeaker. (If you’ve picked them up when your dog rips them from toys as often as I do, you know what I mean!) You can also feel the novel addition of a long-ish, hard tube attached that takes the noise to the ultrasonic range.
You cannot hear any squeaky-toy noise, no… but you can hear a soft whooshing sound. This is the air moving through the squeaker, and it’s negligible in my opinion. Especially compared with the noise of a standard squeaker! This sound is not audible to others on phone calls or Zoom-style meeting apps; you must be rather close to the toy to hear it, and it hasn’t woken me up when I’m positive Tater has been lovingly biting the toy on the bed during a nap.
Still dog-appealing/is it actually making noise, though? Really?
This toy is definitely dog-appealing, yes! As you can see in the video earlier in the post, Tater was immediately interested and invested in it. What you can’t see is that I was squeezing the toy’s squeaker before and while offering it to him. If you watch closely, you’ll notice that his giant Tater ears react – he’s hearing it!
Further, our two large seniors, Vesta and Chad, have also indicated that they, too, can hear “Platy.” They’ve come from other rooms to investigate and have grabbed and squeaked it themselves. Vesta, especially, enjoys this toy; she needs one now! Then, there are the three resident cats. Cats are highly interested in ultrasonic noises as rodent hunters. This toy has “activated” or caught the interest of all three when being squeaked.
The toy is a great size for all the canine residents, being large enough for all, while also mouth-sized and biteable. Its listed size is “large,” and it isn’t dwarfed when in the mouths of the 65- and 85-pound German Shepherd Dog/American Pit Bull Terrier mixes, Vesta and Chad. It’s not so large that it gives Tater trouble, though! Most dogs enjoy plush toys that are oversized anyway, and I feel confident that my late Pomeranian (10-12lbs), Vitaly, would have loved the size as well.
It has the softness of a plush toy, despite the durability, and the Platypus model has nibble-worthy fuzzy fur and almost felt-like webbed feet and bill for additional texture. If your dog enjoys nibbling on fuzzy toys or varied textures like ours do, this model will be a hit! If not, this line has other models with shorter to very short “fur” and other differences in shape and texture, with offerings like a panda, penguin, whale, and more to choose from.
As for the sound, to say for certain that there really is a noise being produced at an ultrasonic range, I’d need a device to measure that, which I don’t have. So, technically, no, I can’t prove it. However, I am confident enough in reading my pets’ body language and observing behavior that I would bet money I don’t have on this toy legitimately producing an appealing squeak they’re hearing!
Chew Guard Technology – truly durable?
Chew Guard Technology is described as making the toys tougher with a “super durable lining and reinforced seams.”
I don’t blame you if you read that and imagined your dog annihilating yet another supposedly ultra-tough, super durable toy because you’ve heard all that before! That’s what I imagined as well, even while I hoped for some miracle this time around.
I am happy to report that, this time around, I have one miraculously fully intact dog toy that my dog doesn’t just occasionally play with, but totally loves!
Tater has interacted with “Platy” daily for a week, carrying it around the house, tossing and catching it, repetitively biting it, snuggling it, and yep, trying his very best to find a rippable seam or other way to love it right to death. I mean it! On multiple occasions, I’ve watched him exploring for the best grip before biting down, placing both front paws on the toy, and pulling –hard!
The fur simply will not tear open for destuffing! Perhaps even more amazing is that I’ve found not a single tuft of “Platy’s” soft, fuzzy hair anywhere after such attempts. As yet, this toy is…unpluckable, with clearly durable faux fur that doesn’t even break midway and tear apart any easier than the impossibility of tearing it from the “root.”
As I said before, Tater is a living seam ripper. He doesn’t just locate any seam, he expertly and expediently locates the optimally weak one with the best purchase, tearing it open in one second or less. Once this desire is in mind, it’s no time before the first wad of white, fluffy toy stuffing goes triumphantly flying. A toy might escape his interest in evisceration for some time, but once the urge inexplicably takes him, you’ll be left with toy innards gleefully flung all about a room and a sad, empty sack of previously plush toy. (At least, he wants to keep playing with the destuffed toy remains, but that’s only after he’s had a great time with his true target: the buried treasure that is the squeaker.)
I admit, it’s been fascinating to watch my expert toy killer mouth all over this toy, certain that he’s just oddly missed the right seam and will find it this time…maybe…over here by the eyes?! He certainly knows where the weak spots should be and has only recently stopped returning to those areas with admirable determination.
It should be noted that this hasn’t caused any frustration, which I was a bit concerned about! I’ve seen no indication of frustration, and believe me, with Tater, it’s noticeable. After he’s established that something just isn’t working out for him (or he can’t reach it beneath or behind furniture) and is feeling fed up with failing, he requests assistance. By “request,” I mean that he groans and moans like he’s dying painfully, throws himself around on the floor like a human toddler throwing a fit, and proceeds to do his defective dingo shriek-bark. He’s been having all fun, no dingo shriek-barking.
Of course, I can’t say how long the obviously magical strings holding “Platy” together can hold up to my dwarf dingo. Still, I have yet to see any minor wear, stretching, fraying, or other sign that his activities are putting real, eventually fatal, stress on the toy. Not even after he spent twenty minutes straight lovingly, fixedly gnawing on one webbed foot.
The tags and display loop are not as durable.
You probably shouldn’t expect such things to be, but it’s worth noting in this detailed review that they aren’t.
If it is at all likely that your dog will consume the fabric tags or display loop, or you will be leaving the toy with your dog without supervision, snip them off before handing the toy over! It is always recommended to remove any tags or other display materials from anything before your dog receives it.
Listen, I know…I know! I should’ve done that regardless; it is always best to stick to caution, and when it comes to my pets, I tend to be downright neurotic about doing exactly that. I didn’t. I cut off the product display tags telling all about the awesome features of the TrustyPup Strong ‘N Silent toy, and I ensured that the plastic once attaching them to the toy was fully removed from the toy’s luxurious fuzz. Then, yes, I let Tater go at it.
I was not oblivious to what he would do. On the contrary, his seam-ripping skills long ago evolved into otherworldly fabric tag removal. I knew that, once he had bitingly loved the toy over for a bit, he would remove the fabric tags quickly and with neatness surpassing that of scissors wielded by human hands. I probably should’ve gotten a picture for proof, it’s something to behold when he casually does this, leaving them cast aside in disinterest post-removal, but I didn’t want to encourage anyone to test their own dog’s skills!
Point A: I spend more time with my dog than most people do with their household human family members. I really know Tater! This is something he takes great satisfaction in doing, and if I had any concerns about him ingesting a little fabric tag, I was in the room with him and certified in pet first aid, should any choking have commenced. As I’ve said, not advisable – but we’re about real-life pet parenting and a “the pet in front of you” approach here. Know your pet, and weigh risk vs benefit appropriately. For my dog in this situation, the risk was minimal, while the benefit of enrichment and satisfaction was high.
Point B: Don’t expect anything but the toy proper to be so durable. Your dog can and likely will chew off the fabric tags and the matching-colored (it blends pretty well) hanging display loop. So, while removing the paper tags, take care of those as well…just in case!
Finally, on this point, I’d like to note how additionally impressive it is that he removed those things, sewn onto the toy, without weakening any seams or creating a weak spot in the body of the toy.
Does it get gross, and how to clean it? – BONUS TIPS!
Tater isn’t a very slobbery dog. I feel truly blessed, especially with his peculiar, puckered mouth corners. (Called “flews,” by the way – now you learned something today!) However, after a good week of frequent attention, thus mouthing, from Tater and occasionally by Chad and Vesta, the toy is beginning to look a little bit frazzled. Nothing too bad, smelly, or gross yet! Just the look of mussed hair, like “Platy” has a touch of bedhead here and there.
So, I haven’t needed to wash him yet, and can’t review that aspect of the toy currently. If there’s anything significant when I do wash it, I’ll update this review to note it!
BUT, I have some washing tips from previous experience, on-toy instructions, and consulting The Internet combined.
Standard care is…well, standard. The recommendation is to primarily spot wash the toy with a damp cloth and warm water. That sort of cleanup worked great for my Pom’s toys, but his mouth was smaller, even less spitty, and he didn’t spend quite as much time trying to destroy his toys. For more serious play styles, more slobbery dogs, and/or those with significantly larger mouths, a deeper cleaning more frequently is definitely necessary!
Unless you don’t mind the special texture of spit-crusted toys in your hands, or that particularly amazing odor that comes from well-loved and little-washed dog toys.
I don’t, so if you’re like me, the method of deep cleaning is to machine wash on cold, gentle, with a mild detergent.
Place the toy in a pillowcase or a garment washing bag for additional life-extending gentleness. No bleach or fabric softener, and I recommend using Sheets Laundry Club laundry detergent sheets (unscented variety) for pet laundry. They’re convenient, portable, more environmentally friendly, American-made, and they lack the dyes, scents, and other things best left out – really awesome if you have sensitive pets. The Coydog Crew has at least three such sensitive pets, this detergent switch has been great for their laundry.
To dry, you can either air dry or put it in the dryer on tumble dry, low to no heat. Personally, I don’t live somewhere that’s very applicable to things drying properly (definitely not quickly) when air dried; high humidity, and it’s far too cold, too much dusty wind, storm season, etc., all year. As such, I do “air fluff” in the machine or timed dry on extra low heat, gentle or delicate setting with no heat, whatever the particular machine offers that lets me do low to no heat as gently as possible. You get the drift!
Because we’re talking about a fabric object that spends time in your dog’s mouth, we’re also talking about the bacteria that cause that particular smell. You know the one! The same bacteria, by the way, causes those rust-colored stains on dog fur and can be part of the cycle that causes the “corn chip” smell on paws. Yeah, that’s not just a dog feature. That’s yeasty bacteria – gross! If your toy gets extra gross or still smells off after the above laundering instructions, try some baking soda, Nature’s Miracle Laundry Boost↗ (affiliate link), or Lysol Laundry Sanitizer↗ (affiliate link).
I regularly use all three of these (not together in one load!) for laundry that needs a little help with odor, sanitizing, stains, or otherwise just a boost to the detergent. Making them Coydog tested and recommended, too!
That wraps up our review of TrustyPup Strong ‘N Silent Platypus with Chew Guard Technology!
We really love this appealing, ultrasonic, and incredibly durable squeaky toy. Tater can squeak at will, at any time desired, in any place, without bothering any of his human family. I love that it has all his favorite things in a squeaky, appealing squeak, plushy softness, shaggy faux fur, crinkly-crackling sounds, and multiple textures. It’s truly durable and truly quiet – everyone is happy!
Not only do I HIGHLY RECOMMEND, but I also can’t wait to buy even more versions. I’d totally replace most of the toys in the toy baskets with these!
I have an update on “Platy!” It’s below, or you can click here.
Questions, thoughts? Drop a comment!
Links In this Post
Buy TrustyPup Strong ‘N Silent Platypus (Amazon) • TrustyPup Store (Amazon) • Platypus @ Chewy • Platypus @ Walmart • PetWise – Maker of TrustyPup • Sheets Laundry Club • Lysol Laundry Santizer (unscented, Amazon) • Nature’s Miracle Laundry Boost (Amazon) •
*Amazon links are affiliate links, thanks for supporting Coydog!
Update – a little over one month later…
UPDATE
Since posting this review, I have an update on Platy’s Durability.
Roughly one week after the original posting, Vesta became extremely enamored with Platy. After a few days of carrying the toy around, gleefully making it squeak, and grooming it, I noticed that the squeaker device inside the toy seemed to be broken.
Despite no longer making noise, everyone continued to love this toy!
I didn’t expect it, at all, as neither Vesta nor Chad have been into gutting toys over the last few years – I just knew that whenever Platy ended up de-stuffed, it would be Tater. I was mistaken! Two days ago, I noticed a strange tuft of stuffing. Exploring, I discovered Vesta had made a small hole in Platy and was picking out stuffing happily.
At this time, Platy’s body is no longer stuffed, but his head and legs remain plush. Everyone still loves him! I love that, even in this condition, there aren’t any small pieces (like eyes etc.) to present a danger. (Obviously, I removed the squeaker parts once exposed.)
Clearly, the toy isn’t magical. Like anything, it can be destroyed! I would say that the nearly constant attention from one intense Tater and two large dogs with impressive jaws did it in. It’s possible that, if it was only in Tater’s possession, it would have continued going strong longer. I remain impressed! Nothing plushy and squeaky has lasted this long, and it didn’t drive anyone mad while still squeaky.
I will 100% buy another of these toys! I’d like to try some of the other varieties to see if they might hold up to Vesta a bit longer as well.
As an aside, all three dogs received “Lambies” for Christmas. You know, the Lambchop toys that dogs are inexplicably obsessed with? Those! Three medium-large sized toys with a large squeaker in the middle and small squeakers in each foot.
Not only did this remind me how wonderful a silent squeaky toy had been, but it also reminded me of Platy’s durability. Within the first hour, one “Lambie” had a hole in the face, and the other a side torn open. Five days later, only one remains mostly intact; it does have a small hole, but hasn’t been torn open yet, largely because I keep trying to save it. For whatever reason, both large dogs decided to renew their interest in toy gutting! Vigorously so!
So, to close: though Platy was able to be torn open by large dog Vesta, it took over one month of nearly constant playing between three dogs, and it remains in much better shape than the Lambchop toys. The Lambchop toys didn’t even last a full hour, and while I’m happy the dogs are thrilled by the noise, they’re extremely loud. Being super noisy limits playtime with them to times when no one is sleeping or working, boo!
Again, all in all, I still highly recommend the TrustyPup Strong ‘N Silent Platypus toy! So much so that I’ll be buying more.
