Product Review: Starmark Treat Crunching Barbell

Starmark's Treat Crunching Barbell is one of two toys that hold their new edible Treat Rods. This is a durable chew toy that comes in two sizes. It is dishwasher safe and latex-free, and it floats. Both sizes of Treat Crunching toys can be used with either size of Treat Rod. Mine is the smaller sized toy, and I haven't yet tried it with the larger rods.

Photo by Erin Koski

The Treat Rods are chewable tubes into which small treats can be stuffed. Starmark's Interactive Treats can be jammed into the ends to prevent everything from falling out, and then the whole rod is shoved into the Barbell toy. The smaller sized rods fit all the way into the toy, so removing them requires the dog to chomp the toy really good. When the rod breaks, the treats fall out.

The Barbell has Starmark's signature clover-shaped opening on one end, and on either side. There is a larger opening on one end for inserting the rod, and other treats could be stuffed in there as well.

Photo by Erin Koski

Our Barbell is the medium size, for dogs up to 40 lbs. The girls enjoy playing with it whether there's treats in there or not, but I think they would enjoy the larger size as much if not more. Getting the treat rod out would certainly be a bigger challenge.

Pros: The treat rods make this toy a new and different challenge. It's pretty durable, and it floats.

Cons: The shape makes it simple to gnaw the ends off if that's what the dog wants to do.

Bottom Line: It's pretty much always a good idea to size up with Starmark toys, at least for my dogs.