Toys that can survive the tough and demanding play of stronger dogs are hard to come by. We have bought so many toys that claim they are ‘tough’, but only last seconds when up against our two Labs.
GoughNuts however, is a brand that is built on providing the toughest and most durable dog toys on the market. They have one of the best return policies of any company and their toys are guaranteed to be tough.
Today we will be looking at their GoughNuts Maxx 50 Stick dog toy. We are going to look at its features, fun factor and durability. By the time you finish this article, you should have all the information you need to decide whether the Maxx 50 Stick is the right choice for your dog.
How Did GoughNuts Start?
GoughNuts launched their first product in 2006, the Original Ring dog toy. The company noticed that there was a need for a safer dog toy that was both tougher and more durable than others. Their Original Ring design has no weak points and was designed to withstand months or even years of hard chewing.
The idea of the GoughNuts dog toy was first conjured up in the founder’s kitchen. They started with the idea that “Green means Go and Red means stop.” This means that if your dog chews down to the red indicating layer, you need to take the product away from them.
GoughNuts then added more products to their line-up, but retained the combination of a tough, durable toy that is safe for all of their products.
What Is a GoughNuts Maxx 50 Stick?
To complement their original ring dog toy, GoughNuts produced a range of toys in the shape of a stick. The GoughNuts Sticks have become the company’s best-selling interactive chew toy and they are used by Police K9 dog units all around the world.
GoughNuts offers the Stick in a number of different custom rubber compounds. The toughest and most durable is the Maxx 50, which we are reviewing today. It has a hardness modulus that is ten points higher than their original black rubber recipe. This toy is guaranteed for life and is claimed to be one of, if not the toughest dog toy on the market.
The GoughNuts Maxx 50 Stick features the company’s two layered safety indicator technology. Maxx 50 products are identified by a yellow dot, rather than a red one like on GoughNuts’ other products. If your dog gets down to the yellow ‘safety indicator’, you need to take the toy away from them immediately.
The Maxx 50 stick is 11.5 inches in length by 2.1 inches in diameter, so it is a fairly large dog toy.
You can read more about Goughnuts’ products here.
Which Dogs Are Suitable for The Maxx 50 Stick?
GoughNuts states that the Maxx 50 Stick is only for larger breeds of dog, who are serious chewers. If your dog is on the smaller size, they recommend you go with one of their other Stick products (green, orange and yellow ones).
This toy is designed for dogs who have destroyed almost every other toy on the market.
Are There Any Other Options?
What we are reviewing today is the Maxx 50 Stick, however, the toy is also available in a ring form as well. GoughNuts recommends the ring for dogs who are extreme power chewers, as it is less vulnerable to damage.
Like we stated above, GoughNuts also offers the toy in a number of different rubber compounds and sizes as well. If your dog isn’t the toughest on toys or isn’t large in size, we recommend you check out GoughNuts other offerings.
So Is The GoughNuts Maxx 50 Stick a Good Dog Toy?
We have no doubt that the Maxx 50 Stick is the toughest dog toy we have ever bought. The Maxx 50 Stick feels so solid in the hand its incredibly.
When it comes to fun factor we feel that the Maxx 50 Stick just isn’t up there with some of the other toys we have. Don’t get us wrong, it is great for games of fetch and even tug, but we find that our two Labs just aren’t as interested in it as other toys.
We understand that it is a toy that you should use with your dog, but we hoped that our dogs would show some interest in it on their own. Our dogs always seem to pick a toy like a ball or KONG’s Wubba over the Maxx 50 Stick, even more games of tug or fetch.
The GoughNuts Maxx 50 Stick is undoubtedly better when used outside. It can be thrown far for good games of fetch and it floats, so it can be used around water.
Is The GoughNuts Maxx 50 Stick Durable?
In a word, yes! This toy is the toughest one we own. There are no visible signs of damage and it feels like a quality product. GoughNuts lifetime guarantee is also great if your dog does manage to damage it.
Compared to something like a classic KONG toy, the GoughNuts feels much more solid. We have no worries about leaving it with our dogs during the day. The Stick is also infinitely more tough than our Lab’s favourite toy, the KONG Wubba, which we have to keep locked away when it’s not playtime.
While we haven’t had the GoughNuts Stick for that long, we feel that it will last for ever. If you have a really demanding chewer, this is definitely the toy for you.
Is The GoughNuts Maxx 50 Stick Expensive?
The Maxx 50 is priced pretty high compared to other toys on the market. Depending on where you live, the toy can range from expensive to outrageously expensive. We couldn’t find the Maxx 50 in New Zealand, so we bought it from amazon.com.
At around US$32 for the Maxx 50 Stick, we felt the toy was pretty well priced for the quality you are getting. While the toy isn’t our Lab’s favourite, we have no doubt it will last a long time. For those who want the toughest, the Maxx 50 is certainly worth the higher price.
If you don’t need the Maxx 50 Stick, the other rubber compounds and sizes came in at a lower price.
Would We Buy The GoughNuts Maxx 50 Stick Again?
To be honest, we don’t think we will ever have to. The toy is so tough and durable it should last years. If the toy did break, we would certainly buy another one as the quality is next to none. The GoughNut’s Stick is a great toy to supplement other products like a ball toy or a classic KONG.
Summary
Things We Like About The GoughNuts Maxx 50 Stick
- Incredibly tough and durable
- Great for games of fetch and tug
- Excellent quality
- Great return policy
- The safety indicator is a great idea
Things We Don’t Like About The GoughNuts Maxx 50 Stick
- Not as interesting as other toys on the market
- Expensive compared to other toys