Surprise My Pet is a monthly subscription box for dogs. Surprise My Pet customizes your box to your dog’s size. Choose tiny (less than 10 pounds), small (10-20 pounds), medium (20-50 pounds), or large (50+ pounds). This is a review of the “large” box (my dog, Nyx, weighs 90 pounds).
Surprise My Pet sent us this box for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
The box was pretty big and seemed full when I picked it up off my doorstep. Always a good sign!
In fact, it was difficult to take a picture that showed all the contents. There was a lot in here.
The Subscription Box: Surprise My Pet
The Cost: $39 per month on a month-to-month plan, with better deals for longer subscriptions. Shipping is free for all plans.
The Products: 4-7 toys, treats, chews, and other goodies for dogs.
Ships to: US only (Canada coming soon)
Check out lots of great boxes for dogs in the Pet Subscription Box Directory!
I didn’t notice a theme for the month, but the box did include a card listing the box contents and retail prices. Some of the retail prices listed on the card seemed high compared to what I could find the products selling for online, but the differences weren’t huge.
Hyper Pet Dura-Squeaks Stick, Large – Value $9.96
Butcher’s Block Pet Treats Roasted Beef Tips, 3.5 oz. – Value $6
I’m happy with both of these. The toy is an appropriate size for my 90-pound dog and she’s had it for three days without destroying it, which has to be some kind of record. And we’ve gotten Butcher’s Block Pet Treats from other dog boxes before. They’re 100% beef lung and made in the US. (I couldn’t find these for sale online so I am using the price provided on the information card.)
This didn’t have a brand name listed on it so I am again using the price provided on the information card. I haven’t given it to Nyx yet (I only give her one new toy every few days) although I suspect she’ll have the ears off in minutes and the squeaker extracted shortly thereafter.
Chuckit Indoor Roller – Value $8.32
Pet Time Rawhide Braided Donut, 5 inches – Value $3.49
Nyx liked the Chuckit toy. She pulled some of the coating off after an hour or two, but she is the most destructive dog (when it comes to toys) that I’ve ever had. I like the yarn covering because I have a curio cabinet in my living room and I’m always afraid a thrown toy is going to hit it and break the glass. A softer coating like the Chuckit toy makes it safer to throw inside!
Sadly, the rawhide donut is made in China. I don’t have a problem with giving my dog toys made in China because I don’t let her eat them. But rawhide will get chewed and swallowed so I just don’t feel safe giving this to Nyx. (Their FAQ says chews are sourced from the USA, Canada, South America, Australia, and New Zealand, so I’m not sure how this fits in with that policy.)
Smokehouse Chicken Barz, 4 oz. – Value $9.20
Exclusively Dog Carob Flavor Wafer Cookies – Value $5.79
Both of these treats are made in the USA, which is the first thing I look for with new treats. The Chicken Barz have a really simple ingredients list: chicken and vitamin E! I love it when pet treats don’t have a lot of filler. Nyx is still doing her food trial for allergies, though, so I can’t tell you what she thinks of these yet. Luckily, there are a lot of large dogs in my extended family so someone will get to enjoy them soon.
Also, according to their FAQ, surprise my pet will offer special allergy-friendly products for dogs with common allergies. This is great to hear and something that is lacking in a lot of dog boxes. (We don’t know what Nyx is allergic to yet, unfortunately, hence the food trial.)
My dog, Nyx, enjoying the Chuckit Indoor Roller. (She doesn’t “get” posing for the camera…)
Verdict: I calculated a value of $52.76 for the April 2015 Surprise My Pet box. That’s actually a pretty good value for a pet box, even if you subtract the rawhide from China. I think the sizes of the toys are appropriate even for a dog as large as mine. (As many MSA readers have pointed out in the past, there is a big difference between a 50 pound dog and a 90 or 100 pound dog.) The toys were of varying durability, but Nyx is particularly destructive – these would’ve lasted forever with my last Rottweiler. It all depends on the dog.
Overall, I’m satisfied with the value and the mix of toys and treats. Although the rawhide wasn’t a hit, there were a lot of other items that worked for us. From what I can tell, this is a fairly new subscription and I’ll be interested to see how it develops in the coming months.
A couple of final notes: (1) I contacted customer service by e-mail with a question and they got back to me in a few minutes, which is great. (2) If there is a time that some item in your box is completely ignored by your dog, Surprise My Pet has a guarantee and is willing to work with you to make sure you’re satisfied.
What do you think of the April 2015 Surprise My Pet box? Do you subscribe to any dog boxes?
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