Real Mom Review: Super Chewer by BarkBox

Super Chewer is a subscription box made especially for tough pups! Every Super Chewer box includes a themed collection of the toughest and most durable dog toys, treats and chews specially curated for your dog's size and needs, shipped free to your door every month.

CertifiKID COO, Amie, tried out Super Chewer for her family's new puppy, Gwen. She received a free Super Chewer box in exchange for providing an honest review of her experience.

Amie: Last November, my family welcomed home an 8-week old Mini GoldenDoodle puppy. It was the perfect timing -- my grandmother, with whom I was very close, had recently passed away. And with two children ages 8 and 4, my husband and I had decided no more human babies were in our future. Enter our new fur baby!

We already had a cat named Peter after Spider-man’s Peter Parker, so the kids kept with the theme and named our new puppy Gwen, after Spider-woman’s Gwen Stacy. Gwen gave all of us a much-needed distraction while grieving my grandmother, providing us unconditional love, lots of snuggles, and delicious puppy breath! Crazily enough, we put two-and-two together that Gwen was born on the very same day my Mom-Mom had passed away. I truly believe it was fate for Gwen to be ours!

Fast forward to spring 2020, and Gwennie (as we now affectionately call her) has truly become our third child and a sibling to my kids, Macy and Remy. At eight months old, she has the cutest, most friendly personality, and goes with us wherever we go.

Wanna know what’s not so cute about an 8-month-old puppy? She’s entered the dreaded “Super Chewer” phase. What’s that, you ask? It’s when your puppy chews (and destroys!) anything and everything in sight!

Gone are the days when you can get them the cute stuffed animal-like toys because within minutes, your house is covered with fabric shreds and fuzzy stuffing. That new mulch you laid in the flower beds? Get ready for puppy to treat it like her own personal stick pile. The corner of your coffee table? Yep, she’ll take a chomp on that too!

So what to do? Divert puppy’s attention to toys, bones and chews that are tough and durable. That’s why when we were offered the opportunity to try one of BarkBox’s Super Chewer boxes, we jumped at the opportunity.

Each box comes with two durable, fluff-free toys, two full-size bags of treats, and two meaty chews, or you can tailor it to your pup’s needs. You can make it all toys or all treats, or you can even switch up your box item ratios with fewer toys and more treats -- whatever makes your dog happy. You can even specify if your dog has allergies and they will tailor your box to that.

We decided to get a variety to try out everything. My husband and I chuckled when our box arrived in the mail and we saw that month’s theme was “Craft Chewing,” a play on “Craft Brewing.” During the past couple months of social distancing due to the coronavirus, let’s just say we’ve turned to a frosty beer at the end of the day more times than we care to admit! Our box included the “Got Hops?” toy, “Howler Growler” toy, two bags of “Craft Brewed Treats,” and two chew sticks.

If I (and Gwennie) had to pick an absolute favorite from our box, it would be the “Got Hops?” chew toy. Made of bright green, durable natural rubber, it is Gwen’s go-to first thing in the morning when she needs to get her energy out after a long night in the crate. It has a tough, foam ball inside that jiggles when you shake it, making a noise that gets her excited and ready to play. It often keeps her occupied on her own when we stuff a treat inside, or for interactive play, we roll it across the floor for her to retrieve.

Best of all, Gwen has NOT been able to destroy this toy two months into her chewing it and gnawing it! Same with the “Howler Growler” toy, which is also durable rubber and squeaks. I foresee both of these toys lasting a long, long time. Even if they don’t, I was pleased to learn that Super Chewer will replace them, no questions asked.

At first I was hesitant about the “Craft Brewed Treats,” questioning if there really was a beer flavor to these. I learned the “Oinkman’s Stout” is really a pork and bacon flavor, while the “Duck I.P.A” is a duck and carrots blend. Gwen loves both, and I appreciate how healthy they are for her. They’re all-natural and grain-free with no fillers like wheat or corn (and no beer, of course!).

Similarly, the chew sticks are all-natural with no unhealthy fillers. I was expecting these to be more like a bone and last for an extended period of time; however, Gwennie scarfed each down in less than a minute. More of a treat than a chew activity in my opinion, but she clearly loved the flavors! If I could ask for one change to the Super Chewer box, it would be a bone or bully stick added to the delivery.

Overall, we are super happy with our Super Chewer box, and we would definitely recommend it to our friends -- both dogs and their human owners alike! Even though Gwennie won’t be in this “Super Chewer” puppy phase forever, I foresee this subscription being useful for our family and fun for her for many years to come.

CertifiKID was founded by a mom with a passion for helping parents provide the best experiences for their children on a budget. From outings to adventures, classes to camps, theater to sporting events, amusement parks to getaways, CertifiKID provides the best family-friendly experiences at unbeatable prices. Sign up for family-friendly deals in your area and start saving!