Every dog has a favorite toy. Owners often recall stories of how the stuffing was ferociously ripped from the poor bear, or how the ears were chewed beyond recognition. Despite the damage, dogs keep going back for the same toy. The same ragged, torn, disgustingly stinky toy. Some will say its the smell, some will say its the texture - but I say its purely nostalgic. Maybe your pup remembers the wonderful day he was introduced to said bunny or bear. Or maybe the stuffed toy was there during a particularly dull day and helped your pup survive the boredom.
For Momo, this is her beloved Kygen Squirrels in a Log toy. That girl can spend hours sticking her head in that stuffed log, searching for squeeky, squirrel treasure.
Now all of us have come home to find what looks like a cloud explosion in our living room. Weve all been upset, but have held back laughter and smiles when our pup gives us the "I dont know what youre talking about" look. But did you ever think that the dirty, crusty, smelly, destroyed toy... could be art? No? Us either.
Introduce Chewed by Arne Svenson and Ron Warren. After spending years photographing sock monkeys for a previous book, they were surprised when their friends pup greeted them happily with her beloved chewed up sock monkey. This display of love was the inspiration for their new book, Chewed. They decided to photograph "portraits of chewed toys as seen through the eyes of the adoring chewer."
This insanely adorable book tells the story of dozens of beloved toys. Sometimes the story comes from owners, sometimes from pets, and sometimes even from the toy itself! Brilliant.
Our personal favorite? SQUIRREL: A CAUTIONARY TALE... - by Andrew Zimmern. In the pups own words, "I knew I wanted to eat it. Why wouldnt I? I had joyfully devoured this primeval delicacy years before, in the hollers of West Virginia and yeah, it was really f***ing good. Never shy away from a plump squirrel, thats my motto."
For a sneak peek of the book, check out the Chewed website. But trust us, youll want to see the rest of the 140 hilarious photos. Chewed is available for $24.95 at your local book store or on Amazon.com.
Does your pup have a gross, chewed up toy? (Cmon, you know she does.) Wed love to see! Post your photos on our Facebook page!
