Dog toy rubric

Criteria & weights

1. 1. Material safety

   Weight 20/100

   Signal: product description

   1. 10BPA-, phthalate-, and latex-free with material named (natural rubber, TPE, etc.)
   2. 5BPA-free claim
   3. 0Unnamed plastic, no safety claim

2. 2. Chew-strength tier

   Weight 15/100

   Signal: product description

   1. 10Declared tier (light / moderate / aggressive chewer)
   2. 5General "tough" claim
   3. 0No chew-strength guidance

3. 3. Size guidance

   Weight 10/100

   Signal: product description

   1. 10Size chart tied to breed or weight range
   2. 5S/M/L variants
   3. 0One size only, no guidance

4. 4. Enrichment value

   Weight 15/100

   Signal: product description

   1. 10Puzzle, foraging, or treat-dispensing mechanism
   2. 5Interactive feature (squeaker, crinkle)
   3. 0Passive toy (basic ball / rope)

5. 5. Washability

   Weight 10/100

   Signal: product description

   1. 10Machine- or dishwasher-safe with instructions
   2. 5Hand-wash safe
   3. 0Spot-clean only, not clearly stated

6. 6. Squeaker containment

   Weight 10/100

   Signal: product description

   1. 10Reinforced squeaker chamber or no squeaker at all
   2. 5Sealed squeaker, standard construction
   3. 0Exposed squeaker in thin-fabric toy

7. 7. Seam and edge integrity

   Weight 20/100

   Signal: product description

   1. 10Reinforced seams with no exposed fill or hidden fasteners
   2. 5Double-stitched seams
   3. 0Single-stitch seams on plush

Disqualifiers

Any of the following forces a "skip" verdict, no matter how well the product scores on other criteria. Non-negotiable.

• Documented choking-hazard recall in the last 24 months
• Contains BPA or phthalates
• Marketed for aggressive chewers with no reinforced construction disclosed

Verdict thresholds

Total score cutoffs for each public verdict tier. Sum of weighted criterion scores maps directly onto these bands.

Editors' pick

≥ 80

Solid buy

≥ 65

Situational

≥ 50

Below 50, or any disqualifier hit → verdict: skip.