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pupper crust is a a monthly dog subscription filled with a high-quality curation of toys, treats, or both. Everything that's chosen for pupper crust is sourced from women- and minority-owned small businesses across the United States. The treats are clean, small-batch, limited, or single-ingredient treats free of preservatives, and the toys are selected to provide mental stimulation and entertainment to enhance playtime and keep your dogs occupied, active, and engaged.
This is a review of the Tough Toys and Treats box, which costs $35 per month + $9 US shipping.
The Cost: $35 per month + $9 shipping.
This box ships to the US including HI and AK and Armed Forces. However it does not ship to Puerto Rico.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes.)
The five box options
pupper crust has subscriptions with different combinations of treats and toys so you can choose the tier that works best for you. The choices are:
- Toys and Treats Boxes cost $35/month, $38 for every two months plan, and $41 for every 3 months plan (option of Power Chewer or Gentle with Toys)
- Toys Only boxes cost $28/month, $31 for every two months plan, $34 for every 3 months plan (option of Power Chewer or Gentle with Toys)
- Treats Only boxes $21/month, $24 for every two months plan, $27 for every 3 months plan
Shipping costs $9 for every box.
Meet your reviewers
My dog Junip (most often called June) is a one-year-old red heeler. She's relatively new to our family—just a few months. We were asked by a neighbor to watch June for a weekend while her owner was in a living transition, which morphed into fostering her, then adopting her all within two weeks. Junip's energetic and playful, great with kids, and loves other dogs. This is her first-ever dog subscription!
What's Inside the pupper crust Tough Toys and Treats Box?
pupper crust arrives in a cardboard box with branded tape and its contents wrapped in tissue paper. I'm always a fan of simple, recyclable packaging.
Welcome Card
This sweet Thank You card shows a photo of the box owners and their dogs. I appreciate seeing the smiling faces of the folks who put care into subscription experiences.
The Treats
Arch Silver Carp for Dogs, 2.5 oz — Retail Value $13.99
First up are these dehydrated carp treats made from just one ingredient: silver carp. I find it very clever that they use an invasive fish species to create these allergen-friendly treats. Carp is a nutritious top-feeding fish, free of common chemicals and metals often found in bottom feeders. It's one of those everyone-wins ideas that makes you wonder why someone didn't think of this sooner.
There is quite a fishy scent when you open the bag, which made Junip come running from far and wide to see what was up. These are her new favorite thing. They're really crunchy and she's always coming back for more. I can definitely see us stocking up on more of these treats when our bag is empty.
Plant Dog Party Flavor Biscuits, 3 oz — Retail Value $14
To give Junip a boost of nutrients from a different angle, we were sent these biscuit-style treats that are loaded with veggies. The three colors represent the flavors Pumpkin Carrot Ginger, Purple Sweet Potato, and Rosemary Mint and Kelp. They're made in Plant Dog's Vermont kitchen with organic, human grade, natural and preservative free ingredient before gently baked and air dried.
I wasn't so sure how these would go over because June hasn't been a big fan of biscuits in the past. She often crunches them up and leaves the chunks on the floor. Not the case here! She always auto-sits when these flower-shaped biscuits are in sight.
The Tough Toys
Soda Pup Starfish Treat Holder & Power Chewer Toy — Retail Value $14
From Day 1 of Junip being in our care, she was really excited about the few tennis balls we had lying around. Between that and one gifted toy from a neighbor, she hadn't had much experience with different varieties of toys. This starfish-shaped toy is the first selection of the month for power-chewers. It's meant to give the satisfaction that a bone would offer but without the potential for harm. This toy was designed with mental stimulation, teeth and gum cleaning, and entertainment in mind.
The tag says the holes can be filled with treats, but our mini training treats were too big for them, so I broke up little pieces of kibble to put in. They were gone in about an instant so I haven't tried filling the holes a second time, but June does return to this starfish so frequently that we often leave it in her crate with her when we leave the house.
SodaPup Whale eMat Lick Mat — Retail Value $15.99
Lick mats come in all different sizes and patterns, and my kids were pretty delighted by the whale on this one. I like that is has suction cups to hold it still so it doesn't get licked away.
Our natural inclination was to smear peanut butter on the mat, but you can put any soft food in there. It can be stimulating but also calming, it can be used to prevent over-feeding, and it's good for dogs' teeth as well. We've actually been suctioning this mat to our back door window more than to our floor, and June seems to enjoy alternating licks and peeks out at the birds.
A Look at a Standard Toy
Note: this toy was not included in the July Tough Toys & Treats box. The brand sent me an extra toy to showcase a type of toy that would come in the standard Toys and Treats box.
Lambwolf Collective Buttnernut Snuffle Gourd Puzzle Toy, Large — Retail Value $24
Tough Toys pup owners can look forward to all indestructible toys so they can chew away with no concern of choking hazards. But gentler chewers might see something like this stuffed squash in their box. I'm in love with the neutral colors, the veggie shape, and the clever detail of including 6 pockets to hide treats in.
This is Junip's new favorite toy—I'm not sure if it's that there are squeakers all throughout it or that there are sometimes treats all throughout it. I also enjoy it, as the shape and color are pleasant to have lying around the house.
Value - Was This Box Worth It?
The Cost: $35 per month + $9 shipping.
Since Junip is relatively new to our family, I knew it was time to make her day with a delivery just for her. But admittedly I wasn't prepared for how well pupper crust would do it. The way they support small businesses, provide treats with minimal ingredients, and choose enriching toys with intention makes treating my dog so easy and positive. I would recommend pupper crust to any and every dog owner, and I would love to see what else they have in store.
This box costs $44 including shipping. I received 2 bags of specialty treats and 2 power-chewer toys (not including the bonus toy to show you a glimpse of the other box option). That breaks down to $11 per item, providing a $3-$5 discount on each item in the box. That's an awesome deal!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Maybe. Your dog might receive different toys or treats if you sign up for a different subscription tier.
pupper crust boxes renew on 15th of each month. Therefore, if you order their box after the 15th of the month, the first box is shipped immediately. The second box is shipped on the on the 15th of the following month (approximately 2-4 weeks after the first box). If you order between 1st and 15th of the month, the first box is also shipped box immediately but the second box will ship on the 15th of the following month (approximately 4-6 weeks after the first box).
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